Doe pulling neighbor doe's hair

[JInSouthMS]

Yesterday I noticed one of my does had hair in her mouth, but it wasn't her hair. This morning she had pulled a lot of the neighbor does hair and was carrying some of it around. She should be pregnant but I thought she was due next week. I put in a nest box full of hay and some extra. She immediately picked up the extra hay and started searching for a place to put it. The neighbor doe is experienced and currently has a litter but the hair puller is a first timer. Does this behavior fall in the spectrum of "normal"? Is it possible that the neighbor doe is helping her out with extra hair?

I thought the buck missed the first breeding, so my calendar was based on the Breeding the next week. Also, another doe was bred and due on 3/4/17 but nothing in her nest box. This doe is old and never bred before. Can what looks like a "hit" be a miss and "miss" be a hit?

 

[SarniaTricia]

She sounds like a serious mom!!!
Get the nest box in there... hay, all that fur and she will do the rest....
She might not be stashing the hay because you are watching.

It is not uncommon for some moms to hay stash and pull fur early.
They will use whatever resource is available, including other rabbits, dogs, cats, dryer lint, towels .... lol :lol:

I also had a doe go full term with a lovely nest box with just hay. She only pulled fur at birth.

Good luck, sound soon!

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

The doe who didn't kindle probably didn't because of her age. Rabbits tend to build up internal fat, and this can make it difficult for them to conceive.
For the other doe, with rabbits you never know! Sometimes they can get pregnant when it seems as if they didn't get bred at all.

And yes, early fur pulling can be normal. One of my does pulled fur the day I put in the box, and only kindled 5 days later. My other doe only pulls when she is giving birth.

 

[JInSouthMS]

Update:
The first time doe had a litter of 7. But none of them were in the nest box! One was in each of the neighboring 2 cages. And all 7 were on wire. I brought them inside my house in a towel while I prepared a different nest box with a lower front. I lined a fist sized indention with drier lint and put the in with a thin layer over them. I made sure the doe can get in the box. I don't know what else I can do. All were moving and squeaking the whole time. I hope her mothering instincts stay strong.

The kits were all warm and seemed healthy this morning(3/7/17)! But the old doe still has nothing.

 

[SarniaTricia]

Just check the kits daily for round bellies.

If they aren't rounded by end of day 2.... I would take the nest box, hold it in my lap.. have someone hand me the mama.. put her on the box and calmly pet her until the kits get a chance to feed...... 10-15 minutes (pick a calm quiet place)

After that she will understand
(had to do this with a first time mom... one of the best mothers in my barn)