How do i know if my rabbit is pregnant?

[bunnygirl09]

I need someone to help me, how do you know if your rabbit is pregnant?

We have had her since March and have recently got a male rabbit who is continually mating with her. She had built her nest but nothing happened. I know that if they carry on mating this could effect the litter and obviously i don't want this to happen. They are in seperate cages but live in our home so they are out with us in the living room, only going into their cages when we are out or asleep, so they do spend quite a lot of time together.

Please help, i just want healthy, happy bunnies!!!

 

[aurora369]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. I moved your thread to the Rabbitry section so that it will be seen by breeders.

The only way to tell if your rabbit is pregnant is to wait and see if she has babies.

Rabbits are induced ovulators, which means that they drop their eggs once mated. It is through the act of mating that causes a female to ovulate. Their gestation is 28-32 days, and once mated, you need to mark your calendar and wait.

Now if she is being continuously mated, you won't know when to start counting, so you are just going to have to be prepared for any time.

I would advise against having the male and female "play" together. They will continue to mate, and your girl can (and will) get pregnant immediately after giving birth. That, and it makes it very difficult to tell when the babies will be due.

Each rabbit will need seperate play time. And keep them away from the others cage, as rabbits can mate through the bars of cages. Use a puppy pen or something to block access to the other cage while one is out.

If you want your rabbits to be bonded and live together, I would recommend having them spayed and neutered. Then they can live together all the time (way easier on you with only one cage to clean). I have two pairs of bonded bunnies, and I really think that they are most happy when living in pairs or groups.

If you are interested in raising baby bunnies, you can see if there are any local rescues or shelters that need foster homes. I used to foster for a local rescue, and I would take in pregnant or nursing moms with her babies. It was great, because I got to play with all the babies, but vet care and rehoming the babies was the rescue's responsibility. That way I didn't have to risk the life of one of my own pet bunnies, and I was helping somebunny in need.

If you have more questions, please ask away and we will do our best to answer them.

--Dawn

 

[BlueGiants]

If you got your rabbits when theywere young, they may not havebeen old enough to have had babies. But they will be soon, if they are not already. You got really good advice. They should not be allowed to play together until after they are spayed and neutered. (Even after neutering, the buck and sire a litter for up to8 weeks... and the doe will need time to heal after surgery.) Then they can live together as a bonded pair.

But you really shouldn't allow them to breed. Do you know anything about their parents? Health issues? Hereditary issues? Would you have homes for all those babies? Are you prepared to deal with problems that might come up during kindling (giving birth)? It's a big responsibility...

Are you sure you have a buck and a doe????

 

[DeniseJP]

Good advice from the previous posters - I have three boys (littermates/brothers) living together and they occasionally practice mounting each other... yet all are intact boys destined for the show table - complete with testicles.

If the buns are continually mounting each other but one does not "fall over" with a squeal or grunt after completing "the act," definitely have them sexed - males will mount males, females will mount females and I have had females mount males, squeal and fall off as if they were a buck (much to the chagrin of the surprised buck).

As a rule my pregnant does will growl and not allow the buck anywhere near them but there are exceptions to the rule.

Good luck!

Denise