Pregnant Bunny Question

[Diamond]

Hi, my husband and I have just set up a meat rabbit breeding program. I bred my first doe, a 10 month old NZ/Cali cross, on March 12th. I am no good at palpating for babies yet (not enough experience) but Mama has gained 14 ounces since I bred her, and she is moving her grass hay around instead of eating it. I figure she is due between the 10th and the 14th. Can't wait! Would like to know more about signs of pregnancy etc - will she 'bag up' before delivering (produce milk) or anything like that? Is weight gain normal, and how much is an average amount of weight for a mama doe to gain? Thanks :bunnyhop:

 

[MaggieJ]

A lot depends on the rabbit, but that sounds like a very large weight gain to me. I usually cannot tell if my does are pregnant. They may look a little thicker, but that's all. Rabbits do not "bag up" before kindling... at least I have never heard of it. Often their milk does not come in until after kindling. So what do I do? If the buck fell off during their "date" then I assume she is bred... and have very rarely been disappointed.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi Diamond,

welcome to RT! I breed Rex for meat and show in CA., and I can't palpate either!

I put the nest in on day 28 unless I notice nesting behavior before that, and then I put it in right away. After they have the nest, I just watch for the "hay mustache" when the does start gathering nesting material. My does usually wait until the day before or even the day of kindling to start nesting, but some of them start a few days early, commonly nesting one day and resting the next. When I see them start to pull fur I know I'll have kits within a day, and it is usually just hours before I have a nest-full of kits.

Sometimes first time does will get confused and have their kits on the wire. If you find cold unmoving kits, don't assume they are dead. Stick them in your shirt and take them to the house to warm them up (blow dryer, towels fresh from the dryer, etc.) and they may surprise you by miraculously "coming back to life".

Good luck with the litter. Make sure to post pics of the babies!

 

[Diamond]

Thanks for the tip on finding cold babies! I guess I just have to wait for the fur-pulling. This bunny started moving her hay around about a week ago. She hasn't been bred before, so I think she has these confusing urges that she can't quite make sense of yet.

Thanks for the tip on the "bunny date", too! I just put a different doe in with "Cheeto" my buck. He did 'fall off' so to speak. It seems there is not much guesswork in predicting the fertility cycle of rabbits.... they appear to take quite easily.

My bunnies, so far, are Diamond, the expecting mama (NZ/Cali cross), Rose, another NZ/Cali cross doe, Jasmine, a pure NZ doe (black), and Cheeto, an NZ/Creme D' Argent cross buck. All the bunnies were collected from local 4-H kids. Diamond is now 11 months old. Rose is now 9 months old. Jasmine is now 10 months old. Cheeto is 2 years old (give or take some months) and a well-proven producer. He is a palomino color and throws colored offspring.

 

[skysthelimit]

Mine's don't pull fur until either right before or after birth. I never see them pulling hair, so it has to be very close to kindling. Mostly when the doe is very cranky, or very demanding of food, I figure she's pregnant. I can usually feel the kits a week before they are born. I've seen them scratching the cage bottom, and I give them a bit of hay, if they start nesting, I put the box in. If I do it at the traditional 28 days, one of my does always empties the box. If the oldest doe makes the nest on the floor, she will move it when I put the box in. Hollands are due for round two somewhere between the 12th and the 16th.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

I assume they are pregnant if the buck is successful as well.

I have a doe due on the 12th. She's just a Holland Lop but by the time she was 2 weeks in, I could feel a small belly on her. I put my hand on her stomach today and could feel the babies moving. It sometimes takes a while to wait for a kick, but it's really neat. If your doe is calm enough you could try this. My doe is nesting right now too. Judging by her weight gain and nesting, she's probably pregnant. If not she needs a diet, heh.

 

[skysthelimit]

I assume they are pregnant if the buck is successful as well.

I have a doe due on the 12th. She's just a Holland Lop but by the time she was 2 weeks in, I could feel a small belly on her. I put my hand on her stomach today and could feel the babies moving. It sometimes takes a while to wait for a kick, but it's really neat. If your doe is calm enough you could try this. My doe is nesting right now too. Judging by her weight gain and nesting, she's probably pregnant. If not she needs a diet, heh.

Compared to my Rexes, the Hollands have a pretty rounded belly. They look like they've swallowed golf balls.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

I find that their bellies get hard as well. To me that's a pretty good indicator. Not sure if it happens with other breeds though.

 

[skysthelimit]

I find that their bellies get hard as well. To me that's a pretty good indicator. Not sure if it happens with other breeds though.

I will check the rexes and find out. I've never checked weight gain. I'm a bit afraid to handle them till after they kindle. At most I feel the bellies, but I have one that won't let me do that.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thanks for the tip on finding cold babies! I guess I just have to wait for the fur-pulling. This bunny started moving her hay around about a week ago. She hasn't been bred before, so I think she has these confusing urges that she can't quite make sense of yet.

Some does will nest early and some will wait right up until they give birth...some won't nest at all The first time I usually "Hope for the best, but expect the worst", since a lot of first time does just have no clue.

Thanks for the tip on the "bunny date", too! I just put a different doe in with "Cheeto" my buck. He did 'fall off' so to speak. It seems there is not much guesswork in predicting the fertility cycle of rabbits.... they appear to take quite easily.

One would think so, but not always. Rabbits don't have a 'fertility cycle' so to speak...they are "induced ovulators" meaning that the act of mating stimulates them to ovulate. You CAN however, check them to see if they are going to be receptive to the buck or not. Their vulva should be dark pink/red to purple, swollen and moist when you check it. If not, they are not likely to be receptive. The good news is that they will change fairly quickly so if they aren't ready, a few days later they usually are.

My bunnies, so far, are Diamond, the expecting mama (NZ/Cali cross), Rose, another NZ/Cali cross doe, Jasmine, a pure NZ doe (black), and Cheeto, an NZ/Creme D' Argent cross buck. All the bunnies were collected from local 4-H kids. Diamond is now 11 months old. Rose is now 9 months old. Jasmine is now 10 months old. Cheeto is 2 years old (give or take some months) and a well-proven producer. He is a palomino color and throws colored offspring.

Welcome to RT! Glad to have you here. Have you posted any pics of your rabbits? We love pictures!

 

[Diamond]

...put up another thread with the bunny pics : )
introduce-myself-and-my-rabbits-t6887.html