Well, lets use one of Joss's least favorite words here, logic.
This will be a Proof by Contradadiction. I will prove that the Reavers are recruiting.
ASSUMPTION: the Reavers are not recruiting.
FACT: Reavers run their engines without containment
CONJECTURE:They do this to get max output. CONJECTURE:This also means high radiation levels for the crew.
FACT: Reavers have been prowling the black for the more than 10 years.
CONJECTURE: Reavers appear to live on their ships,
FACT: "Light Radiation poisioning" has a fatality rate of about 10% after 30 days
CONJECTURE: I think the Reavers have been exposed to a bit more than "light radiation poisoning."
FACT: Even if we are very generous and reduce the fatality rate to 10% after 1 year, that would mean that the Reaver population would 0 after only 5 years.
CONTRADICTION: There are LOTS or Reavers in Serenity.
Conclusion, the null-hypontheisis that Reavers aren't recruiting has been disproven, thus proving the initial hypothisis that they are recruiting.

QED

Who said Discrete Structures would never pay off!

I imagine that somewhere out there one of the Reaver's victims was raped and either managed to escape or they allowed the victim to live without eating her. Unless the Pax makes you sterile they could possibly impregnate someone and who knows whether that child would be born as a Reaver. Personnaly I think Reavers are just Republicans who've managed to finally throw off any moral and ethical inhibitions.

I have to agree with that, DitB.

There has to be some reasoning in there methode. Otherwise, they would just eat each other. They do need reasoning to seek out ships and return from the raids they do. They are predators, not just hostile animals.

*SPOILERS*

the important thing about reavers is that they come from humans. i believe they still have all their human faculties, it's just that the events on miranda changed their goals. the pax gave most people absolute calm (more or less), but instead drove the reavers to absolute violence.

these are just men who's goals have been changed, but the human cunning is still there. reavers will find a way to reproduce and survive as best they can (a la bushwacked, or otherwise) since that is the route to REAL absolute violence: prolonging the horrors for maximum effect. this is why reavers have taken to space and not just eaten each other right off the bat. they're looking to spread the terror across the verse.

reproducing is the only way to do that.

*SPOILERS*

Well, I know you've seen the movie, so everything dealing with Miranda os pretty clear.

How do we know the don't reproduce? It would make perfect sense. They ain't men anymore, I agree with that, but there are still A LOT of them. And, while Miranda was a whole planet, with the amount that the crew killed, you'd think there wouldn't be many left.

But the fact is that while we know how Reavers came to be, we don't really know much more. And, frankly, as curious as I am, I'm okay with that.

Cheers.