Help! My doe is pulling fur way too early!

[ColdBrook]

What does it mean that my doe is pulling fur and building a nest in the back corner of her cage. She absolutely cannot be due till Dec 18-20 and this is just the 7th. I rebred her when her kits were four weeks, weaned the kits at 5 weeks, leaving the smallest one in with her till 6 weeks to dry her off... Now the kits are all next to her and she's in her cage stuffing a corner with fur. Do I put in the nesting box just in case? I have no idea what's happening. There's no chance she's due for another 2 weeks! Why is she doing this? What to do? What to do?!

 

[3mina]

Some does nest early, some wait til the last second put the nest box in and check regularly to make sure she isn't using it as a litterbox and breathe

 

[caroline]

I let the does tell me when they are ready to build a nest, unless they are past day 28 & haven't started to carry hay.
When they started nesting I give them a nest box and keep adding hay to their cage so they can build what they want. Most of them put it in the box. For those that don't, I carefully move whatever nest they have built into the box and put the box back in the spot where they were building. Most does then use the box to kindle.
If I'm concerned that they are still building outside the box, I cover the floor if the cage with hay before their due date and keep an eye to see where they have their kits.If they don't have them in the box the kits are usually OK if the cage was covered in hay/ Then I move the kits and fur into the box. I've only had to do this a couple of times and the moms have always fed the kits fine in the box after that.

 

[ColdBrook]

I'm concerned because this isn't her usual MO. She nests at the last minute, I put the box in two days (not two weeks!) before delivery and she pulls fur the night she delivers. I have no clue how she might deliver this early. If it was 5 days early, I'd think, okay, odd, but we'll go with it..but this is two weeks early and her 3rd litter. I'm going to put lots of hay in on her wire, but am a little worried she'll be stark naked by the time the kits are due!!!

 

[skysthelimit]

None of my does have followed any type of predictable pattern. Holland doe made a nest and had no kits. I'd just keep an eye on her.

 

[ColdBrook]

Thanks. I'll try not to panic. I put lots of hay in there and she's happily munching away at it and she did appear to eat quite a bit last night. She had been off her feed for the last two days so I was watching her anyway...I hope all goes as well with this litter as the last one.

 

[NatureBunsRabbitry]

My doe that's due on the 22nd is also already nesting. She greeted me with a haystache this morning and has a perfect little nest going. I went ahead and have her a nest box yesterday because she was trying to dig to China in the corner of her cage so I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it to her early. This is her first litter. I'll let her keep the box as long as she doesn't soil it. As soon as she does, it's gone until day 28.

 

[Bad Habit]

I have a doe that's been showing nesting behaviour on and off since her last litter was weaned. I was worried she'd missed and was having a false pregnancy, but she palpated positive and I've felt the babies moving. She used her next box as a litter box from the first moment I gave it to her on her last time, so she's not getting it til Wednesday this time.

If I were you, I'd be pulling out the fur, and saving it someplace so it stays clean and dry until she kindles, especially if your rabbits are outdoors. Just seems safer, because if she pulls too much, she won't have anything left to pull when her babies come!