Shiny Things is acting.....

[ldoerr]

Shiny Things is acting VERY pregnant. The people who had her about a month ago's rabbit barn was under 8 feet of water. They had to put all of the animals in carriers inside. They did not have enough carriers so some of the rabbits got multiple ones put together. They are not sure if Shiny Things was put with a buck or doe. I know Shiny Things's personality pretty well even though I have only had her since Friday. (I breed her and she lived with me for over a year). She is normally the sweetest best behaved rabbit in the barn. She normally loves attention. Today she has been acting very unusual. She was chasing Beauty while they were out running around together bonding. To stop her I put my hand out and she bit me HARD. I thought that was my fault. But then when I went to pet her (I let her sniff me first) she bit me again. Before today I have never been bit by her. Also when she was standing up I saw her belly and her nipples were VERY obvious. I just looked up when the flooding was and it was on July 14th. I also used a pregnancy calculator and it said that she would be due on Tuesday. The final bit of proof that I have is that the person I got her from (who got her from the people with the flooded barn for me) palpated her and felt something.

I am experienced in raising baby rabbits. The problem is I am leaving for vacation on Wednesday. We will be gone Wednesday til the following Monday. (August 15-20th). The people that we have taking care of the animals has NO experience with rabbits.

EDIT: I am also out of hay. I will be getting some more tomorrow but for now I am completly out.

 

[Thumperina]

I was gone for 2 weeks and 3 days after we got back we discovered we had 3 week old bunnies Mom perfectly took care of them.
Has she been a mom before? Is she nesting?
Get your hay ASAP. Let her do the rest. IMHO

 

[majorv]

Yep, all you can do is put a nestbox in with her with some extra hay before you leave. Ask your sitters to check her each time they are over. Until she has them I'd ask them to put a little more hay in the cage if needed. Ask them to call you when she has them. Depending on whether they're alive or not, in the box or not, you can instruct them in what mayneed to be done, if anything. I hate being away when our does are due.

 

[ldoerr]

She has not had a litter that I know of. She is not nesting. I have had some does that made their nest as they were giving birth. I am going to get some hay first thing tomorrow.

I think that I should note that she is 2 years and 2 months old. I have had rabbits give birth without problems at 3 years of age. (her grandmother had a litter at 3 years of age). Shiny Things was in the first litter of my rabbit Brownie. She had 8 babies which either ties or is 1 away from a record for a Mini Rex.

 

[ldoerr]

Another problem is that I have to transport her 1.5 hrs on Wednesday so that the sitter can care for them. (Shiny Things is currently in Brenham and I do not have a pet sitter for Brenham, so I have to bring her to my parents house in Spring). She is due on Tuesday.

If she has them on Tuesday, how do I transport her and the babies to Spring the next day? I have a small 2 hole wire carrier that I normally use to transport adult rabbits and older babies in. I do not have any plastic crates which I wish that I did have.

 

[Thumperina]

You need a nest box. Or, you can use sturdy cardboard box (I know ALDI had good boxes that they gladly allow me to take). something like this
http://www.petco.com/product/113064/WARE-Wooden-Nest-Box-for-Chickens-And-Rabbits.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

I would be more concerned if she does NOT have them on Tuesday, this will make things complicated as she can be stressed by moving to another place.

Just a thought... postponethe vacation?

 

[ldoerr]

I have a 16qt plastic storage bin in her cage currently. I am hopping that she will use that as her nest box. I can not postpone the vacation. Everything is already booked. If she does end up having the babies when I get back they will be in good hands. I have raised dozens of litters. If she does not produce milk I have this stuff at my parents house that makes them produce milk. (it is some herb suplement). It has never failed to get a doe to have milk yet. It makes the milk come in within a day normally less.

There is a chance that she might not be pregnant and that she is just grumpy. She is being a pig though.