keep the sexes seperate if you want the best results. I'm sure someone will say they keep/kept the sexes together but its a poor practice. Also be wary feeing too many veggies to the rabbits, especially younger animals. There are proper and improper ways of doing all things, go with proper for good results.

There are a number of books about raising rabbits. Try the library (inter-library loan?) if you don't want to buy straight off, or want to know which ones are more helpful. There was a recent thread here about someone who either was or wanted to raise rabbits in "warrens", on the ground, rather than in cages, so you might search for postings about rabbits. Reading will give you at least some knowledge, and a few pointers - finding someone who is raising them in your area will also help - try feed stores. As a word of advice, which may be wasted - don't take all you read, nor all anyone says, as the gospel truth. There are a lot of old wives tales and odd practices about - some are valid and some are not!

I have done it both ways. The problem I had with keeping the buck in with the doe is not knowing when they rebred after the litter was born. It's easier knowing when to expect a litter ahead of time.
I do like keeping two does together that are expecting litters. My experience has been that the bunnies seem to get better care with two does in the cage. I have big cages and provide seperate nesting boxes for each doe.
I raise lionheads. I'm not sure how this would work with other breeds of rabbits.

Thank you for the replies, It is nice to know that it is not a guarantee that the buck will harm the litter.

I have and (continue to) read up on the rabbits. This is all new to me so, it takes work to filter what information I read. I am not trying to do anything on a production scale. If I have a good chance of letting them live in a "warren" I will give it a try. I am not trying to make a living raising rabbits. The single pen choice (to me) sounds simpler than keeping separate pens.

Thank you
Munalos

Good responses. Earlier in my rabbit raising, I had kept several bucks with their respective does while the does kindled litters. The bucks were very sweet and stayed out of the nestbox and they got along well. The bucks didn't bother the kits and the does didn't try to kill the bucks. The problem was that the adults would continually breed and the doe never had a chance to recover after weaning their litter. I gave up that practice.

I have kept bunnies in their own pens for many years now, mostly because I keep records on them and plan the breedings. I do have 1x2 wire between the pens so that each bunny can groom/socialize with each other between a barrier.

There are a few breeders that I know of who keep a colony of bunnies. They just pick out baby bunnies (which they always have) when they seem weaned and they often don't know who the parents are with the nest of kits. Rarely, will you see a mother bunny nursing her young, and they have several males in the colony. One herd is about 15 rabbits in a horse box stall. This is a poor practice, but these people only want sellable baby bunnies and that is what they get.

Another person keeps a colony with New Zealand Whites in the same way and they always have young rabbits for slaughter. Of course they all interbreed and NZs have very large litters, but it works for them and their meat pen.

If all you want is meat, and if you are willing to accept the uncertainty of parentage, then it would seem to work. You might have to bring in new blood now and again, as the dangers of inbreeding and the subsequent (possible) decline will eventually show up.

My only caveat is that rabbits dig - unless you have them on an impenetrable flooring, as Dicentra mentions, I would floor the outside area(s) with a strong wire/mesh that the bunnies can't dig through. Either that or dig down at least 3' and put a non-rusting barrier in the trench - I don't know exactly how deep bunnies will dig, but that OUGHT to do. Surrounding the outside pen with a double fence might also forestall escapes - if they do dig through, you can hope they emerge between the fences.

If you keep the buck in with the does they will reproduce continually.This is a good thing if you want unlimited numbers of rabbits.However,the does will wear out and have shortened livespans not to mention reproducive years.The average reproducive ability of a doe is about three years.After that the numbers of young decline.If she were bred constantly that would decrease.
I always kept my does and bucks apart,regardless of the breed.That way I was'nt overrun with bunnies.I have a friend who keeps all her does and bucks together.Her rabbits are not the prettiest as they fight constantly and end up wounding each other.That is another reason to keep each rabbit in its own enclosure.They can and will attack each other,bucks fighting buck and does fighting does.The worst thing is they will kill each other or end up with serious infections from the bites they inflict on each other.Do your rabbits a favour and house them apart.You will get healthier litters doing this then if you let them run freely together.Sherry