Multiple does nesting...but too early

[Anntann]

3 of my angoras were bred to the same buck (new to me) January 18th and 19th. I'm certain he managed to do-the-deed. (he's one of those that falls over with a squeal). 1 doe is older and has had multiple litters without problems (although this will be her first litter with me); Does 2 and 3 are first time mommas and both were ready to breed, lifting for the buck readily.

All three are building nests NOW. 10 days early. I'm concerned

I'm thinking 2 possibilities? 1:buck is shooting blanks. and we're looking at false pregnancies on all three.

2: Older doe is one of those that builds nests early...and the 2 younger ladies are copying her. The 2 younger ones are in a colony right next to the older doe. Nose touchies, etc.

These rabbits are all on the porch, no other bucks anywhere near them. Bingo (the buck) just got out of quarantine on the 18th, so I know I didn't write down 18 instead of 8.

Any ideas or thoughts? My current plan is to just wait. I had planned on breeding Bingo to 2 other Sr does today/tomorrow. I suppose I could just go ahead and breed..hoping that if he WAS shooting blanks, maybe he's gotten a more potent reload?

 

[xlt]

I think this recent cold snap has caused my does to do something similar, actually. I put the nestboxes in earlier than usual (day 25 or so)because it was convenient for me to do so at the time. To my surprise, both started building nests early, but didn't kindle until day 33...

One of them, you wouldn't even know she was pregnant until you walked out one day and there's suddenly hay and fur and babies in the nestbox. The other has built a little early, but not that early.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'd say go ahead and breed the other does. If you find out that Bingo is shooting blanks and these first three were false pregnancies, then you can rebreed all five later. I'll thinking, though, that they are just nesting early. The relative coolness of the porch may be enough to put them into early preparation mode.

 

[Anntann]

ahhhh. Cold does that? Excellent It's not hopeless!

Poor Whitey, tho. She builds and builds this lovely nest using hay...I give her more...and then the non-pregnant doe comes along and EATS IT! :lol: I think Whitey may get her own room soon.

 

[akane]

Yea mine and I know a few others on threads here have had does nesting early in the cold. One of mine spent weeks building a 2x3x2'h pile of straw around a nestbox stuffed full of straw and tons of fur. She then kindled in -5F and had 9 kits all survive until we had a cat attack them. The other 2 does weren't as extreme but were all excavating various areas trying to find a nest they were satisfied with. My husband was really impressed with their ability to judge the weather and know what was needed.

 

[Anntann]

Well, I'm going to make them all VERY happy in a bit. Full bale of straw divided between the 2 pens. Plus a few flakes of grass hay.

The older doe is hysterical! :lol: I gave her a box a while back. She hopped in and just settled in like it was this big old easy chair. Except she started to shred it. :roll: So she now has a dish tub..about 6" deep, 16"x24". It's full of hay. and shredded box bits. and straw. and HER. She comes out to get water, but she's moved the tub over next to the feeder so she doesn't have to leave it to eat. :rotfl: She DOES come out to potty. The tub is totally clean. Kind of the reverse of a litterbox system!

 

[Cattle Cait]

LOL! She sounds hilarious! Smart though

 

[Anntann]

Getting close now. day 28 is the 15th.

Whitey (young first time Angora mom) made a nest a week ago, the other 2 does ate her nest a few times, and she's sort of not interested in nests for the moment. I put a regular nest box in with her, and she's poking around in it. :shrug:

The chocolate doe, on the other hand, has never stopped building her nest. She is now at least eating a LITTLE of the hay I put in. But again tonight I watched her and she had huge chunks of wool that she's gathered from around her pen (no...she wasn't pulling fur...but she's angora and in the middle of a molt :roll: )in addition to the hay from her feeder. So I dropped in another gallon. She positively BEAMED as she looked at the pile of hay...and then she went to work. It's all inside the tub now.

This will be my first experience with does kindling in cold weather outside. (even tho the porch is attached to the house, it's not "warm". Not as cold as outside, but it gets below freezing when it's sub-zero out. 45ish otherwise. )

I'm trying something different with the regular nestbox (wooden). I put in 3 layers of cardboard on top of the bottom of the box. Then a layer of absorbent "litterpan liner". Then a layer of chopped hay. I'm hoping Whitey will manage to make some sort of nest that's adequate. If not, I'll stuff it with hay like I did with her mother's nest. Mom (Sophia) burrowed down into the hay and had a lovely warm nest for kindling.

with luck they'll both kindle while I'm around, and can bring in the kits if they have problems. It's warm this week, so fingers crossed!!<br /><br />__________ Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:10 pm __________<br /><br />hmmm...watching the chocolate doe...she's quite long, and almost fills the length of the tub. Now I'm worried that she'll hop in and stomp on the little ones when she goes in to feed. ARRGHGHGHHHH....just call me "worry wart"

 

[Miss M]

Pearl and Squeak both started going crazy on day 19 for my last litters (now almost 12 weeks old). I was dismayed and thought for sure they were both miscarrying. But I gave them nestboxes anyway. They got right to work building nests, and then calmed down. I cleaned them out and gave them new hay on day 28, and a few days later I had two litters of 6 in them!

So don't give up, I'm betting they're just dealing with raging hormones and instincts in the cold!

 

[Anntann]

It's gotten pretty strange with the chocolate doe. after staying inside the tub for a week, happily just being warm in the nest, last night she filled it up more with hay...and now is sitting OUTSIDE the tub. Just sitting next to it. Since this is her first litter with me, I've no idea what to expect from her. :shrug:

I think I will take the older doe out of the mini colony so that Whitey can kindle without interference. Her sister (Blackie..yah, I know..real original :roll: )is low bun on the totem pole, so I don't expect problems from her. She's REALLY a wall flower.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'm guessing... but I figure the chocolate doe was enjoying the tub for the first week for her benefit, but has now set it aside for the kits. Makes perfect sense to me... even to her sitting next to it, just to keep anybunny else from using it.

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

I love it !! keep up the reports Ann, and I totally agree with Maggie that the chocolate doe was "testing" the tub and is now keeping it for her kits. Rabbits have such personalities!!

 

[Anntann]

just to keep anybunny else from using it.

....
total thread drift here, but my happy dappy American Blue buck's name is Sam. I've been singing the "you're NObunny 'til somebunny loves you!" but recently changed to "you're NObunny 'til SAMbunny loves you!" and your "keep anybunny else" reminded me of that

not sure why I feel the need to share that. Must be the vicodin.

 

[Jessykah]

Have they kindled yet? I am curious to know how the nesting turned out for them, and how the kits are doing?

 

[Anntann]

Have they kindled yet? I am curious to know how the nesting turned out for them, and how the kits are doing?

Yes they did! I'd posted about them in Ramblings and Wool rabbits, but forgot to update this one. Older doe..the chocolate who was just building and building and sitting and sitting...had 6 fat babies. The young mom had...ELEVEN. All pink. All healthy. (couple were on the floor when I walked in that morning, but warmed up they started squiggling, so I popped them into the nest)

Both does are doing just fine

 

[sammysue63]

Awesome to hear that everything went so well...congrats

 

[Jessykah]

awesome! So glad to know everything is well.