Is my Doe pregnant?

EliasRabids · Feb 7, 2024

I recently got some rabbits, and there is a chance that she was pregnant when I got her...
That was almost 2.5 weeks ago, that means if she was already pregnant it would almost be time...
She hasn't been eating her food, and she was making a perfect circle in the center of her cage out of semi-chewed up hay.
Yesterday she was lying on her side panting. I left the house and when I got back, she was much more active and wasn't breathing funny anymore, but still hasn't eaten anything or had babies.
All she's been doing is chewing hay for what I think is to make a nest ( I moved whatever she had made already into a real nest box )

RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN · Feb 7, 2024

EliasRabids said:
I recently got some rabbits, and there is a chance that she was pregnant when I got her...
That was almost 2.5 weeks ago, that means if she was already pregnant it would almost be time...
She hasn't been eating her food, and she was making a perfect circle in the center of her cage out of semi-chewed up hay.
Yesterday she was lying on her side panting. I left the house and when I got back, she was much more active and wasn't breathing funny anymore, but still hasn't eaten anything or had babies.
All she's been doing is chewing hay for what I think is to make a nest ( I moved whatever she had made already into a real nest

Is the picture what she made?

RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN · Feb 7, 2024

I would try palpating her.
This is what it looks like when a doe is making her nest " " I didn't have the time to watch the whole video so I hope it's alright.
My does normally act more sluggish when they are pregnant but it's closer to the end of their pregnancy. I hope this helps.

RabbitsOfTheCreek · Feb 7, 2024

You should give her a nest box/some type of box as soon as possible, you don't want Kits on the wire

EliasRabids · Feb 8, 2024

RABBITGIRLFORTHEWIN said:
I would try palpating her.
This is what it looks like when a doe is making her nest " " I didn't have the time to watch the whole video so I hope it's alright.
My does normally act more sluggish when they are pregnant but it's closer to the end of their pregnancy. I hope this helps.

Yes the picture is what she made. She hasn't done a lot with the nest box but it hasn't been in there long. I'll try palpating her but she really hates being touched

Alaska Satin · Feb 8, 2024

EliasRabids said:
Yes the picture is what she made. She hasn't done a lot with the nest box but it hasn't been in there long. I'll try palpating her but she really hates being touched

Palpating at this stage might do more harm than good - that's usually something you do at 10-14 days gestation, and it takes practice and a bit of skill.

If your doe doesn't want to be touched, she really won't want to be squeezed. If she's as far along as you think, just holding your hand against her side without moving it might allow you to feel kicks. Also, watch when she lies down on her side. If there are more than a couple in there, you may be able to see the kicks. At first you can mistake them for the movements of the gut; but kicks are much more abrupt instead of smooth, rolling movements.

Whether you feel or see them or not, if they're in there she'll have them.

I agree with @RabbitsOfTheCreek - I'd make sure she has box in there with her until 35 days after she was last exposed to a buck. Pregnant does can really fool you.