Confusing pregnant doe

Tiny Buns · Sep 22, 2015

So I have a senior doe, she's 8 months. Netherland dwarf. I purchased her "pregnant" in the summer and she haystached but never kindled. Put her in with my proven senior buck (just fathered a litter of 7 in another netherland doe) on day 33 ish and she lifted right away. They spent a lovely afternoon together for many hours. lol I would have a hard time imagining how on earth she could possibly come away from that 'unpregnant'.

So we are at day 32, again. And she's been haystaching off and on for the last 3 days, again--but nothing so far.

Her belly is round and hard like she swallowed a grapefruit and she's been eating sparingly--no distress. Just like the last time. Gave her parsley the past few days. Had her out for a run. Tried to slip her into the buck's cage and she would have none of that.

Can't be sure if she's actually going to do anything this time or not.

Any way to tell?

How many tries do you give a doe if she continues not to produce for you before you send her on her merry way to a pet home?

thoughts?

ladysown · Sep 22, 2015

hard belly,mustaching, disliking the buck... I'd leave her alone til day 42. give her some time to pass kits.

Then if she actually kindles I'd promptly rebreed her and then hope that she kindles live kits this time round.

If she does not, I'd be sending her to freezer camp.

WHY?
Because I don't sell rabbits that I KNOW have problems into pet homes. You never know with pet homes where the bunnies will end up and too many pet homes say "but she's so cute I'll breed her"... do you want her having issues in an ill-informed home?

NOW.. if I knew she was sterile or had a strong likely hood of NEVER getting pregnant... then I'd sell her to a pet home no issues. I'd also sell her to a breeding home WITH full disclosure of her problem breeding. You never know what life with a different buck will achieve.

Tiny Buns · Sep 22, 2015

Well I just talked to the breeder I got her from and apparently she has had a litter of 3. 2 stuck and DOA and the 1 died the next day. Second pregnancy was reabsorbed. We are on try #3 here but ????? <br /><br /> -- Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:10 pm -- <br /><br />

ladysown":1yuuaxgv said:
hard belly,mustaching, disliking the buck... I'd leave her alone til day 42. give her some time to pass kits.

Then if she actually kindles I'd promptly rebreed her and then hope that she kindles live kits this time round.

If she does not, I'd be sending her to freezer camp.

WHY?
Because I don't sell rabbits that I KNOW have problems into pet homes. You never know with pet homes where the bunnies will end up and too many pet homes say "but she's so cute I'll breed her"... do you want her having issues in an ill-informed home?

NOW.. if I knew she was sterile or had a strong likely hood of NEVER getting pregnant... then I'd sell her to a pet home no issues. I'd also sell her to a breeding home WITH full disclosure of her problem breeding. You never know what life with a different buck will achieve.

day 42? Isn't that a long time?

macksmom98 · Sep 22, 2015

I think the reason she said day 42 would be if something is wrong and the kits may be dead in utero, and the Does body may take longer than normal to figure it all out and pass them. Normally it would be too long to expect a gestation period, but if her symptoms continue and she acts pregnant then she may just take a while. I hope she works out well for you tho, and maybe will still have a live litter for you!

Tiny Buns · Sep 22, 2015

Here's hoping......

ladysown · Sep 26, 2015

YES.

If I have a doe that is acting like an "about to give birth doe" but isn't having her kits i leave her for a good 11 days extra. Some does take a long time to expell kits.

BUT once the kits are expelled I rebreed by the end of the following day. Gives me bigger litters and less likelihood of issues with delivery.