Mating and kindling, step by step

1. Before mating

First mating on time, in good condition and with no relatives.

1. The doe on time — Medium breeds first at 4½–5 months, when she has reached roughly 80 % of adult weight. Giants at 6–8 months.
2. Good condition — The doe should be neither thin nor fat. A fat doe has trouble conceiving and problems at kindling.
3. The buck — First mating at 5–6 months; a young buck once a week to start with. An adult buck at most 3–4 matings a week, with a rest day.
4. No relatives — Don't mate brother and sister, or a parent with its offspring: litters are smaller and the kits weaker. Replace the buck or bring in another line every 2–3 years.

Why: A well-managed doe rears 20 or more kits a year. A badly managed one misses, kindles on the wire or eats her litter. The difference is nearly always a few simple things, and the first is the right doe and the right buck.

• If a doe isn't mated by 9–10 months she often gets fat and is harder to get in kindle. Make sure the first litter comes on time.
• After heat above 30 °C a buck is temporarily infertile for 1–2 months. That's why matings pause through July and August.

2. Mating

A doe has no true heat cycle, but some days she is more willing.

1. Signs she's ready — A ready doe is restless, rubs her chin on things and carries hay. With the buck she lies flat and lifts her rear.
2. The doe goes to the buck — In the morning or early evening, when it isn't hot, take the doe to the buck's hutch.
3. Seconds and a second mount — A successful mating takes seconds: the buck falls off sideways or backwards. Allow a second mount after 5–10 minutes, then take the doe back to her own hutch.
4. Record the mating — Write down the date, the doe and the buck. If the doe refuses or they fight for more than a couple of minutes, take her out and try tomorrow.

Why: The doe defends her hutch and attacks the buck, and he busies himself with the smells of a new place instead of mating. That's why the doe always goes to the buck, never the other way round.

• Never leave the doe with the buck for long, and never overnight: they fight, and the buck wears her out.
• A ready doe has a red or purple, swollen and moist vulva. Pale and dry means she is less ready.

3. Pregnancy and the nest box · Locked

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4. Kindling and the morning check · Locked

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5. Kits and fostering · Locked

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6. Weaning and selection · Locked

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