Day 33, Nest Built, Milk Flowing, No Labour

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

Beans has an appointment with my vet at 1615 this afternoon and if needed, she will get a shot of oxytocin to hopefully push her into labor. My vet was a little concerned and had me check the nesting box thoroughly to make sure there was no sign of her having kindled and eaten her kits, but nothing in there would lead me to believe this is what happened.

Next thought was false pregnancy, so my vet [who sees lots of bunnies] will be able to palpate her better than I can...I've never used that method to check for pregnancy as my breeder does were all self sufficient.

I'll update when I know more. Hopefully it's good news, but I've got a gut feeling that it's not.

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

I have good news! She's started nesting. I went to my room to grab something and she was plucking fur and grabbing hay like a mad woman although I accidentally scared her.

AWESOME NEWS!!!! Hopefully your kits are not too far behind this nesting madness yay!

 

[HiddlesKenway]

I missed that message.

Well, let's hope that gut feeling is wrong and we have some good news.

Me too, I want to go to bed already! Bad idea deciding that it was a good temporary arrangement whilst I restyle my old nursery.

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

Ha ha! That's exactly the reason I rushed around finishing that outdoor hutch...I kept looking at their temporary cages thinking "there's no way she'll be able to raise a litter of kits in here!" lol

 

[HiddlesKenway]

She had them! She had six! I expected a big litter from her as she came from a litter of ten and her mother came from a litter of eight. Big litters run in her family apparently! I'm just glad I didn't end up with ten, I don't think her cage is quite big enough. I'm a bit worried although, she hasn't pulled enough fur and it's 14 degrees. It's been years since I half witnessed a rabbit kindle, I can't even remember how much blood is normal it's been so long, most of the time I wake up to find little surprises on the due date but tonight I have half witnessed.

Here's a picture of the little ones:

 

[HiddlesKenway]

We just keep calling it temporary! Then a few months later we realize that it was a bad idea.

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

Awesome!!! Congratulations!!!

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

As for beans, the vet doesn't feel any babies in there. I'm waiting to see what he wants to do.

 

[HiddlesKenway]

False pregnancy is a possibility but they don't usually carry out this long either maybe she has kits inside but they have passed and just feel like squishy organs? The only way to tell the difference is when you feel one they start kicking about and last I knew organs didn't have arms and legs because if they did that would be a tad scary .

I, also learned something new tonight some does will eat 10x their weight and have babies an hour later making not eating a lousy labour sign. We need more rabbit researchers! Hahaha

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

That's what the vet said, that the false pregnancy should run it's course by 2-3 weeks. I have gone over the nest box again and no sign of babies in there so I assume she reabsorbed them?

Will be giving her the weekend off and re-breeding her early next week.

Congratulations again on your 6 little kits!

 

[Azerane]

Hooray! That's fantastic to hear she successfully had the kits!!

 

[HiddlesKenway]

Sounds like the most plausible scenario.

Thank you, here's hoping they all make it!

 

[BlueMoods]

I'd have an ultra sound done on Beans just to be sure there is not a small, calcified kit in there that would cause problems in the future. I know it's a bit costly but, it's worth it if you ever plan to breed her again.

As for the fur, if she is indoors that looks good, if outdoors, you should have more fur but, if you can't brush enough out of the mother, you can use dryer lint instead. (Tear it in tiny clumps, similar to the size of the fur clumps.)

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

I'd have an ultra sound done on Beans just to be sure there is not a small, calcified kit in there that would cause problems in the future. I know it's a bit costly but, it's worth it if you ever plan to breed her again.

As for the fur, if she is indoors that looks good, if outdoors, you should have more fur but, if you can't brush enough out of the mother, you can use dryer lint instead. (Tear it in tiny clumps, similar to the size of the fur clumps.)

We did the ultrasound [EX-PEN-SIVE!!!!] But I guess that's just part of owning and breeding bunnies. lol.

No kits were found, ovaries looked good and the vet was just as stumped as I was. lol.

And the wool...I believe her bunny lives inside

 

[HiddlesKenway]

All my buns do, my piggies inhabit cages outside, it's just the weather is getting colder and my house is usually only two or three degrees higher then outside as I don't have a heating system or an AC for that matter.

She's pulled more and is now pulling again and nursing and cleaning their bottoms now. I can hear them suckling and she looks thoroughly disgusted! I've never seen her look less content then now she has her ears sitting as back as she can get them (She's a Dwarf Lop.) she looks so funny! Just sitting in this little furry burrow she's like a marshmallow. Hold on, it looks like she's falling asleep!

That's odd! At least she's healthy though. Maybe she didn't have them in the box or the nest? Please keep me updated on her. Also here's a theory, maybe the buck is sterile?

Oh dear, she's redecorating her nest. I don't think I've ever had a doe to EVER decide that she didn't like her nest after she kindled. I've seen them add extra fur and that's about it.

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

The wire is 1/4" too small for babies to fall through...buck is definitely not sterile. He bred my friends doe and she had a nice fat, 8 kit litter last month. I assume it's just a weird abnormality. Just in case, I'm going to dehydrate some ginger to help keep his count up! lol

 

[HiddlesKenway]

She might have gone into false pregnancy a week or so later making it weird to everyone because it didn't make sense!

 

[MuddyAcresHomestead]

Hindles, How are those babies doing?!?!

 

[HiddlesKenway]

Well last night three of them looked awfully malnourished, so I popped Lavender on my bed and held her head and let one suckle but she kept trying to bite me and protecting the little one, should of expected that but after a few minutes I decided to just stick her on top of the nest and viola she was nursing them. I really don't know what happened to those three because after that their bellies are nice and fat still and mum's looking after them nicely again. I think she might have forgotten but everytime I put my hand near the nest she gets protective. This was at about 5am and I know she usually nursed them at same time around 3ish.