French Angora does should be bred no earlier than 9 months, and no later than 1 year. Bucks are generally ready for breeding much earlier, from approx. 4 1/2 months. Before breeding, does and bucks should both be groomed, clipped and cleaned, (especially around the tail). If a doe is clipped before breeding she will have time to grow approx. 1 inch of wool during gestation, and will not pull wool for nestbuilding that is excessively long. 1 inch strands of wool are much less likely to entangle themselves around baby necks and feet, thereby reducing the risk of strangulation and loss of circulation in the extremities. A shorter coat will also provide a comfortable pregnancy for the doe, particularly if she is pregnant during the summer months.

To begin with, it is very important to check your calendar before planning any breeding. NEVER plan a due date for a day when you are out of town or otherwise unavailable should complications occur. It may also be a good idea (in the beginning) to plan for a weekday kindling should trips to the vet be warranted. On the day of the actual breeding, count 31 days forward from that day and mark your calendar with the due date immediately. This is not a time for faulty recordkeeping, as the lives of a doe's litter depend on your accurate calculations.

To breed, bring the doe to the buck's cage preferably in the morning. DO NOT leave the pair unattended while the act is taking place, because 1) you want to witness that the breeding has actually taken place and 2) you need to be available to separate buck and doe if the doe becomes hostile or if the buck attempts to breed the opposite end of her, etc. Once the buck has squealed and fallen off the doe, remove her from the cage immediately. Wait two hours and then repeat the breeding again with the same buck to prevent misses and assure that ovulation has taken place.

Feed pregnant does a normal ration (approx. 1 cup) up to the halfway point of the pregnancy. Increase ration to 1 1/2 cups at this point, if the doe will consume it. On day 24-25 it is possible to feel babies moving if you gently place two fingers on the doe's lower belly inside the hind leg. This method of determining pregnancy is not foolproof as a small litter can be impossible to feel, but if there are 5 or more kits in the litter it is often easy to feel them rolling and kicking at this stage. Additional signs of pregnancy to watch for are swollen nipples by day 15 on some does, and a harder lower stomach.

Place a nestbox in the doe's cage 5 days before the due date OR sooner if the doe is carrying hay around the cage and seems ready to build a nest. Do not place the box over the toilet area of the cage, but in a corner that best affords privacy without interfering with bodily functions. Use metal nestboxes rather than wooden ones which can harbor bacteria, and be certain to thoroughly clean and disinfect it before use. Remove the bottom of the metal box (if it has one) and line it with 2 or 3 layers of cardboard to facilitate good drainage, along with several layers of newspaper and large amounts of hay for the doe to arrange as she sees fit. In addition to hay in the nestbox itself, provide piles of it on the floor of the cage for the expectant doe to carry in and out as she wishes. Either before or directly after kindling she will also pull wool from her belly and dewlap to line the nest and cover her litter.

Once a doe has kindled (usually the 31st day), wait until she seems calm and offer her a treat as you remove the box to examine it's contents somewhere out of view. If the weather is cold, it is best to bring the box indoors while you clean it and count babies. Remove all kits to a bowl lined with wool and remove all soiled nesting material and afterbirth from the box. Inspect babies for birth injuries or defects, then replace nesting material into the nestbox in order. Layer wool into the bottom of a bowl-shaped depression of hay, lay babies in the bowl no more than 2 kits deep, and place extra wool on top. BEFORE replacing wool, it is a good idea to snip it into 1/4 inch pieces with a scissor to prevent strings from winding around baby necks and legs. Store the nestbox in a quiet room or carrier during the day, especially in winter, and take it out to the doe very early each morning and evening for nursing. Place the box quietly into her cage and step off to the side for approx. 20 minutes while she jumps in and feeds the kits. Wait for her to finish and jump out, then remove the box and take it inside. Since kits only need to nurse once or twice per day for 5-10 minutes, this method of keeping a litter safe during the day (and night) is a good idea. During Spring and Summer, another option is to take the box indoors at night only, leaving it with the doe all day for her to care for as she sees fit. While a good mother can usually be trusted to take excellent care of her litter, it helps to have the box nearby in the first 2 weeks to check often for dead or entangled kits, and to keep babies from getting dragged out of the nest accidentally. This management technique also makes it easier to ensure that kits have had enough milk after each feeding. Baby bellies should be fat and a visible "milk line" should show that the stomach is indeed full. If some of the smaller kits have been squeezed out of the feeding, try taking the doe out several hours later to allow the kits to get an extra feeding for several days until they catch up. If this doesn't work, a prepared formula can be given with an eyedropper, or you can simply let nature take its course in determining which kits survive.

Keep the doe's feed at 1 1/2 cups until 2-3 days after delivery, then GRADUALLY increase it over the course of 2 weeks until the doe is free fed. Slowly add 1-2 T. of old fashioned oats to her ration as well, beginning 5-8 days after delivery. If a litter is small (4 babies or less), maintain a ration of 1 1/2 cups WITHOUT increase, and do not add oats or milk supplement to her feed.

Clean the nestbox once every 3-4 days if you have a large litter, or as often as needed. Be careful to remove and replace soiled, wet bedding, and old hay. Always keep fresh hay available in the box since kits as young as several days old have been observed nibbling on stalks of it.

At 10 days of age, the kits' eyes should begin to open. If they have not opened on their own by the 11th day, take a cotton ball soaked in warm water and gently wipe each eye from corner to corner before opening them yourself. Repeat this activity if the eyes get reglued, but all babies should soon be wide-eyed and ready to begin exploring the nest. Once the eyes open it is a good idea to place a pinch (1 tsp.) of old fashioned oats directly into the nest each day for babies to nibble on. Most will consume them heartily.

At 2 weeks of age it becomes more and more difficult to transport a box of jumpy babies outdoors every morning, so give them back to the doe full time at this point. They will need her to show them how to drink and eat adult food, and they will soon be ready to begin exploring the cage. At approx. 3 weeks, curiosity gets the better of them and babies begin hopping (or falling) out of the nestbox on their own. Pad the cage floor with hay at this point to prevent little feet from falling through the wire, and change the padding daily leaving the toilet area open. If bunnies have difficulty getting back into the box once they come out, extra hay can be placed in front of it to form an extra "step" for them to climb on. Once they begin abandoning the nest be sure to provide plenty of extra feed and water bottles in the cage.

At 3-3 1/2 weeks you are ready to remove the nestbox entirely. If it seems necessary, take nest material out of the box and place it in a corner of the cage for babies to continue to sleep on. If does are outdoors and temps. are below 35 degrees it may be necessary to clip a 60 watt lightbulb 6 inches from the top of the cage for added warmth on cold nights. Keep the bulb on day and night until babies are fully furred and warm enough to do without it.

By 6-8 weeks, French Angora babies are ready to be weaned. Begin the process by removing the biggest kits, 2 at a time, and transferring them to weaning cages (any cage 24X30 or larger). Keep pairs together until approx. 9 weeks of age, but no longer than 10 weeks. Cut the doe back to 1/4 feed once all babies are removed and 1/3 the amount of water for 3 days to dry up her milk supply, and supplement with milk-reducing herbs such as mint and sage. Once weaned, continue free feeding babies until 5 1/2-6 months of age. Do not supplement them with regular grain mix before the 12th week, but parsley and dandelions can be fed SPARINGLY from 12 weeks on.

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