Palpating Does to Confirm Pregnancy...

[MoonSpiritMom]

I'm assuming i'm just doing it wrong.. but i palpated one of my does who i bred on Feb 28th-29th.. she is 19-20 days into her pregnancy so i should be able to feel something.. but i don't. I had her in my lap, by the scruff (cuz she's skittish) and tried to feel around under her. NOTHING!

Anyways... anyone have any luck Palpating? or anyone palpate, felt nothing but the doe still kindled?

 

[macksmom98]

I have never been able to figure it out either. I have seen the baby kicks once they near the end of pregnancy and felt movement....,,best of luck!

 

[Rainey]

We haven't tried palpating. Our does aren't fond of being picked up although they are comfortable having us reach into their cages, feel their backs and such. So we avoid handling them after they've been bred for a week or more. about the time that is recommended to palpate, we are being careful not to pick them up. So far for us anything that looked like a remotely possible breeding has resulted in kits, but I know that some people have repeats of waiting the 31 (and more) days, the disappointment of no kits and another try at breeding. I don't have any real knowledge that is harmful--just my commons sense says that any animal that is pregnant would be better off not struggling--as our do when picked up.

 

[HansenHomestead]

I can successfully palpate a doe 8-10 days after breeding. You'll want to feel high into her body right between her "knees." You want to push your fingers together until you can almost feel your fingers through her. Then I slightly pinch my fingers together, and move them downward. In what I call a "milking" motion. You should be able to feel the fetuses pass through your fingers. Move slowly, because they will slip through your fingers quickly, and will go unnoticed. The fetuses will also be a squishy.

I've been thinking about making a video about palpating. BUUUT I hate how I look on camera, and even though I KNOW everything I'd want to say. I am sure to forget it once it starts recording, haha.

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

I'm more then sure that both of my does are pregnant. I had them in with my buck 3 separate time over 24 hours each. I watched the buck "kick off" 3 times each of those 3 separate "dates" with each doe. The last "date was met with aggression from each doe. The buck had to chase them down, there was growling, but he pinned them both the 3rd time and kicked off. so unless he's shooting blanks.. these girls are pregnant.

I think I'll just wait and see with these two.
I am acquiring 2 new does this coming thursday, a Giant Chin cross doe (8 months old, un bred, un proven but from good solid Meat lines) and Cali Doe who was bred to an unrelated cali buck for me (she's 2 years old, proven breeder, excellent mother and makes healthy kits) I'll try palpating with them since they are much calmer does.

 

[HansenHomestead]

It's good to practice on a buck, or a non-pregnant doe.

I handle all of my rabbits daily, and their kits that way they get used to being handled, and felt up, lol.

 

[DBA]

I never have felt the need to try it

 

[SoDak Thriver]

My wife is an Osteopathic physician. Although she is even newer to rabbits than I, she has hands trained to feel the slightest differences in tissue. She is still trying to get doe palpation down. The last time, she took a two-week pregnant doe and compared her directly to a doe that was not pregnant. She couldn't feel any difference, so this is not an easy task.

I will have her read Hansen's post, though. I'm quite sure she has never gone that deep into the doe looking for the fetuses. That's a great description.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I will have her read Hansen's post, though. I'm quite sure she has never gone that deep into the doe looking for the fetuses. That's a great description.

I agree- especially the "milking" analogy.

she is 19-20 days into her pregnancy so i should be able to feel something.. but i don't.

Usually we palpate at 9-14 days. I don't know why, but when they are further along in pregnancy, the fetuses can be more difficult to locate. I once palpated a bunch of does that had been left too long in a growout pen (mixed sexes) and a doe I determined to NOT be pregnant kindled that very same day! Thankfully I was still working with the rabbits, so heard the squeaking of a newborn kit and got her a box immediately.

The other reason to not palpate beyond about the 14 day mark is that the bigger the kits are, the less amniotic fluid there is surrounding them, thus more risk of injuring them. At the 9-14 day stage, the embryos are floating freely in the embryonic sac, completely surrounded by amniotic fluid. You would have to squeeze REALLY hard in order to inflict harm (and I imagine burst the sac in the process! :x ) whereas in later stages you can clearly feel the bodies of the fetuses- if you are able to find them, anyway!

 

[Easy Ears]

I had my first successful palpation...(is that a word? :lol: ) with my Holland doe at 14 days and was able to feel 3 individual kits. I could also feel kicking at day 28. Sure enough, 3 kits were born!

 

[MoonSpiritMom]

Ok so... We are getting close to the due date on my two does... 29th-2nd (depending on when they took)

One doe looks like she may have a bit of a belly forming... the other, not so much. i can't tell. should i attempt another palpation? or could that cause the doe to do into labour early?

I'm also assuming that the size of the belly is directly related to the amount of kits in there... or at least how big they may be.

Or could one of my does just not be pregnant at all?

gah the WAITING!! i can't TAKE the WAITING!

 

[a7736100]

I think weighing them on a good scale may be a good way to tell if they have kits specially if they have large litters.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I palpate between 10 and 14 days, - I set the doe on a stand [a little above waist high], with all 4 legs on the stand [unless they just won't stand] - I hold the ears and scruff in one hand so they sit still, - I gently squeeze the guts between my thumb and fingers, with finger tips up near the loin area- and slowly slide my hand from crotch to ribcage , I can feel the intestines gently slide between my fingers and thumb, the little soft marble like lumps up near the loin area are kits, the smaller little lumps in the middle, and down low are poop. The two larger lumps together up high against the loin are kidneys--- Another good indication of pregnancy is the sudden increase of feed consumption about 7 days into the pregnancy.