Rabbit labor and birth concerns.

[Laur]

I have a lovely Holland Lop doe (profile picture) who is about 16 months old, and a buck who is about 6 months. He was selected specifically for her, as his best traits are her lower ones and vice versa. Both are from great show lines and pedigreed.

We first let them have " play dates"October her1 when he was 4 1/2 months old. Since they seemed to enjoy each other's company, and also because of his age (fertility) we let them play on the floor together and have wild sex filled romps several times. This is our first rabbit breeding (although I was a serious cavy breeder for some time. Please do not tell me they are different, lol. That is rather obvious). Both are in our house. Reva adored him at first, then decided she no longer was in need of his particular talents. He thought she was being quite unfair and tried to change her mind for awhile. Then we noticed some time last week he stopped trying to mate and just gazed adoringly at her when we let them out of the cage. Or else he was trying to mesmerize her. Not entirely sure.

She has been making grunts and moaning sounds for hours now. Stupid me did not decide it was a worry until after vet hours today. She is not laying down, but she is not in her nest box either. She does not have diarrhea. She has a solid bottom cage with soft paper shreds, a petty chair with a grate over it, which she confused for the more royal kkind of throne, and usually sits on. She uses one corner of her cage to do her business. she has had a traditional style nest box in her cage since October. 26, a few days before her first possible due date.

She has been digging in the clean paper bedding but hasn't been in the nest box during waking hours today. There is fur in it, but she really belongs to a busy body 11 year old who decided she needed help pulling her hair out when we first put the nest in, so it is hard to tell. She has spotted a few drops of blood. Keep in mind this is a Deva
Doe that poops in the corner and sits on her grated litter box all day, so I don't trust her to do anything the "normal way". I am worried about something going away. I can take her to our vet in the morning, but am hesitant to drag her out in the freezing Western New York weather to the emergency clinic and hour away when she might be in labor. I have checked Guinea Pigs for stuck babies but it has never gone well.

Your thoughts and comments welcomed.

Laur

 

[Laur]

Answering my own question, she just had one still born, or at least when I found it. Bag was over it's face. She did not go in nest box. It seemed larger than I expected, and I think that it had been stuck. My daughter is crying, but I keep telling her there may be more, and at least Reva is okay. She is eating, and we removed all the bloody bedding.

How long should we wait before trying again?

 

[Lionheadloady]

Hi! Has she had any other babies since she gave birth to the stillborn? Also, is this her first time having kits? I would say wait about two weeks before rebreeding. It is normal for a first time doe to have a stillborn or 1 to 2 kits. Anytime you breed after a year old you can have complications, this may be why she had a hard labor. Pls, keep me updated on how she is feeling and make sure to give her time to relax. When you do have babies POST PICS!!!!
Best of luck!
-Haley

 

[majorv]

Given the circumstances, I agree, you should wait 2 weeks before breeding her again. When you breed consider letting the buck mate with her several times and then take him out. Sometimes we would put the buck in again 24 hours later and if the doe fought him then we pulled the buck and assumed the doe was pregnant. If she cooperated then we let them mate a few times and then waited. My daughter knew how to palpate so we were able to check the doe at 10-14 days for a pregnancy.

Make a note of the date you bred her, and give her a nestbox 28-29 days later.

 

[Laur]

Reva has not had any more kits. It was her first litter, and the buck was young (4 months). Reva was 15 months. She felt better as soon as the kit was out. Two weeks sounds good. She gets very good nutrition and excercise. Bambi will be nearly six months so we will hope for a larger litter and smaller kits.

With this first breeding, we let them keep trying an hour or so a day as long as they seemed to be enjoying themselves. She is older because we wanted to show her through the spring and summer to learn about how the judges interpret the standard and her relative strengths and weaknesses. I was told by breeders at shows that it was okay until 18 months, but I have recently read more conservative recommendations. We knew because of his age it may take longer. Her earliest date was Halloween, so it did. They had alot to work out, like who got to hump who (the guinea pig and my slipper always let her be the boss) and side, head, or tail.

Thanks so much for the support. I don't know many rabbit breeders yet.

Btw, Bambi the Buck is chasing my dog around the living room right now. (Poodle/Bischon/spaniel mix.) She was certain he wants her pig's ear, but is beginning to develop a sense of humor about it.