Double pregnancy

[TwoAcreDream]

I have a doe that was due on the 16th. She had them on the 15th.
All kinds of fur. She had 2 babies. I figure she is my back up plan. I
can use her for a foster mom.
So rest of the litters are stable, and I don't have to move any
bunnies around. So early this morning, when I am feeding them,
I am also checking the nest boxes. There sits Mom of 2, eating a
newborn. Sigh. So I reach in and take it away from her. I see where
she has pulled more fur. Only conclusion is a double pregnancy.
This is a mixed doe. Probably 8 pounds. Unknown age.
Her first 2 babies are fine. I just checked again and no new additions.

So I do a google search. Now I have additional information to
ponder. My conclusion now is to only breed the one day. In the
morning, and then within 8 hrs, later the same day. No more
putting them in with the buck the next day or a week after for
a check. If the buck does everything right the first day, then
I won't keep trying them.

The last 3 does I had bred, I only had them in with the buck for
awhile in the morning. For whatever reason , I did not try them
for seconds later the same day. I thought about it the next morning,
and again passed. I was so sure of the one time breeding
being so positive. Guess I will find out in 31 days.

 

[mystang89]

Hmmm, I thought I had read somewhere on here that your domesticated rabbits were unable to sustaining two pregnancies at the same time due to something about their female parts and that it was only the wild hairs who did that. I might have read it all wrong though :?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Does will sometimes delay their labor due to stress or other factors. Oftentimes the kits delivered later are dead, but some of our members have reported live kits days later.

Just the other day I had a maiden mom give birth to a single kit at around 8 a.m., only to deliver seven more that evening. I think it is most common with first time does because they get frightened by the pain of giving birth.

Hmmm, I thought I had read somewhere on here that your domesticated rabbits were unable to sustaining two pregnancies at the same time due to something about their female parts and that it was only the wild hairs who did that.

Yes, according to this study, rabbits are incapable of carrying two pregnancies, and will often willingly accept the buck during pregnancy, especially about midway through gestation.

In most mammals the progesterone secreted during gestation inhibits oestrus and the pregnant female refuses to mate, but a pregnant doe may accept mating throughout the gestation period. Indeed, in the second half of pregnancy this is the most common behaviour (Figure 10).

A breeder cannot therefore use the sexual behaviour of does as an indication of pregnancy. Mating occurring during gestation has no dire consequences for the embryos. Unlike the phenomenon observed in the female hare, superfoetation (two simultaneous pregnancies at two different stages of development) never occurs in rabbits.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690E/t1690e05.htm

 

[TwoAcreDream]

I done quite a bit of reading this morning about double pregnancies.

This baby born this morning was fully formed and looked good.
Because it was not in the pile of fur, it probably got cold. I
believe domestic rabbits think like wild rabbits and she was
basically insuring that the one lone one would not make it,
and she wanted to protect the two good ones. She may have
had more, I am not sure, but I only found the one.

Last month, the one doe had 2 one day, and 3 the next day.
The first 2 were fostered over to my mix mom of 6 whose
babies were 6 days older. They have all done good.

 

[skysthelimit]

I've had does give birth hours apart and 3 days apart. None live though.

 

[RothsRabbits]

So those of you that get these double pregnancies. Question on your breeding technique ? What are you doing??

 

[skysthelimit]

So those of you that get these double pregnancies. Question on your breeding technique ? What are you doing??

They aren't double pregnancies. Rabbits can pause labor if they are frightened. Sometimes, they don't have enough contractions to kindle all at one time. Sometimes the litter is too small, sometimes too large. It's not about breeding technique at all. Definitely not doing anything on purpose. <br /><br /> -- Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:45 pm -- <br /><br />

I done quite a bit of reading this morning about double pregnancies.

This baby born this morning was fully formed and looked good.
Because it was not in the pile of fur, it probably got cold. I
believe domestic rabbits think like wild rabbits and she was
basically insuring that the one lone one would not make it,
and she wanted to protect the two good ones. She may have
had more, I am not sure, but I only found the one.

Last month, the one doe had 2 one day, and 3 the next day.
The first 2 were fostered over to my mix mom of 6 whose
babies were 6 days older. They have all done good.

Are you giving extra calcium right around kindling time? Perhaps the litters are too small and the does aren't having enough contractions to get them out all at one time?

