Overdue Doe

One of my does is on day 34 right now and hasn't kindled yet. I have been giving her raspberry leaves and lavender from my garden plus fruit-flavored Tums to help get things moving. I also took her out to play in my den for a little bit yesterday, but didn't want to stress her with too much excitement. She feels like she has a larger litter on palpitation, but she isn't exactly cooperative at the moment. She built a beautiful nest over the last few days and pulled fur last night and this morning, but still no kits. I had pretty much left her alone since yesterday except to check the nestbox and give her the herbs/calcium because I was hoping the solitude would help. A few minutes ago I gave her an abdominal massage because I read on a long-time breeder's site that it might help cause contractions.

I can put her with the buck this afternoon carefully (because I don't want them to actually breed just in case), but does anyone have any other tips for encouraging a late doe to go into labor besides oxytocin? I purchased her as a senior and I was told she had one other litter previously that was found dead on the wire. I have never had a doe go past day 31-32 before, so any information is welcome.

Thanks!

Lauren

You're already doing everything I have heard of, Lauren. You may just need to be patient, if she does not seem in distress. Many people have reported does kindling at Day 34 - 36. She may just have a different pattern than your other does... or they forgot to pass along to her the rulebook when she arrived at your place.

Hi Maggie,

Thanks for your reply. She doesn't seem to be in distress, but I am worried that if she goes over too far that the babies won't make it and/or they will be more difficult for her to pass. I really wish I knew more details about her last litter because I don't know if they died because they were born on the wire or if they were born late and they were DOA. I am trying not to worry too much, but of course it has to be one of my favorite does, lol.

Thanks!

Lauren

Yeah, it's always the favourites, isn't it?

I just googled herbs to start labout and of course, it was all about human labour, but oregano was mentioned and so was blue and black cohosh. But I'd be very reluctant to start giving her too much stuff and I don't know how safe those things are for rabbits anyway.

You might find some information here:

http://twohunnyzrabbitry.webs.com/articles.htm

Two Hunnyz is a member of HT and RT and is quite knowledgeable about herbs.

Thanks so much for the info and for the link. I have some reading to do (which is a good distraction anyway so I don't keep going out to check on the poor girl), but it looks like a lot of good info!

Thanks again!

Lauren

I wanted to try to induce labor in my doe, and then realized my dates were wrong and she still had a week to go. Not saying this is the case, but thought it would be good to mention in case someone in a similar situation reads the post. Dates are easy to mix up (for me anyways)

You are right that date mix-ups can happen and in this case I really wish it was, but I had an event that day and purposely planned to breed her immediately after so she would theoretically kindle in a range where I planned to be around the house. I had also marked it on the calendar, in Evans, and on my website, too. Still no kits though and now she doesn't even seem to be nesting anymore like she was last night, but also doesn't seem to be in any distress either. When I just checked on her she was happily eating her pellets and then went to sprawl in her favorite spot.

Thanks!

Lauren

Lauren,
I have had Does kindle as late as day 36.
Perhaps the oven is just taking a little bit longer to finish the baking?
You may want to re-breed her if it has been much longer than 36 days.
Ottersatin.

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for your reply. She is on day 35 right now and no kits as of this morning, but she did pull even more fur overnight and rearranged her nest again. I am hoping she is just taking her time like you said. Can a doe start reabsorbing them this late in the game? I wasn't feeling a whole lot this morning like I was before, but again she wasn't very cooperative.. at all.

Thanks!

Lauren

Hope all is going well your Doe and hope she finally had those kits!

Thanks for checking in, but I think my doe must have reabsorbed her litter is all I can think of. She had been giving me trouble palpating, but I was able to get a good feel last night and I didn't feel anything anymore. I have no idea why this might have happened- she isn't stressed, eats/drinks great, nothing out of the ordinary in any other way. A friend of mine suggested that there might have been something wrong with the litter and it was nature's way of taking care of it. I am going to try to rebreed her probably next week as I realized that her due date would be awfully close to Thanksgiving otherwise. She still has a beautiful nest, but I think it is just hormones telling her to tend it unfortunately.

Thanks again!

Lauren

Once the bones in the kits calcify they can't be reabsorbed. They can however "mummify'. You might want to get an X-ray to see. I have heard though, of retained kits being expelled with the next litter, but have no experience with that.

I had read about that also, but I read that they usually reabsorb all if it was up until 3 weeks and expel if over that time period, with a slim possibility of mummification, especially if the pregnancy was in the wrong place, like the lining of the abdomen. I read the "mummies" can typically be palpated, but I don't feel anything at all and she isn't fighting me anymore about it like she was before. I can take her in for an x-ray if she shows any signs of distress, but I am guessing she probably aborted in the 3rd week and I didn't know otherwise because she was so tense and difficult to feel. I have never had to palpate a doe so late in the game before.. all my others were like clockwork. I think this gal is trying to give me an ulcer, lol.

Thanks for the info- I will keep a close eye on her and will update this if anything changes.

Lauren

I have had Does that carried very high and
you you never even think they were pregnant.
I left the nestbox in and low and behold
on some sunny morning there are those little squiggly things.
Ottersatin.