Am I overreacting?

[Cosima]

Can any of you help me with this? At 7 am two of my does started nesting (Kaly and Chilli). It’s 4:00 pm rn and neither of my does have given birth.

Kaly stopped nesting around 11:00 am and she hasn’t pulled any fur. Her nest looks like someone put a bunch of grass in a nesting box without putting any effort into making it nice or suitable for kits. I felt her belly to Check that she isn’t just having a false pregnancy or gas since her belly is big and I could easily feel kits. While I was feeling her belly. When I was petting her she lunged at me a little which is very unusual because she is my nicest rabbit who usually likes petting every when she is close to giving birth. She is also 2 years old, has had 4 successful litters and is a great mom. I did breed her with a new buck so maybe that would effect something but the buck is smaller then my usual buck. On her last four litters she started nesting 1 to 2 hours before giving birth.

Chilli put more effort into her nest and she has pulled fur but she also has given birth yet. Unlike Kaly she isn’t acting unusual but like Kaly her belly is big. She has had 5 litters 4 successful and 1 unsuccessful but that was because I got her when she was pregnant and the stress of moving messed up her pregnancy. She was also bred with the new buck.

It’s not unusual hot today so I don’t think this could because the weather.

Am I overreacting and if I’m not then what should I do?

 

[Cosima]

Chilli had her kits a few minutes ago but there’s nothing new with kaly.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Can any of you help me with this? At 7 am two of my does started nesting (Kaly and Chilli). It’s 4:00 pm rn and neither of my does have given birth.

Kaly stopped nesting around 11:00 am and she hasn’t pulled any fur. Her nest looks like someone put a bunch of grass in a nesting box without putting any effort into making it nice or suitable for kits. I felt her belly to Check that she isn’t just having a false pregnancy or gas since her belly is big and I could easily feel kits. While I was feeling her belly. When I was petting her she lunged at me a little which is very unusual because she is my nicest rabbit who usually likes petting every when she is close to giving birth. She is also 2 years old, has had 4 successful litters and is a great mom. I did breed her with a new buck so maybe that would effect something but the buck is smaller then my usual buck. On her last four litters she started nesting 1 to 2 hours before giving birth.

Chilli put more effort into her nest and she has pulled fur but she also has given birth yet. Unlike Kaly she isn’t acting unusual but like Kaly her belly is big. She has had 5 litters 4 successful and 1 unsuccessful but that was because I got her when she was pregnant and the stress of moving messed up her pregnancy. She was also bred with the new buck.

It’s not unusual hot today so I don’t think this could because the weather.

Am I overreacting and if I’m not then what should I do?

Chilli had her kits a few minutes ago but there’s nothing new with kaly.

Glad to hear Chili had her babies successfully.

I don't know where the progression of the season is where you are, but I have found that in the spring my does often build nests earlier than in the rest of the year. I figure that those flowing hormones just prime them to do everything early ad often. This spring I've had several does build nests 10 days early (generally they do it hours or a day or two before kindling).

Here's hoping Kaly's litter turns out the same way. If she keeps acting normally and doesn't seem to be straining, I'd just wait and watch. If she does seem to be in distress, raspberry leaves have helped some of our Mini Rex push through lagging labor.

 

[ladysown]

I wouldn't fuss. It doesn't sound like Kaly is stressed. She started her nest, and she'll finish when she has her littles, probably some time in the quiet of the night.

 

[Cosima]

Thanks for the replies. Luckily Kaly gave birth to 7 big and healthy kits.

 

[Heartbased Homestead]

5 litters 4 successful and 1 unsuccessful but that was because I got her when she was pregnant and the stress of moving messed up her pregnancy

Congrats on the healthy kits! Since this thread is finished, may I ask details for Chili's 1 unsuccessful? What did the aftermath look like?

I just had an unsuccessful first time mama and I believe the entire birth had been cannibalized, yet no blood or mess.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Congrats on the healthy kits! Since this thread is finished, may I ask details for Chili's 1 unsuccessful? What did the aftermath look like?

I just had an unsuccessful first time mama and I believe the entire birth had been cannibalized, yet no blood or mess.

If there was no blood, chances are the kits were stillborn. Good mother rabbits will try to clean up all the debris from the birth, and that includes dead kits. If all the kits are dead, she'll eat part of each of them, but won't be able to eat them in their entirety.

Sometimes if the first kit takes too long to be born, all the rest will die waiting; not super unusual for a first-time mother, especially if she does not have an ideal build (nice wide hindquarters). Look for a kit or kits that look really long and stretched out. That's usually a sign that the kit was already dead, or died in transit.

 

[Cosima]

Congrats on the healthy kits! Since this thread is finished, may I ask details for Chili's 1 unsuccessful? What did the aftermath look like?

I just had an unsuccessful first time mama and I believe the entire birth had been cannibalized, yet no blood or mess.

On Chilli’s first litter she gave birth to 6 or 8 kits each of them a hour apart. she also ate all the kits.

 

[RabbitDad]

Can any of you help me with this? At 7 am two of my does started nesting (Kaly and Chilli). It’s 4:00 pm rn and neither of my does have given birth.

Kaly stopped nesting around 11:00 am and she hasn’t pulled any fur. Her nest looks like someone put a bunch of grass in a nesting box without putting any effort into making it nice or suitable for kits. I felt her belly to Check that she isn’t just having a false pregnancy or gas since her belly is big and I could easily feel kits. While I was feeling her belly. When I was petting her she lunged at me a little which is very unusual because she is my nicest rabbit who usually likes petting every when she is close to giving birth. She is also 2 years old, has had 4 successful litters and is a great mom. I did breed her with a new buck so maybe that would effect something but the buck is smaller then my usual buck. On her last four litters she started nesting 1 to 2 hours before giving birth.

Chilli put more effort into her nest and she has pulled fur but she also has given birth yet. Unlike Kaly she isn’t acting unusual but like Kaly her belly is big. She has had 5 litters 4 successful and 1 unsuccessful but that was because I got her when she was pregnant and the stress of moving messed up her pregnancy. She was also bred with the new buck.

It’s not unusual hot today so I don’t think this could because the weather.

Am I overreacting and if I’m not then what should I do?

Hurry up & wait.
We had a pregnant mare who took so long giving us a new colt, I figured she changed her mind.
Then when I least expected it... we had an extra horse.