Can palpating rabbits caused kit deaths?

[jacknjill]

Alright, so I heard from someone that breeds Holland Lops, don't palpate rabbits, as it may kill kits! well I bought a pregnant bunny, but I wanted to palpate it ( a week before due) I think I felt some babies, I was like good....
a week later I got a dead kit...! oh no was it my fault?

I know they say palpate at 10-14 days, right? is this becasue it's easier or safer??

 

[ladysown]

best time to palpate is day 11.
yes you can kill kits if you squeeze too tightly.

You must be very gentle.
Kit may not have died because of your actions...it may simply have died from a hard or slow delivery.

 

[majorv]

Incorrectly palpating can kill the kits. Days 10-14 are the typical time to palpate.

 

[squidpop]

If its later in the pregnancy, after day 27, usually if you sit with the doe on your lap and feed her a treat so she will sit still, you can put your hands on both sides of her tummy and just sit really still and wait, eventually you will feel movement or twitching, you don't really need to palpate.

Also, I've had 8 litters, and I palpated every time, around day 12-14 and my babies have all been born alive and healthy. And even at the later date, unless you palpated really hard I don't think you caused he baby to die, it was more likely just one of those things. But in the future i would just feel for movement, and not palpate in the last week of the pregnancy to be safe.