Buck Rabbit Attacking Doe - Not Interested In Breeding

[HorsesRMe123]

So I have two does who I bred a few days ago. I bred one doe (Aurora) 6 days ago now. Ruby (the other doe) I bred 5 days ago. After Aurora had been bred, one day later we wanted to see if he was interested in her still and he didn’t try to breed her once. Then, we put Ruby with him and he bred her straight away and that was on the same day of her being bred earlier. I’m assuming maybe he didn’t want to breed Aurora because she was out of heat since she was bred and is hopefully pregnant? Then, today we wanted to see if he would take interested in Ruby and if Ruby would take interested in Thunder (our buck). She’s been 5 days pregnant (hopefully!) now. He lunged at her and didn’t want her around. He was NOT at all interested in breeding her.

Yes, he’s a buck. He’s also proven. He also got 4 fall offs with Aurora and 2 with Ruby. So he’s a buck. That’s out of the question. Just found it weird he wasn’t at all interested in breeding. Do you think it could be that he can sense they’re out of heat because they’re pregnant? And because of that maybe he finds them of no use? What do you guys think? Trying to understand him. He was a breed happy buck just a few days ago and now he wants nothing to do with them.

 

[HorsesRMe123]

If he would take interest*

not interested whoops

 

[HorsesRMe123]

Anyone?

 

[SpotTheCat]

I am not sure, it maybe because she is pregnant. But I thought it was the female that would lose interest

 

[HorsesRMe123]

I am not sure, it maybe because she is pregnant. But I thought it was the female that would lose interest

Yeah me too. I’ve never heard of the buck getting aggressive with the doe. It’s odd.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

It might be that the males are only interested in them when they’re in heat, have they been around each other without the female being in heat before?

 

[HorsesRMe123]

It might be that the males are only interested in them when they’re in heat, have they been around each other without the female being in heat before?

I was thinking that too. No, that was the first time they were around each other without her being in heat.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I was thinking that too. No, that was the first time they were around each other without her being in heat.

Yeah that’s probably why then, he’s not used to it being just her n out in heat, might be getting territorial

 

[NatJ]

It might be that the males are only interested in them when they’re in heat

Rabbits do not have heat cycles. The does' ovulation is triggered by the act of mating, with no pattern of fertile/infertile times. ("Induced ovulator" seems to be the more precise term.)

So you could say they never are in heat, or you could say they are always in heat except when they're pregnant, but neither statement would really be correct.

But the buck may be able to tell if the doe is pregnant, so that may be why he wasn't interested in mating with her.