If you’ve thought about raising meat rabbits, you are not alone! The popularity of “Cuniculture” is on the rise amongst backyard homesteaders as a way of providing delicious, protein-rich, lean meat for their families.

Cuniculture is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for their meat, fur, or wool.

And, of course, in the consideration of raising meat rabbits you’ve likely thought about the fact that there’s a little bit {okay, a lotta bit} of reproduction involved in the process. Perhaps you have some concerns or reservations regarding the responsibilities that go along with this.

Don’t fret. It’s not as complicated or involved as one might think. But there are some things you should know and be aware of so that you are prepared.

***Warning: graphic image of stillborn rabbit kit is included in this post.***

1. Breeding

I won’t be getting into great detail on breeding today as that is an article in and of its own {coming soon!}, but one thing to keep in mind is that the more times you breed your doe {female rabbit} to your buck {male} on breeding day, the higher kit {baby} count you can expect. This isn’t always the case, but it certainly can be. And of course there is a limit to the number of kits your doe can carry. But I aim for 3 breedings in one day {morning, afternoon, evening} and no more. At the very least, I breed twice.

2. 28 Days Later

After 4 weeks, place a nesting box in the expecting doe’s cage. There are many DIY articles out there on making your own nest box, or you can buy a galvanized one like these at Bass Equipment which can be reused for many years to come and are super easy to clean. Be sure to select the appropriate size for the breed you are handling.

Does have a natural instinct to build a nest for her kits which will kick in right around the 28-day mark. I’ve had does build nests a week early, but that doesn’t mean they are ready to kindle {have babies}  right then. She’s just getting prepared. If that does happen to you, just place the nest box in the spot where she built her early nest and I’ve never had an issue with the doe not taking to the nest box instead. Simply provide her plenty of straw {by far the bedding of choice}. I place some in the nest box itself and the rest just inside the cage. She will snatch up mouthfuls and add it to the nest box as she sees fit. They like to dig out a hole within the straw pile, near the back of the box {known as a burrow}. It is there that she will deliver her kits.

3. Days 30-32

I always mark down my does to kindle 30 days after breeding, just to be prepared. Most often, does will kindle on days 30, 31, or 32. Yes, it can be longer. But in my experience, does typically kindle on day 31.

They will pull the fur from their chest under their dewlap {the large neck roll below a doe’s chin} shortly before kindling {often within the hour}. There can be instances of early fur pulling a week or so before. The doe will line her burrow with her fur and also use it to cover her newborn kits.

Rabbits tend to deliver during the night or in the early morning hours as a natural instinct to protect their young from predators. Of course, this is not a constant rule. I have had does deliver at noon and in the evening. When my does are expecting, I like to check on them around 7:00 AM after sending my oldest off to school on the bus. I’ve witnessed quite a few times a doe deliver her kits during this time frame. Just keep in mind if you do catch her in the act, leave her be. She knows her job and does it well. The kindling process is fairly quiet save for the soft little grunting noises of the kits. The doe will clean up all of the afterbirth and blood {yes, she eats it- don’t freak out}, again as a precaution against predators. There will be little trace of grossness left.

4. Post-Birth

In the warmer months, you can check on the kits about an hour or so after the doe leaves the nest box {she won’t linger there- rabbits do not sit on or keep their young warm as other animals do}. Remove any stillborn kits {yes, expect this to happen now and then- see below with caution} or any other afterbirth remaining. Don’t worry about touching the kits, the doe will not reject them as she should already be accustomed to your scent. In fact, daily handling of the kits is encouraged as it results in rabbits that are much more tame. You never know which ones might end up in your breeding program or in someone else’s home {should you decide to sell}.

During the winter months, I keep a close eye on the kindling process. I’ve had inexperienced does who neglect to cover up her kits before leaving the nest, leaving them vulnerable to freezing. Simply take the fur that she pulled and lay it over the top of the litter. If your doe kindled in the middle of the night and you find any frozen kits, don’t despair. Remove them from the nest and bring them inside your house. You want to warm them up and there are a number of ways of doing this. My preferred and most successful method has been to wrap them in a single-layer towel which is then wrapped inside of a heating pad. Don’t have a heating pad? Warm up a towel in the dryer and wrap them up in that, gently rubbing their bellies to encourage circulation. Other methods include placing the frozen kits against your own skin {it is not uncommon for women to put them in their bras- I’m not lying!} or floating them in warm water {place kits into an unsealed Ziploc bag and then place the bag into a pan of warm water, obviously not submerging the bag entirely- the kits should not get wet!}. The general rule is they are not dead until they are warm and dead. I’ve taken cold, stiff kits and brought them back to life a number of times this past winter. It really works. However, if you have reservations about the process of reviving kits and are feeling apprehensive about whether to do it or not, check out the nails on the kit in question. If blood has pooled in the nails, they are more than likely dead. If the nails are clear, you have a good chance of bringing them back.

5. Feeding

Don’t worry if you don’t see your doe nursing her kits. It can take 24 hours for her milk to come in, and even then she only feeds her babies for 5 minutes at a time, usually once in the morning and again in the evening. After a day, you can check to see if your kits have been fed. Their bellies will be round. Keep an eye out for any runts or less aggressive kits as they can easily be shoved aside and either forgotten about or left to starve. Keep in mind that when you do reach in the nest to check on them, they will pop like popcorn in response, especially once they are a couple days old. This is normal {and adorable}. But when it’s cold outside, make sure one of them doesn’t pop right out of the burrow and can’t find its way back to its nest mates. Also keep an eye out for kits that are accidentally dragged out of the nest by the doe after feeding.

6. The First Two Weeks

Your job is pretty minimal in the first two weeks. Make sure that the doe has constant access to food and water as nursing will greatly increase her need for these things and you will notice her going through them both a lot faster than before. The kits will start growing their little “sweaters” of fur in the first week and their eyes start to open right around 10 days of age. Check out the nesting material and remove soiled and foul-smelling litter, replacing it with fresh straw {try to keep as much of the doe’s clean pulled fur as possible and re-create the burrow for the kits}. Remove the nest box completely at 2 weeks of age to prevent “nest box eye”, which is an eye infection seen in baby rabbits typically due to dirty nesting material getting into their eyes. If you do find a young kit with eyes that are crusted closed, swollen, or with pus leaking, you can choose to apply an antibiotic ointment {such as Neosporin or other triple antibiotic} or you can try a more natural method: make a cup of chamomile tea and add 1 teaspoon of honey. Allow the tea to cool and then rinse the infected eye(s) with it at least a couple times a day.

Alternately, you can choose to simply flip the nest box on its side so they can crawl in at will. This also allows the doe the opportunity to jump up on top of the nest box to escape her kits now and then {she will start to tire of them}. I also have a couple of handmade boxes with a hole cut in the side for the colder months. I fill it with straw, giving them a warm shelter. Just be sure to change out the straw as it soils quickly.

Most of all, relax and enjoy the baby stage of raising meat rabbits! There’s no shame in cuddling, handling, and falling in love with the little ones, regardless of what their ultimate purpose might be. I strongly believe that all animals should be treated with kindness, care, and love whether they are permanent fixtures on your homestead or ones that are raised for sustenance.

For further reading and help resources, visit:

Raising Meat Rabbits: Tips for the Beginner

American Rabbit Breeders Assn. (ARBA)

Raising-Rabbits.com

Facebook: Backyard Meat Rabbits Group

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The Art of Homemaking Mondays #53