Rabbit breeding season?

[adam s 32]

I was wondering do rabbits breed all year round or in the warmer months? Would like to know because i don't want to put my ferret in a warren when there are heaps of kittens for them to catch.

[diggermad 154]

from february to sometimes september has been known to breed around december where i hunt cheers DM

[comanche 3,095]

The mating season tends to start as the daylight hours start to increase after the shortest day, around 21st of December . Rising light levels stimulate breeding behaviour . With a gestation lasting about a month some rabbits are therefore found to be pregnant by late January onwards but these early feotii are often re-absorbed by the mother -a sort of self abortion- due to unsuitable conditions such as lack of food ,stress or bad weather .By April most healthy adult does will either be pregnant or will have already given birth to a litter and the end of March/early April is generally considered the outside limit of the ferreting season .

Breeding slows a bit after the longest day (June20/21st) as light levels drop and hot weather causes the bucks to go out of breeding condition . The last "Spring " litters are usually born in July but where population levels are low or if the weather is not too hot and there is plenty of food breeding may be extended .

Most people don't think about ferreting again until the end of September /October at the earliest and even then heavy undergrowth can make things unpleasant .

Just to complicate things ,rabbits sometimes have a little mating flurry in October /November as the bucks come back into season briefly with the cooler weather and make use of any does that might still be receptive .The young from these late mating are often bolted as little scuttlers around the New Year.

So basically the traditional adage about only hunting rabbits when there is an "R" in the month holds true -September to April -and even then it might be pushing things a bit .

Hope this is some help .

 

Bugger . I've just seen that you are from the other side of the world . The dates I'v e just rattled- off relate to Britain .I feel like a massive prat now but I guess the principles remain the same . Longer nights = Low light = low breeding levels . Very hot weather = low breeding levels . Spring-like weather = increasing light-levels ,mild temperatures = good growing weather for plants and baby animals . Any way it might give you a pointer . Hopefully someone from your part of the world will add a post and you can ignore the ramblings of this daffy English fool ! All the best

Edited June 21, 2009 by comanche

[adam s 32]

lol thanks for the information anyway mate.