how do i make my male rabbit mate with my girl rabbit

Question
well i bo ughta boy rabbit and girl rabbit...they never got spayed or neutered ..i put them in seperat cages over night and then i put her in his cage but the seem like they never do it. well her tummy is pritty big but is it from feeding her or sumthing..how can i tell if she is pregnent or not? well i wanna have baby bunnies so we can play with them but not right away.wait tell they get big,..........but how do i get them to mate?

Answer
There is no sure way to tell if she is pregnant or not unless she is taken to a vet to get a sonogram or a vet or experience breeder does palpation (feels for babies). Rabbits do not show signs of pregnancy as well as other animals do. Their nipples will not enlarge, and they will not even start producing milk until after the babies are born. They do not usually gain significant weight or show a large belly, though if the litter is large, it can sometimes be evident. Your safest bet is to assume she got pregnant, and plan for babies in 28 to 32 days after she was with the male.

However, I do have to mention that it is generally not a good idea to breed rabbits just to breed them. If you want to play with babies, you can visit a breeder. If you want more, you can always get another baby to play with. Consider that rabbits can have as many as 12 or more babies per litter. You will have to either keep all of these or find good homes for any you do not keep. Also consider that there are already many, many unwanted mixed breed and pet quality rabbits in shelters and rescues. Remember, too, that a female rabbit can sometimes die due to pregnancy or birthing complications.

As far as getting rabbits to mate, once they are old enough they will generally figure it out themselves. Always take the female to the male's cage. This will keep the female from attacking from being territorial about her cage. It will also keep the male's confidence up, as he is in his own territory.

If you really want to breed rabbits, I would advise finding a good show breeder and getting some show or breeding quality rabbits to start with. Many great breeders start off with pet rabbits, and move up to show quality rabbits. Showing and breeding can be a great world, but one should no go into it without a committment to the breed and knowing everything involved. I would highly recommend joining the American Rabbit Breeders Association, whether you breed pet rabbits, breed purebred show rabbits, or just have pet rabbits. http://www.tsukiyo.org/argent/arba.html has a list of great reasons to join, and it links to a form that you can print out, fill out, and send in to join.