Breeding issues, first timer.

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Oct 30, 2015
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South central kansas
I have two does I am trying to brèed currently. They are both proven as well as the buck. I have tried palpation numerous times and I can't feel anything. This morning I noticed one hay stashing this morning. Getting as big of a mouthful as she could and carrying it around. Her due date is still 11 days away, if she is even pregnant at all. Is this normal behavior at this point? My other doe should be due in 5 days or so and she isn't doing this. Just wondering if anyone had any insight. Thanks!
 
It could be nesting or a false pregnancy. Mine haystached at day 20 and didn't kindle, but usually a false pregnancy only goes to day 18.......any other signs of changes? Hormonal behavior? Lots of digging? A lot of us here can't palpate well. Have you been able to successfully palpate before? A lot of bucks (if housed outside) are still coming off of hot summers and depending on where you live he could be heat sterile too.
 
There have been behavioral changes, and some digging at the hay on the wire. My other doe who should be further along has no weight gain, at least not noticiably. I didn't think breeding would be so frustrating. Ugh
 
Breeding can be incredibly frustrating, even
for experienced breeders. But there are a lot of worse problems to have, and I always remind myself that 31 days to find out is not that long. Can you imagine if it was 60 or 90 days, or 9 months like us? When I think of it that way it doesn't seem so bad, lol.....you can always put the doe back in with your buck and see what happens too. A large percentage of them won't allow him to mate with them if they are pregnant. Just be careful not to leave them together unattended as they can fight.
 
I tried rebreeding last week, this one definitely wouldn't let the buck breed. I did get 4 fall offs when I bred her, keeping my fingers crossed.
With the rebreeding attempts my records look like someone with mental issues has been doing the records, all these different potential due dates :shock:
 
Yeah mine do right now too. We had an incredible hot summer here in South TX, and have a new young buck who hasn't figured out exactly what he's doing. Got a lot of fall offs but not in the right spot.
So I have been putting mine together often, just trying to get anything to happen correctly. Mine have nest boxes attached and we are till in the 80', so I am not as worried about them freezing on the wire and they always have their nestbox, but it's terrible for trying to plan and count!
Right now none of them are receptive, so I stopped all attempts and will give the records a bread for a couple of weeks I think....
 
Being completely new I could be wrong but I'm in south central kansas and we've had a very mild summer, and the last few weeks have been mild last week has been chilly with lows at night of 40 and highs at 70. I wouldn't think heat is the problem.
 
Probably not so much, but if the nights were warm too bucks could also have a diminished count. And it takes longer than you think it should to regain normal fertility. But being in that climate and you got 4 fall offs tho it would say the chances are likely that they both are bred:)
 
Yeah it's been a great forum for me since February. We can help each other, complain to each other, learn and support each other, and these people are nice and understand what it's like to go thru things, because they have been thru it too:) Welcome!
 
I always advise breeders to provide a nestbox any time suspicious activity is observed.
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Unfortunately, nesting behavior isn't a reliable indicator of anything.

It may just be hormones kicking in early, it could be a false pregnancy, or she just might have gotten herself bred before you expected her too.
 
That's true. We all know our own rabbits after a while, and I know if mine do exhibit nesting behavior something is causing it, and I treat it like pregnancy just in case (because it usually is). But it doesn't always mean that around here either, just sort of a clue that can point in that direction, and when put with other clues I know ill likely see kits. But even then, they can still keep me guessing and I can be wrong.....
 
I say the easiest way to tell is to just wait. I had an experienced friend come over, and palpate one of my does, and neither of us felt anything. Three days later, that same doe kindled 8 babies. So, even palpation isn't always right. The best way to find out, is to just wait. As someone said earlier, if you feel there are any suspicious signs, such as digging or haystacheing, put in a box. The worst than can happen, is that you're wrong. If you see signs, and don't give her a box, because you think she isn't pregnant, you're liable to lose the whole litter. And, speaking from experience, put her in a baby safe cage. Make sure the wire is small enough that a baby's head can't fit through. I was never told this, and lost that entire litter of 8, at just under 2 weeks old. Their eyes were all but open. So, if you think a doe is pregnant, even if it were only one fall off, put a box in. I have does that do things last minute, and NEVER show any signs. They are my ones that usually only have one fall off. I'm not very experienced, but I can tell you what has, and hasn't worked with me. Good luck. :roll:
 
We are just giving our 4th viable litter to their new mommies and daddies, but even so...this was untried parents. Our other buck would fall over and try again - we didn't know this was normal at the time. 1st litter with hi and the doe (Merlin and Oreo) 3 kits, 1 DOA and the other 2 died within a week. We had doubts about her mommy skills. A helpful breeder said to try again right away as that can happen with dwarfs (Merlin is a Holland Lop). 2nd try he fell off a lot more so we let him try a few ore times...5 viable kits and she was a very good mom. 3rd litter (we let him fall a few more times as it was so funny and he didn't get hurt) and we had a litter of 10, 2 DOA. 1 doe from this litter is the mom of our latest litter...never could palpate any of the litters with any surety, though we think we maybe felt one once...and a second time - the litter of 10, I felt her and she was pudgy, felt her a couple of hours later and it felt like the kits had dropped, she kindled shortly thereafter. The new mom, Mo, only felt pudgy, then gave us 5 beautiful kits. Their dad, Sir Rex, only mounted time, didn't fall off, gave her a quick nip (not aggressive really) when he finished, then he went around twitching for about 15 minutes. No further interest in Mo...but for a singe shot he is definitely a fertile little guy! :D

Don't know if any of the above will help with gaining knowledge towards your rabbits, but then again, maybe it will.
 
Great post, Whitney_BunnyAcres! Welcome to RabbitTalk!

Every once in a while, someone just getting started in rabbits will ask whether you have to see the buck fall off in order to know he was successful. Usually the buck will fall off... but not always, just as you noted. :D
 
Our boy grunts loudly and falls over still attached to the doe. Kind of like a spring trap set off. :shock: :lol: :lol:
 
All ten have survived and eyes are just starting to open. My goodness this doe is a wonderful mom. Three times the temperature has dipped below freezing. And every time she pulls more hair. All ten are very fat too.
 

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