breeding question

[paintrider89]

And one I am sure has been asked a million times. So I am very sorry.

How do you check a doe to see if she is bred if you don't know how to palpate? I have herd throwing them back in with a buck in 2 weeks. Or running your hand up her back, and she will lift. Well I am not sure they arenlifting enough either. I don't want to risk two litter sizes, but I would like to get them bred asap. Any tips?

 

[Bad Habit]

Patience.

I had a doe lift for a buck when trying the "breed back" test. Two weeks later she delivered a healthy litter, as well as 3 or 4 quarter sized blobs that were very hard and seemed to have eyeballs. That freaked me out enough that I simply practice my palpating skills. Round about a week-ish before a doe is due, I can definitely feel babies. I don't mind waiting the month to see if it took or not. Would rather that than seeing those blobby things again.

 

[paintrider89]

No. I dont wanna see blobs. But I would love to have rabbits in the freezer before Christmas :/

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Palpate. I had to have a friend show me how, but once I 'got' it, it's cool. First off, the "bubbles" (or "grapes") will be higher in the abdomen than you might expect...I was feeling for them way too low. Like...they will probably be right past the ribcage. Second...don't be afraid to get all up in there. I was being too gentle. Squish their abdomen between your fingers and thumb and gently feel around. I palpate two or three times over the course of a couple days to make sure I'm not feeling poops. OH, and do it before they've been fed for the day.

 

[paintrider89]

If I had someone who could show me. But I don't know of anyone close.

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

palpating is REALLY easy, my doe didn't take the first time (I waited a month, no babies)
so I bred her again, she did take, and at about 2 weeks I could feel little "grapes"
another way to tell, is that you put a buck in the doe's cage, and (my doe does) she should stick her rear end straight in the air.

 

[luvabunny]

I would never recommend putting a buck in the does cage. Does are very cage aggressive and could seriously injure or neuter him.

I've been raising rabbits for over a decade. I never have been able to palpate. I breed several times on the day the doe accepts, and wait a month. I generally don't force breed. Never had that work out for me. When the doe is ready, she will lift and accept and a month later you will have lots of healthy kits.

If she doesn't accept the first day she is put with a buck, I give her a day or two and try again. If I have a doe that seems never in the mood, well, that's a whole other thread, but there are still ways.

 

[skysthelimit]

The best thing to do is to practice.

Start with an open doe, learn to feel and empty womb. Feel what pop and other organs feel like, from the end of the ribs down to the bladder. Learn what's normal.

This really helps out is a bun ever develops a blockage or a retained kit, then you know that somethings in there.

Start 9 days after she is succesfully bred. Kits should feel considerable larger than poop, and they should slide away as you try to hold them. Up to about 15 days, then it's really hard.

By 20 days they will be long, maybe three inches. They feel like sausages, but you can feel a head shape on them. About day 25, you should be able to put your hand under her while she lays on it, and feel the kits move.

Some does tuck them up, or their stomach is so hard, but usually when a doe has a firm round belly and she sis not before, I know she's preggo.

It takes practice and a sensitive finger.

My does never seem in the mood, despite color changes. I have force bred, and it works almost always, and when it doesn't, the doe is much more receptive the second time around.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

By the way...my brood doe who's had lots of litter before? She's easy as pie to palpate. Breezy, who just had her first? Since her belly has more muscle tone, it was harder to do. Older does are easier to palpate IMO.

 

[paintrider89]

I have palpated cows, but it is VERY different. I
These does should be 16 days pregnant. I bred them the dolay I got them, bit because of the heat at the time I wonder if the bucks could have been steril? I am going to try to palpate both this evening and see if I can feel anything (I will feel around on one of the open does first.) If I still can't find anything I don't know what. Like I said, I want these does bred. Would flipping them and checking their vulva color be useful?

 

[skysthelimit]

I have not found vulva color to be a useful indicator of anything.
At 16 days, it might be hard to feel anything.

 

[PSFAngoras]

There is an article on the ARBA site about palpitation I found extremely helpful. How it was told to me, I was feeling too high. So I'd suggest reading reading that. And I agree with sky, its going to be hard to distinguish kits at that state. It seems best between 10 and 14 days, and then again about after day twenty five or so. At least that's what I think. Between those days they just dont stand out easily.

 

[skysthelimit]

Yes, that reminds me, there is one in the ARBA guidebook, which is were I learned. My dog palpation got much better after reading that.