Is she pregnant or no?

[LucyLou]

Hey! I'm having a bit of a predicament with my doe's pregnancy right now. Can you help me? xD

So, initially I bred her Feb 15th, making today the 31st day. Around the two-three week mark, she was still receptive and I was advised to go ahead and rebreed her. So I did on March 4th, making this also the 13th day. However, today I find her gathering hay in her mouth (she always makes her nest on the 31st day), but upon feeling her belly, there is no sign of kits. In her previous pregnancy, I was able to feel her kits about the 28th day.
In the past week, she's been showing clear signs of pregnancy (it makes sense, because I bred her a week ago), but all of a sudden she's building a nest. I'm thinking false pregnancy? But it honestly doesn't make sense. xD

I think I'll go ahead and pop the nesting box in (just in case) but any help, please? haha What are your thoughts??

~Lucy Lou

 

[ladysown]

give her a nest box and see what happens. Breeding receptivity, just so you know, has NOTHING to do with pregnancy. Some does will still breed even when they are obviously pregnant. Just as some does are reluctant breeders even when all the signs point to "now is the time to breed".

So it could be baby having time.

False pregnancy nestbuilding in my experience usually happens day 10-13.

 

[MiniLopMad]

Hopefully she isn't pregnant with two litters The above post is correct - receptiveness usually has nothing to do with pregnancy. I had one doe who wanted to mate again, even though she was pregnant.

I would give her the nest box just to be safe, as she sounds like she could be having a real pregnancy.

Hope all goes well

 

[ladysown]

Rabbits CANNOT have two litters at the same time. They can't. They can have babies that don't form uniformly, they can have babies start to be reabsorbed, but they can't have two distinct pregnancies at the same time.

 

[MiniLopMad]

@ladysown - I thought that it could cause issues though?

 

[ladysown]

nope. If a doe is bred, rebreeding won't affect a thing. If the doe is bred WHILE giving birth it's dangerous for the kits.

Rabbits can reabsorb their kits which can affect how they appear and they can be born in various stages of that reabsorption, and some kits simply don't develop as quickly as others. Anyone who breeds rabbits has probably seen kits come out that are developed more than others... the runty kits that are just small, one kit bigger than others...

 

[LucyLou]

Thanks for your help,

Yeah I thought so about the two litter thing, wasn't too worried about that. I put in the nesting box, but I'm not really expecting any kits — I'd be surprised to find any haha. I'm thinking that she didn't take the first time, and rebreeding her caused this false pregnancy (considering it is the 13th day).
I'll just have to wait and see haha.

Thanks ~Lucy Lou

 

[LucyLou]

UPDATE:
Day 18 with continuous hay gathering, but no nest. Will does start this early in nest building? It is the third week... Hmm (Such a waiting game right here haha)

 

[ladysown]

yup. some does are quite the nesters.

 

[LucyLou]

Well the nesting died down, but she is quite the protective mama. It's a daily challenge to put food in her dish haha. When normally, she'll chin my hand like fifty times— now she's nipping and batting my hand xD. I want her to kindle already so that I won't get bit every time I poke my hand in the cage haha.

This is her 2nd litter— last litter was devastating, we had two stillborns. I'm hoping she has some live healthy kits this time

-LucyLou

 

[LucyLou]

Hello again! I wasn't sure whether to make a new thread or not so… oh well haha.

My doe is definitely pregnant— we can feel the kits— however, it is the night of Day 31 and no newborns. Last time, she gave birth at noon on Day 31. Today, she pulled fur (a really tiny amount of fur) and sort of arranged it in a circle— I thought for sure that she would deliver today. But, nope!

I'm worried because I'd like to be there for the birth (because she had complications last litter) and today would've been PERFECT, but she had other plans...

So here's my question: does the doe's kindling correspond with what time you bred her?

I bred her around 10pm on March 4th, would that delay the delivery? As in, would she kindle (most likely) the morning of Day 32? She's actually already begun to produce milk and all. I'm simply waiting for some babies, but she's holding on to them!

Crossing my fingers for no stillborns tomorrow morning. Thanks.

 

[Azerane]

The time of day bred should have no impact on the time of day she kindles. To the best of my knowledge most rabbits commonly kindle at night, usually in the early hours of the morning. So I wouldn't be surprised if she has them tonight.

 

[LucyLou]

No babies in the nesting box this morning!

Should I begin to take action in inducing labor? Maybe not changing her diet, but for example, I read that letting the doe run around a bit or putting her in with a buck will help send her into labor. I don't want to risk waiting after Day 33, but apparently the kits will get too big to deliver the further the pregnancy goes-- that or die.

It doesn't even look like she touched the nest overnight. When I come home today, I hope there'll be some babies or else I don't know what to do.

Thanks!

 

[majorv]

You can try to induce thru exercise, putting her in with a buck (but not letting them mate), you could try giving her a crushed up Tums...all things worth trying since it can't hurt. After day 32 the chances of them being alive are not very good. Alternative is to take her to a vet and have him x-ray to make sure, and then he can induce.

 

[LucyLou]

Thanks for your help!

Around noon today, she gave birth to three babies. Two were stillborn, but one survived and it happened to be the only one that had potential for showing. I breed Dwarf Hotots— the two losses were sports and the survivor is a black banded. Super excited to see this little guy grow up!

The baby is super chubby with no competition for the milk haha. thanks - LucyLou