Double breeding

[bunnylover78642]

What happens when a doe that was due for about 17days later is put back with the buck? When he went to mount her shejust let him. Is that normal? Is she going to be ok? We dont even knowif she was pregnant in the first place. The only reason it happened wasa emergency. My dog was scaring the buck to death and I accidentlydroped the doe in his cage so that I could go get the dog away from thebunny.

 

[SLRabbits]

As far as I know, it's really rare for the rabbit to concieve another litter in her other uterine horn while pregnant.

Some people to test breeding at 14 days, where they will put the doeback with the buck and see if he mounts her. If he does, it's supposedto mean she didn't take to the first breeding (although most breedersdon't use this method, because sometimes she will let him mount even ifshe did take, or vice versa). So it is possible she wasn't pregnant?

~Nichole

 

[pamnock]

I've never seen an incidence of a "double"pregnancy in rabbits even though I always "test bred" our rabbits yearsago at 14 days. I've also never heard of it happening whenthe buck was kept in with the doe for theentiremonth. Superfoetation (doublepregnancy) does occur in hares, and rarely in other species -- so in arare case, it would be possible in rabbits. Most other animalspecies also have a double uterine horn, so that doesn't necessarilyindicate that the animal can support a double gestation.

Some does will still willingly mate with the buck, even if pregnant, so that does not serve as a good indicator of pregnancy.



Pam

 

[pamnock]

"A breeder cannot therefore use the sexualbehaviour of does as an indication of pregnancy. Mating occurringduring gestation has no dire consequences for the embryos. Unlike thephenomenon observed in the female hare, superfoetation (twosimultaneous pregnancies at two different stages of development) neveroccurs in rabbits."

Above is an excerpt from this website

http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690E/t1690e05.htm

There are at least 25 documented cases of superfoetation in humans --so never say never -- I'm sure it can occur in rare cases inrabbits, but I've never seen a confirmed case of it.



Pam

 

[bunnylover78642]

It makes me feel better to hear that because Iheard that it would kill the litter and sometimes the doe. I think thatwould kill me!! I never knew if for sure she was pregnant in the firstplace. Just worried I guess. I will wait intill the 30th of Marchbefore ever putting them back together anyways! Just incase!