False Pregnancy, or real?

[HoppinHalfPints]

When I went out to feed rabbits this morning, I noticed that Peter wasn't coming up to the door for food. She has a little house that she hides in, and when I looked inside, I saw a pretty nest of white fur. With my heart sinking, I reached in and felt around. There were no kits in the nest. I continued feeding rabbits, although I checked on her once in a while. After I was done, I noticed she was laying down and doing this odd whimpering. My mother and I agreed there was no way she could be pregnant. She is housed next to a buck, but he is two inches away in between two layers of wire. When we let the girls out we are careful not to put boys in playpens. I have witnessed a false pregnancy, but she built a nest and did nothing else. This is really odd. Help?

UPDATE: Palpated and felt nothing. Also added pics of the nest after I moved it to a nest box, the space inbetween the buck and Peter, and her laying down. She doesn't make any noise when the cage is closed, only when I put my hand in or open the door.

 

[mystang89]

I'd personally think it was false if I palpated and still felt nothing. I'm a bit confused though. Why's there a nesting box in there if you weren't expecting her to be prego or did you just take the fur from where she had pulled it and put it in the nesting box?

 

[HoppinHalfPints]

I moved the fur into a nest box.

 

[TwoAcreDream]

Is it possible someone else in the household might have had the
rabbits out at the same time ? Maybe you had company over ?

I would go with the possible your doe might be pregnant.
I don't palpate myself. Just never did. I'm always afraid of hurting
the babies inside the mom.

If she is pregnant, seems so you will know soon enough.
Leave the nest box in there. Add more hay

 

[HoppinHalfPints]

I would go with the possible your doe might be pregnant.
I don't palpate myself. Just never did. I'm always afraid of hurting
the babies inside the mom.

She is acting her normal self again. She's eating, and she had kicked shavings over the fur. I did breed my two does a few days ago, and I read that does will go into false pregnancy when another doe goes into heat. My mom and I was wondering if does can sense another does heat, what if they could sense that she is pregnant?

 

[Prisma]

Induced ovulators, do not have heat cycles. There are times when they are more likely to breed, but that's all. When I have several due around the same time, usually they all have within 24 hours of each other...so there is probably some thing in the air so to speak that can be sensed. I doubt 10 does are all going to have at around the same time just out of chance after all lol.

 

[mystang89]

I had a doe have a false pregnancy when I first got into rabbits. I was all excited and confused since I didn't know what was going on. She sounds like she's doing the same as mine. Maybe to be on the safe side leave the box in there for another 4 days or so. :?

 

[Miss M]

You can leave the box in there just in case somebody else came in and played "musical rabbits" on you.

I would think the 2" space would prevent through-the-wire breeding.

My guess would be that she wants to have a litter, though, and is trying to tell you that.