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I think my girl bunny is pregnant, thats the plan anyway! What signs do I look out for? She would be due around 30th july. Her "chest" has become very plump and shes started pulling out some fur from that area. She does seem to have made a nest with it yet though. Shes also laying differently. And to my surprise, shes become more affectionate toward me actively searching out a stroke etc, which just isnt her.

I know this doesnt really fit here, but Im sure there will be a ssfer thats been through this/has some knowledge. My book doesnt really cover this type of thing and I need to know what else I need to do for her/provide her with over the next couple of weeks. My book tells me she needs to drink milk, but she wouldnt have access in the wild, so Im a bit dubious on that one!

Help!

Hi there Millie

I breed rabbits the signs you need to look for are nest building she will pick up hay in her mouth and make a nest in her hutch, she will start to pull hair a few days before the birth,definately do not give her milk. but increase her dry food by double, you could also give her a small amount of carrot for the vitamins, but not greens as this will give her the runs.remove the male if he is still in with her as he will mate her immediately she gives birth.

once she has delivered, she will cover them with more of her fur. you must resist the urge to pick the babies up for the first 18 days if you do she is likely to kill them, as they will be smelling of you and not her.

leave her to it, she will only feed them twice a day once in the morning and once at night, they will open their eyes around 10 days.

good luck if you need any more advise please feel free to pm me

regards

maggie

Of course rabbits fit in the livestock category! At least they do on our farm. We raise them for meat and still trying to learn how to tan the hides and use the leather and pelts.

It's REALLY hard to palpate a doe and find out if she's pregnant or not, but then again, we've only been at it for 4 years. If a doe goes past 35 days, I figure she's empty, and put her back to a buck. But they almost always are pregnant, and very heavily so by the end. Some does will nest-build 10 days before she kindles, others won't nest build at all. It's a good idea to keep a supply of extra rabbit hair (nicked from a nest with more than enough) in case a rabbit doesn't pluck any hair. On average, our does have built their nests 2 days before kindling.

As far not being able to handle the kits, I've never heard that about not handling them, and we handle them from day one, regularly and often, and they've all been fine so far. We've only had 2 cannibalistic does (eating kits as their born, even before we've found them!), a mother, a daughter and a granddaughter actually, all 3 lavender does, and we're kind of wondering if there's a genetic component to kit-eating either in that line, or that colour.

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

My buck has started pulling fur out and gathering up sawdust, hes even taken stray fur that was caught up on the hutch door I reckon hes coming out in sympathy!

My doe is looking bulkier that she did, she also seems to be sleeping a bit more, and is finally eating. She doesnt tend to eat much, and I changed her food to no avail, but in the last 2 days shes started eating more. Shes rejecting carrots but loving her brocolli.


Would she need anything putting in for nesting? Some sites have mentioned nesting boxes, others have just left the doe to make her own nest. Shes a back to front bunny, she uses her bedroom area as her loo and sleeps in the main hutch area, and Im a bit worried she (and the kits) may be a bit exposed.

Thanks for your replies, very helpful!

Are your buck and doe together? If they are, just keep an eye on him when the doe kindles. Most of the time, it's not an issue.

I only make sure the doe has access to plenty of clean straw or hay with which to build her nest.

Half the time our does are backwards as well! If the kits are born in the loo area, just carefully remove them, remove the poop, and put them back, with fresh straw or hay underneath the nest. 95% of the time, that will stop the doe from continuing to use that area as a loo.

Good luck to you and you bun-mum to be!

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

farmerdrea wrote:Are your buck and doe together?

Nooooo poor girl would never get any rest

My shy girly.


And my not so shy boy :)

They are sooo cute.

Hmmm, I already have two cats and six chickens. Do I need a rabbit or two as well?????

Zoe

Well, I have a dog, 4 cats and 2 rabbits, so you definately need some bunnies!!! I need chickens, but with no garden space Im trying to convince my mum she wants them at hers

Our first rabbit mummy had her litter about a month ago, we separated her from the boys and other girl into a hutch of her own, as she was looking a little plumper. She promptly buildt a nest, dressed it with her fur and had a litter of 7 a couple of days later. Unfortunately as we were beset by some huge storms that same week, and the temperature plummeted, they all died over the space of the next 7 days, we tried adding bedding, we tried warming them, in the end we tried to hand rear them, when she pushed the last three out of the nest and up against the wire netting exposing them to the cold, but to no avail.
We have left her a month and put the buck back to her, but she won't let him near her and he's exhausted chasing her around.

The second girl, we separated a week later again when she showed a distinctly rounder belly and pronounced nipples, she built a nest and then over the next week got sleeker and just pulled the nest apart, do rabbits absorb babies? I know some mammals do, but not sure in rabbits?

We tried to put the girls back in together and they tried to rip each others fur out, so now the boys are living together, and the girls have a cage apiece and the bucks just go courting.

Our rabbits are all livestock, apart from a male, who is our daughter's pet.
So we were hoping for stock of meat for next year, but we'll have to wait till next month to see if the guys have been up to the job.

Monika

theabsinthefairy wrote:do rabbits absorb babies? I know some mammals do, but not sure in rabbits?

Yes, if a rabbit becomes stressed, or the conditions arent right then they will just absorb the babies. They can also limit the size of the brood too.