Moving Pregnant Doe to New Digs...OK?

[EnglishSpot]

With January weather being as caprious as it can be off the Great Lakes, I am tempted to move my pregnant doe inside the heated garage when it comes closer to kindling time. She's a first timer and I don't want babies potentially born and then freezing within minutes if she didn't do things right. Would it be an unnecessary stressor to move her and her hutch a few days prior to kindling? I am most worried about her having them while I am at work (or sleeping!) and plan to bring the babies in the house anyway and bring them back to feed.

That being said, should I just move mom and babies to the large growout cage in the garage at when the babies are 2 weeks? That way at weaning I can just remove the doe back to her old hutch and the babies stay in the grow out. Ultimately, the babies are going into the garage during their youth, but I am most concerned about the first time doe.

 

[Zass]

Wouldn't it be best to just move the doe into the large growout pen now (well before kindling), and them remove her when you are ready to wean?

Chances are, they would be fine either way but, why move a pregnant doe or a doe with a litter more than necessary?

 

[EnglishSpot]

The doe is use to being outside (although this is her first winter outside) in her hutch. I think if we were eyeball deep in snow, this wouldn't be as much of a conundrum, but since the weather is halfway nice for Cleveland and there is still backyard playtime available for her. I wouldn't be able to let her out hardly if she were moved immediately into the garage. Of course, if rabbit pregnancy is anything like people pregnancy, she may not want to hop herself around in a few weeks!

I've been looking through the threads and found one from a couple months ago which essential asked the same question I did. I'm most concerned about the babies and their survival. Winter in Cleveland can go from 50 degrees and be 0 the next day with a wicked windchill. I suppose in the scenario I'd take her into the garage. My concern is that airflow isn't the best in there (it's pretty tight up) and the garage heater is a natural gas flame burner. The buck has been living in the garage since the beginning of this month, but I try to take him outside when the weather is nice (like our 40-50 degree days we've been having).

Ugh!!! Can you tell I have Anxious Mama Syndrome!????????!!!!! :nightmare:

 

[Zass]

I'm sure you will be able to work out what is best.
Careful outside though, now that she's pregnant there is a good change she'll start to burrow in a serious sort of way.