I butchered my first rabbit today. Anyone else ever find something like this?

[DubiousOrchid]

So I butchered my first rabbit today. She was a doe who had never successfully been bred / had a litter after multiple attempts. She was about a year old. After one last failed attempt (she never lifted for the buck, never got a fall off, etc); I decided it was time for her to go to freezer camp. When I made the cut to remove the viscera, there was a lot of fluid that came out. I did notice that the bladder was intact and removed it separately.

When I went to discard the entrails, I saw that her ovary/uterus seemed large and when I felt it, it seemed hard - like a tooth or something. Out of morbid curiosity, I cut into it and found multiple kits, each about the size of a quarter; very underdeveloped. Prior to this last attempt at mating, her last time in with a buck was over 3 months prior. Has anything like this happened to anyone else?

Prior to butchering, she did seem pretty stressed in general - nothing I did seem to help. She was eating and drinking like normal. Normal urine and BMs. I am just curious and confused.

 

[eco2pia]

I am too! That is really interesting. I can't wait to hear if anyone has any insight, I am going to camp out here and listen in!

 

[ladysown]

if you got pics you could share it on Rabbits inside and Out on Facebook. Knowledgeable helpful people there.

Other thoughts: bred through the wire, helpful children or neighbours,

 

[Preitler]

I take lots of fluid as a sign that there was something off healthwise with that rabbit. Retained or calcified kits are possible, so something was wrong with that does reproductive organs.

I still think that breeding through wire is anatomically impossible, and more likely used to cover up made mistakes, or as explanation for the results of unknown interventions .

 

[DubiousOrchid]

if you got pics you could share it on Rabbits inside and Out on Facebook. Knowledgeable helpful people there.

Other thoughts: bred through the wire, helpful children or neighbours,

I should have taken pictures! But thank you for letting me know about the facebook page.

So the buck and doe were in cages separated by almost 5 feet so i don't think bred through the wire would have happened. Our nearest neighbor is about a mile away and we have no children that come by. Cages are elevated too so no wild buck is showing up, i don't think. I've been trying to think of any other situation that may have occurred but its still weird. Thanks for responding!

 

[DubiousOrchid]

I take lots of fluid as a sign that there was something off healthwise with that rabbit. Retained or calcified kits are possible, so something was wrong with that does reproductive organs.

I still think that breeding through wire is anatomically impossible, and more likely used to cover up made mistakes, or as explanation for the results of unknown interventions .

That was my thought. I didn't know if anyone was aware of a relationship between like... ascites and uterine issues? Or... idk. I did some reading and did read about some rabbits can resorb their kits and its believed that some rabbits have like... postponed their pregnancies? But I think that this is supposed to happen when the kits would be essentially microscopic and only for maybe 1-2 months; not this long.

But who knows. Thank you for your input!

 

[ladysown]

I've been breeding rabbits for about 20 years. One summer I had illness run through my herd and had everyone isolated for about two months. Alone. In cages well separated from each other and at the end of two months (so a full 60 days separated) a doe kindled 8 kits. It made ZERO sense to me. Never did figure that one out.... (locked cages since live in town with occasional jerky thieves). Weird stuff happens with rabbits. I will never understand some of the things that happen.

 

[eco2pia]

I've been breeding rabbits for about 20 years. One summer I had illness run through my herd and had everyone isolated for about two months. Alone. In cages well separated from each other and at the end of two months (so a full 60 days separated) a doe kindled 8 kits. It made ZERO sense to me. Never did figure that one out.... (locked cages since live in town with occasional jerky thieves). Weird stuff happens with rabbits. I will never understand some of the things that happen.

retained kits is a thing in many mammals...but I have not heard of them being viable like this! Rabbits are pretty cool.