 

[akane]

I did have a double breeding several days apart right before I got out of mini rex. My mini rex doe who was the only sexually mature doe with rex coat and the only rabbit with broken (no rew, bew, etc.. that could hide it) was bred to my only rex coated or carrier buck. Then 2-3 days later accidentally put with an american sable buck who never produced rex coats off any other does or inbreeding the line. 30 days from that the mini rex doe gave birth to several rex coated offspring and 3 regular coated offspring with 2 being brokens. They all had to be hers and they had to be from different bucks she was exposed to at least 48hrs apart. There really is no good explanation besides that. I spent several days with a headache trying to come up with another scenario when the kits furred. Unfortunately aside from the broken gene there is no genetic proof because she was castor with no recessives. She only produced chestnuts. Due to a potential health issue it was also a terminal line meaning no offspring from her were used for breeding.

 

[TwoAcreDream]

So those of you that get these double pregnancies. Question on your breeding technique ? What are you doing??

Not something I planned on .
I have a number of mixed does. Different ages, etc. Last fall, I was a bit
of a rabbit magnet and trying to get my herd numbers up. Figured I had
a couple of ways to market the animals and started a breeding schedule.
Plan is to get the mix does going first, and then my purebreds who are
younger animals, just coming up to age and size now.
Well without a full history on the mix does, I wanted to be SURE they were
getting bred. I was not wanting to see misses.

I decided that if the does were bred in the morning, to put them
back in with the buck later same day. If I was not sure a breeding took
place, the doe would go back in the following day. So in a few cases,
several days might go by before I would try that doe again. I try to
get 2 or 3 bred the same day. This way if a fostering is needed, then
hopefully 1 of the other does will be willing.

CALCIUM, no, I don't think about that. The does get plenty of pellets,
all the hay they want to eat and their treats. I make sure the pregnant
does , have dry oatmeal or other cereal in a treat bowl. Then when they
kindle, I continue on with some oatmeal. The babies coming out of the
nestbox sure enjoy it too. It's been a hard cold winter here. Anything
to keep good food going into them.

I am trying to learn more on rabbit pregnancies. It's a possible, I keep
this doe who just surprised me, and try to duplicate this on the next
pregnancy. Her chances increase on staying if she raises the 2 okay,
and she stays calm. The Harly doe I got from same place, I already sold.
She is the one that had 2 one day and 3 the next. She was grumpy.

 

[skysthelimit]

I did have a double breeding several days apart right before I got out of mini rex. My mini rex doe who was the only sexually mature doe with rex coat and the only rabbit with broken (no rew, bew, etc.. that could hide it) was bred to my only rex coated or carrier buck. Then 2-3 days later accidentally put with an american sable buck who never produced rex coats off any other does or inbreeding the line. 30 days from that the mini rex doe gave birth to several rex coated offspring and 3 regular coated offspring with 2 being brokens. They all had to be hers and they had to be from different bucks she was exposed to at least 48hrs apart. There really is no good explanation besides that. I spent several days with a headache trying to come up with another scenario when the kits furred. Unfortunately aside from the broken gene there is no genetic proof because she was castor with no recessives. She only produced chestnuts. Due to a potential health issue it was also a terminal line meaning no offspring from her were used for breeding.

Yes two different sires a few days apart, Even one sire a few days apart. I still don't think that counts as a double pregnancy, since rabbits can take several days to birth a litter by one sire. A week or so later would give me something to think about. <br /><br /> -- Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:45 pm -- <br /><br />

CALCIUM, no, I don't think about that. The does get plenty of pellets,
all the hay they want to eat and their treats. I make sure the pregnant
does , have dry oatmeal or other cereal in a treat bowl. Then when they
kindle, I continue on with some oatmeal. The babies coming out of the
nestbox sure enjoy it too. It's been a hard cold winter here. Anything
to keep good food going into them.

Calcium is utilized in the muscles when an animal goes into labor. If there is not enough calcium, at the time it's needed, the doe can have problems with kindling, eclampsia, where the muscles drawl calcium from the bones. Extra calcium is sometimes needed to ensure the doe produces enough milk without harming herself. This is extra on top of what is normally found in pellets. When my dogs are in whelp, I usually feed them ice cream to make sure labor doesn't stall. Last litter the dam had 8 kits in less than 2 hours. Nice, strong contractions.