second chance to be a mom

This past summer I got a young doe as a breeder for freezer bunnies. The first time we attempted to breed her she refused the buck and we didn't think she got bred. Turned out she did get bred but only had a single. Since we didn't think she took we didn't put a nest box out for her and she had the single kit on the wire. She had eaten part of the kit but it wouldn't had survived since it ws a single and I didn't have another bun to foster it to, besides it was huge-o-giantiac big. She also had not pulled any fur to try to keep the kit warm. I chalked this up to being new at the whole mothering thing.

Fast forward a few months,

She was bred again on the 17th of March and passed her due date of April 17 so we thought she didn't take again. Didn't see her lift for the buck but I did put the nest box in on April 14th as the calculator suggested. April 17th comes and goes with no kits and no pulling fur. Hubby went out this morning to feed and said she had a fur lined tunnel in the box but no kits. I went out at 4 this afternoon and there was a pile of fur that kicked when I touched it. We had somewhere to be so I decided to wait until we got back to check the status of the nest box. I brought the box inside a few minutes ago and counted 7 very much alive and squiggly kits. I will get pictures in a couple days since its a bit windy and chilly. All the kits had round bellies and were nice and warm. I will be keeping a close eye on the runt since he/she is so tiny.


Please give reluctant and hard to breed does a second chance to be a mom, they can get iy right if given the chance.

Congratulations Lopeared!
Bunnies are sooo fun.

that's why I give them generally three kicks at the can. sometimes more if I have the cage room.

Congratulations! You've got popples!

:mbounce:

Just for future reference, gestation for rabbits is usually 30-32 days, not 28. So your does due date would have been around April 20 or 21, not the 17th. She was right on time!

Thank you Maggie, I was going by the rabbit gestation calculator. I know it's not wise to go by those things and to just count the days on the calendar. Good thing the bun knew what she was doing.

I give three chances.

I keep trying to get pictures but the weather is not cooperating, we've had rain or storms every day. Its probably not good to schedule their first photo op in such aweful weather. At this rate they may be full grown before it stops.

Okay to bring them inside,place them in a nice warm, cloth lined bowl, and snap a couple pics, then put em back in the box and into the cage...

Thanks Terry, this I can do. I will do that sometime tomorrow since I have to work tonight. We lost one of the kits but I have no idea what happened to it. The entire cage is 1/2 x 1/2 wire and the kit was several inches long. No signs of any part of it anywhere.