late doe? Happen often?

[jollysrabbits]

alright so this might be pegged as more of a poll then anything else. I will will classify myself as a semi-experienced breeder. Iam just curious how often your does are late? we are on day 32 she has been building a nest for the last 3 days. My cali doe is a little on the small side right under 8lbs but she throws very healthy kits. Her increase in size is noticeable (no change in diet) so iam %99 sure she is prego. Any insight is always appreciated.

 

[garden lady]

alright so this might be pegged as more of a poll then anything else. I will will classify myself as a semi-experienced breeder. Iam just curious how often your does are late? we are on day 32 she has been building a nest for the last 3 days. My cali doe is a little on the small side right under 8lbs but she throws very healthy kits. Her increase in size is noticeable (no change in diet) so iam %99 sure she is prego. Any insight is always appreciated.

I never owned a rabbit until now. First one Lulu had 5 babies on day 33 at the least. I saw least because I have no idea when she was bred, but she was not in contact with a male for at least 33 days. On Sept. 12 she carried hay and built a nest. On Sept. 18 she pulled fur and on either the night of Sept. 19 or Sept. 20 she had the babies. Zoup :shock: opcorn: day 37? Then, there is Sunshine who has done nothing, but put on weight. opcorn:

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I have had them go to day 36 before...

 

[skysthelimit]

My does all but one go past 31 days all of the time, every time. I'm starting to think this 31 day thing is a myth.

 

[jollysrabbits]

I just find it funny cuz her sister and my 3 rexes, 31 days without fail. This one likes leaving the buns in the oven, pun intended.<br /><br />__________ Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:13 am __________<br /><br />well, she finally popped this this morning, 6 healthy kits and 1 runt but the runt didn't make it. First time I have had a rabbit go over 31 days!

 

[Susan]

I have been breeding rabbits for 20 years(mostly Holland lops) and I would say 95% of my litters are delivered on day 31. I am surprised if they don't.

 

[skysthelimit]

I have been breeding rabbits for 20 years(mostly Holland lops) and I would say 95% of my litters are delivered on day 31. I am surprised if they don't.

My holland is the only rabbit that does deliver on day 31.

 

[SterlingSatin]

never ever had a doe go late. day 30 or by far more likely, day 31.

 

[grumpy]

"Rarely"----only once or twice----have i had a doe go past the 31 day marker. In both cases....they were young does...and they only had one or two youngsters.....albeit very large youngsters.

Rebred at eleven days...both kindled normally on day 31 and had 7+ youngsters.

Everyone counts the day of breeding as day ONE. Incorrect..the first day is 24 hours past the time of breeding making it actually 30 full-days gestation.

grumpy.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Everyone counts the day of breeding as day ONE. Incorrect..the first day is 24 hours past the time of breeding making it actually 30 full-days gestation.

grumpy.

I'd say that depends on if you breed in the a.m. or p.m.

The doe ovulates about 10 hours after breeding, which is about the same time it takes the sperm to make their journey. I always mark a.m. or p.m. on my doe cards when they are bred.

 

[grumpy]

Everyone counts the day of breeding as day ONE. Incorrect..the first day is 24 hours past the time of breeding making it actually 30 full-days gestation.

grumpy.

I'd say that depends on if you breed in the a.m. or p.m.

The doe ovulates about 10 hours after breeding, which is about the same time it takes the sperm to make their journey. I always mark a.m. or p.m. on my doe cards when they are bred.

Okay.....then "when" should the first day be counted? A.M. breeding, ovulation happens ten hours later. Conception, yes. Embryonic development would begin as hour-1, not day-1. Right?? Day-one would be twenty-four hours later.

I used to watch my does on their supposed "due-date" and could almost hit within an hour one way or the other of when they would kindle depending upon which time of the day they were bred. I started getting a head-ache!!

Finally, I threw up my arms. "Oh well....She's got little ones!"

grumpy

 

[skysthelimit]

So my does are obviously misfits. The longest was day 35, had a 36, but past then I don't get live births. Not a small litter thing either, the holland had five at day 31, the rexes have 6-10 on day 33-34-35.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

then "when" should the first day be counted?

I count the day of breeding as day one. If bred in the morning, they kindle on day 31. If bred in the evening, day 32. I believe that as soon as the sperm penetrates the egg, cell division begins. Implantation in the horns of the uterus occurs 7 days later.

We were discussing the likelihood of so-called "dual horn pregnancies" caused by "test" breeding at fourteen days in this thread:

question-that-has-always-bothered-me-t9921.html

I posted a couple of links to good articles on rabbit reproduction there.

 

[Piper]

Everyone counts the day of breeding as day ONE. Incorrect..the first day is 24 hours past the time of breeding making it actually 30 full-days gestation.

I like the way you think 'Grumpy', giving the doe credit, to decide when she is pregnant,
and not just from the time the buck has donated sperm.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I'd say that depends on if you breed in the a.m. or p.m.

Yup... This is so true. I try to do the breeding in the Am.. Let say it was Augest 28th. then i write down September 29th. I dont breed in the Pm. If you do. I will take another day. instead of 29 it will be 30..

 

[jollysrabbits]

its funny, because my wife and myself made the same mistakes in the beginning, we would breed between 6-8pm and count and we were always off a day, but if you count from the next day, it works fine. By the way she ended up popping them out on day 34! All healthy nice litter of 7 calis.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I don't count the day of breeding as day 1 of gestation, I count it as the day they are bred... The next day is day 1 of pregnancy...my does generally go Day 31 if bred in AM and early AM Day 32 if bred in PM.