Free Eggs

Full Cycle Example (Urban Homestead Schedule)

Breeding to Birth

  1. Breeding (Week 0)
  2. Palpate (Day 10 -14)
  3. Nest box (Day 27 -28)
  4. Birth (Day 30 -31).

Birth to Weaning

  1. Nursing twice a day (Week 1) 
  2. Eyes Open (Day 10 -12)
  3. Remove Nest box (Day 18 -21)
  4. Wean (Day 35 -42) 

Post Weaning

  1. Re-breading (After Weaning)
  2. Grow-Out Stage (Week 6-10 from birth)
  3. Butcher (Week 8-12 from birth)
  4. Start Breading a new doe (5 -6 months) 

Breeding to Birth

1. Breeding

Week 0

  • The doe (female) is taken to the buck (male) for mating.
  • Rabbits are induced ovulators, meaning ovulation occurs after breeding.
  • Breeding usually takes a few minutes.

✔ Record the breeding date so you can track the rest of the cycle.

2. Palpation (Pregnancy Check)

Day 10–14 (about Week 2)

  • You can palpate the doe’s abdomen to feel developing kits.
  • They feel like small grapes or marbles.

If you do not feel kits:

  • Rebreed the doe.

3. Nest Box Placement

Day 27–28 (Week 4)

Place the nesting box in the cage.

Typical nesting materials:

  • Straw
  • Hay
  • Pine shavings

The doe will:

  • Pull fur from her belly

Line the nest

4. Birth (Kindling)

Day 30–31

This is called kindling.

Typical litter size:

  • 6–10 kits

Newborn kits are:

  • Blind
  • Hairless
  • Weigh about 40–60 grams

Most births happen early morning or overnight.

Birth to Weaning

5. First Week

Week 1

  • Kits nurse once or twice per day
  • They stay in the nest box for warmth

Check daily for: Dead kits and adequate nesting material

6. Eyes Open

Day 10–12

Important milestone:

  • Kits open their eyes

Begin exploring the nest box

7. Nest Box Removal

Week 3 (Day 18–21)

Remove the nest box when:

  • Kits leave the nest regularly
  • Fur is fully developed

     

This prevents dirty nest boxes and injuries

 

8. Weaning

Week 5–6 (Day 35–42)

Kits are separated from the doe.

Typical weight: 1.5–2 pounds

After weaning:

Move them to grow-out cages or pens

Post Weaning

9. Rebreeding the Doe

Common options:

Standard Schedule

Rebreed at Week 6 (after weaning)

Faster Production Schedule

Some breeders rebreed 10–14 days after kindling.

Most small homesteads use the 6-week cycle to keep does healthy.

10. Grow-Out Stage

Week 6–10

Young rabbits grow rapidly.

Feed: Rabbit Pellets, Hay, and Water

Typical growth: Week 8 → ~4 lbs or Week 10 → ~5 lbs

11. Butcher Age

Week 8–12

Ideal butcher weight:

  • 4–5 lbs live weight
  • 2–3 lb dressed carcass

Most meat rabbit producers butcher at: 8–10 weeks

Production Example

With 2 does and 1 buck:

You can produce roughly:

  • 40–80 meat rabbits per year
  • 120 to 240 pounds of processed meat a year

in a very small backyard setup.