Is this a suitable buck?

[AltonaAcres]

I am trying to breed my Californian doe (she has had 3 litters already), and the person I usually take to her to, to get breed, has been really busy and I haven't been able to keep in contact with her much. All of my bucks are small, show breeds. I have a friend who has a buck that is half wild rabbit, half Rex. My friend found him and his two siblings in an old shed when they were just several weeks old after they were almost eaten by a bull snake. This buck's mom is a domestic Rex that someone set free, and the dad is a large wild Cottontail. The buck is black, and he is very well cared for and healthy. I was wondering if it would be safe to breed them together, since the buck has some wild rabbit blood in him. Let me know your thoughts! (the babies would be for meat)

 

[BallyFarm]

As long as the buck is willing it shouldn’t be a problem. I was under the impression you could get mixed domestic and wild rabbits, I love to see pics of both doe and buck.

 

[AltonaAcres]

I was more worried about wild rabbit diseases and such

 

[Faraday40]

When I was a kid we had a small group of rabbits. Some trickster in the neighborhood thought it would be funny to open all the cages & set them free one night. I was able to gather up all the rabbits in the morning and all 3 does had babies the next month. (My Flemish giant was very busy that night!)

However, we also had a very amorous Netherland dwarf male. After his night of freedom we started seeing wild rabbits with the shortest little ears and giant rounded eyes. More than a decade later & we would still sometimes see a wild rabbit with stubby little ears in my parents' neighborhood.


This is how we know it's possible for domestic & wild rabbits to breed. Whether you want to breed them or not is another question. i personally like the docile personality of the giant breeds, so finding a good mannered male to breed and start a new line would have its benefits.

 

[Rammy]

I was more worried about wild rabbit diseases and such

Yeah, me too. Most breeders dont allow someone to bring in a doe or buck into thier rabbitry without at least a 30 day quarantine. Then bringing that rabbit back, quarantining again for 30 days to make sure your not bringing anything back onto your property. I would say the best option would be to get a buck your happy with and keep a closed herd. Too much risk of disease otherwise.

 

[Bunnylady]

It is not, repeat NOT, possible for a domestic rabbit and a wild Cottontail to interbreed. The two species are only distantly related; even in a laboratory, they can't produce viable (let alone fertile) offspring. Whatever this buck's sire might look like, his DNA is 100% Oryctolagus cuniculus (my apologies, @Faraday40 , but whatever you were seeing might have been feral domestic crosses, but they couldn't have been Oryctolagus/Sylvilicus hybrids).

 

[Eggscaping]

It is not, repeat NOT, possible for a domestic rabbit and a wild Cottontail to interbreed. The two species are only distantly related; even in a laboratory, they can't produce viable (let alone fertile) offspring. Whatever this buck's sire might look like, his DNA is 100% Oryctolagus cuniculus (my apologies, @Faraday40 , but whatever you were seeing might have been feral domestic crosses, but they couldn't have been Oryctolagus/Sylvilicus hybrids).

I have to agree with Bunnylady:
No you cannot breed an American wild rabbit with a domestic rabbit.
American wild rabbit Genus: Sylvilagus (species name varies)
Domestic rabbit Genus and species: Oryctolagus cuniculus

 

[BallyFarm]

It is not, repeat NOT, possible for a domestic rabbit and a wild Cottontail to interbreed. The two species are only distantly related; even in a laboratory, they can't produce viable (let alone fertile) offspring. Whatever this buck's sire might look like, his DNA is 100% Oryctolagus cuniculus (my apologies, @Faraday40 , but whatever you were seeing might have been feral domestic crosses, but they couldn't have been Oryctolagus/Sylvilicus hybrids).

That’s what I was under impression as well. My buck always got out and our wild rabbits had never had wild Havana bunnies running around.

 

[Rammy]

My question is, if wild and domestic rabbits cant interbreed, then how was/is it possible another poster said they saw cottontail and rex crosses? Just curious.

 

[AltonaAcres]

This is an interesting discussion, thanks for everyone's knowledge!! But can I breed my doe to this buck? Also, I feel like I have had several friends accidentally release domestic rabbits and then see hybrids for years afterwards.