Warning: this post discusses rabbit procreation. Reader discretion is advised.
So, both the New Zealand does (Ava and Loretta) were not pregnant after the first attempt to breed them about a month ago. There were several possible reasons it wasn’t successful, but the most likely one is that the bucks didn’t exactly know what they were doing. In fairness, the does may have had a part in that, too.
You’re thinking “but these are rabbits”, right? Yes – rabbits do breed prolifically, but these are youngsters who, while they clearly had the general idea, seemed less clear on the specifics. As with last time, we watched each of the couples to ensure we witnessed what appeared to be a successful mating, and it looked very different today than it did approximately a month ago.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed that at least one of the does will kindle a month from now. One pairing is NZ to NZ, and the other is NZ to Silver Fox. In 28 days, we’ll bring the does back inside so they’ll have their cozy nest boxes and a climate-controlled environment in which to raise their kits (which should appear around day 31).
If all goes well, cute baby rabbit pictures will abound!