Linebreeding I

One of the basics of linebreeding, which we try to do a lot with our Hollands, is to breed a doe back to her father or a buck back to his mother. Although technically this is inbreeding, it's a valuable tool in our linebreeding program.

Right now I have a litter as a result of breeding a young buck back to his mother. The mother is a grand champion but the son has a tight crown although a nice short cobby body. We were curious to see if he'd pass that tight crown on to his offspring - and to see what other traits we'd find in the litter.

A mother/son combination will usually uncover both good and bad traits. It's not unusual to see a bunny with a truckload of bad traits. Although these make nice pets, they also help us to see what may be hidden in the genetics of the parents.

A baby with a low headset or narrow crown or rough hindquarters show us that those traits are hiding in the parents' genes. We then know to be careful in choosing who to breed the parents to next time.

We will continue to monitor this litter to see what traits develop, which will give us fresh information on the genetics of the parents. To limit it further, we will consider breeding a doe from this litter back to her father. We want to see common ancestors in the pedigree rather than 16 different ancestors.

Linebreeding is about narrowing the gene pool to isolate and strength those traits we want to see in our Hollands.

When a doe thinks retirement

Tippie may be finished and we're not so happy about it.

Tippie is a 5 lb brood doe with a grumpy disposition. But if you shake out most of the pedigrees in our barn, Tippie's name falls out several times. She's helped our herd immensely with her nice pose and solid body.

But now she's three years old and not conceiving. Tippie loves pregnancy and is a wonderful mother, but her last litter is nearly 6 months old now and, although she lifts for the buck, she has not conceived.

If it were any other doe, we'd have given up on her before now. But we're still trying some tricks to see if we can get her started again.

Here are some things we've done to help:

• Artificial light in the barn. Even though it's spring, when does think, "time for babies..." we keep a light on in the barn.
• Wheat germ oil. After reviving a doe who refused to breed for several months, I always try this. I dribble a few drops on their treats about once a week.
• Apple cider vinegar in the drinking water. I use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.
• Place the doe beside a buck's pen. Although I have not had problems with Tippie lifting for a buck, sometimes does refuse to lift. This can help get them in the mood.
• Swap cages. Putting the doe in the buck's pen and the buck in the doe's pen for a couple of days often helps. When the doe gets a good scent of the buck's special cologne, she is often more receptive to him.
• Cut back on feed. A fat doe doesn't conceive well and so we check the flesh condition. A diet may help a doe.
• Exercise. We sometimes wedge a 2x4 board from corner to corner in a cage, forcing the bunny to hop over the board to get to food and water.

I've probably forgotten something so feel free to add your comments and hints to the list.

Tomorrow I'll discuss what to do when it's over for a special doe.