newbie mistake, bred an already pregnant doe

[Noobious]

So got this rabbit and the previous owner was unsure if they were bred or not, we palpated her 2 weeks after we got her, and didn't find anything, so we decided to breed her again. Well oops, turned out she was pregnant, amd found 1 dead kit in the cage this morning.
Let's say I learned a lesson, but I'm curious if anyone has had experience with this, I wonder if she's still pregnant, since I bred her, or if she would have had both litters at the same time, and just ate the smaller ones. She would have only been 1 week preggo with the second litter

 

[MaggieJ]

It would be very unusual for a doe already pregnant to conceive a second time three weeks later. My guess is that she had the one kit but is still carrying the rest of the litter from the breeding before you got her, and that she will kindle the rest over the next 24 hours. Leave the nest box in!

 

[Noobious]

Ooh thanks, I threw a box in just now.
Everyday I curse the woman we got these rabbits from. It was all 'I think they're this age, and I think they're both bred, and I don't remember when they did breed, oh and here's an extra baby the doe had with her, but i physically lost the other 5 in my backyard...."

Luckily for us it was a great deal on supplies with the rabbits too. Just frustrating for someone just starting out with rabbits to have all these uncertanties.

I'll keep posted whether or not she has more babies anytime soon

 

[akane]

People put pregnant does with bucks quite frequently for a variety of reasons. Often the incorrect idea that pregnant does definitely won't breed and an open doe will therefore proving pregnancy or not. Doesn't work but it causes no harm usually except due date confusion. Partial litter delivery is less often but happens so just wait it out and see if she has healthy kits soon.

 

[Noobious]

Well woke up this morning to at least 4 kits in the nestbox, all alive and covered in fur, so much thanks to Maggie for advising a nestbox. I hope the breeding from the other week doesn't screw anything up, but I'll be prepared this time just in case it took, because I know about their 2 uteruses.

 

[MaggieJ]

:congratulations:
I thought that might happen!

Always, always, always put in a nest box if there is any possibility of kits. We hear so many sad stories where someone says "But I didn't think she was pregnant."

Rabbits have two horns to their uterus, and common belief was that they could conceive twice at intervals and have buns in each oven, causing problems when the first litter was born. In recent years, this idea is less accepted and may be entirely false. I had rabbits in a colony, where breeding happened any time the buck and doe had the inclination and never saw any indication of staggered litters.

Any does you bought from this woman may be pregnant. She sounds very vague and disorganized. I'd give them all nest boxes until 35 days after you brought them home. Just in case.

 

[Truckinguy]

:congratulations:
I thought that might happen!

Always, always, always put in a nest box if there is any possibility of kits. We hear so many sad stories where someone says "But I didn't think she was pregnant."

Rabbits have two horns to their uterus, and common belief was that they could conceive twice at intervals and have buns in each oven, causing problems when the first litter was born. In recent years, this idea is less accepted and may be entirely false. I had rabbits in a colony, where breeding happened any time the buck and doe had the inclination and never saw any indication of staggered litters.

Any does you bought from this woman may be pregnant. She sounds very vague and disorganized. I'd give them all nest boxes until 35 days after you brought them home. Just in case.

My colony rabbits have litters at normal intervals, I've had no instances of staggered litters either.

 

[Noobious]

More great news, upon searching deeper in the box we officially have 5 newborn Silver Fox kits. We also have a Californian from this same woman, nest box in cage and is getting ready to deliver also. Thank you all so much for the helpful responses. We are very excited that everything is working out fine now

 

[SixGun]

Congratulations on the new litter, and good luck with this new endeavor!

 

[Noobious]

Just out of curiosity, is it a common thing for rabbits to spread having their kits out over a 24 hour span?

 

[Preitler]

No, imho it's not very common, but it does happen, often enough to take the possibility into account.