Proven doe overdue... Mucus plug?

[equinox]

Hello everyone! A week ago we bought a bred Netherland Dwarf doe who was due on May 1st. On the morning of May 1st, we found her carrying around mouthfulls of hay.. then nothing. I -think- I feel kits in her stomach, but I'm not sure. Today I have her some fenugreek to hopefully get things going. This evening, we placed her with our buck to hopefully jumpstart labor and she seemed VERY eager to breed. A few hours later, I checked on her and found a small, gelatinous, grayish lump coming out of her vent. It had the consistency of snot. Was this a mucus plug?
I'm just really worried about her being late and it causing as difficult labor. I'm also worried that she may just not be pregnant at all. Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated!

-- Thu May 04, 2017 7:33 am --

Well, nothing today. I suspect she's either not pregnant or something is seriously wrong. Anyone? :| <br /><br /> -- Thu May 04, 2017 9:17 am -- <br /><br /> We brought her inside to run around and she's picking up my daughter's toys and making a nest with them. Idk what's going on.

 

[2CrazyFools]

Is she acting normally? (Not sluggish, eating just fine, etc...) If she's not appearing like she's in pain I wouldn't worry about it. Since she was very eager to breed I would assume that grey stuff was simply some leftovers from the buck. Was May 1st day 28? If that's the case today is only day 31 and it's not uncommon for them to give birth between day 28 and 32, I think day 34 does occasionally happen but I've heard if it's over 34 days to simply rebreed because she's not prego. (Unless it's obvious she is and is having complications, in which case inducing labor via vet should be done).

So again, unless she's acting like she's in pain and having issues, I wouldn't worry, and since she's still in the normal birthing time span I'd make sure she has a nesting spot and plenty of hay to build it with.

Good luck!!

 

[equinox]

Is she acting normally? (Not sluggish, eating just fine, etc...) If she's not appearing like she's in pain I wouldn't worry about it. Since she was very eager to breed I would assume that grey stuff was simply some leftovers from the buck. Was May 1st day 28? If that's the case today is only day 31 and it's not uncommon for them to give birth between day 28 and 32, I think day 34 does occasionally happen but I've heard if it's over 34 days to simply rebreed because she's not prego. (Unless it's obvious she is and is having complications, in which case inducing labor via vet should be done).

So again, unless she's acting like she's in pain and having issues, I wouldn't worry, and since she's still in the normal birthing time span I'd make sure she has a nesting spot and plenty of hay to build it with.

Good luck!!

As far as I understood from the breeder, May 1st was day 31. She's acting normally except for being very grouchy and digging most of her food out of her bowl and drinking a ton of water. It feels like I feel one or two kits in her lower abdomen, but it could be organs or something I guess?

 

[2CrazyFools]

I hear palpitating really needs to be done at the 2 week mark because after that time internal organs can very easily be mistaken for kits. If May 1st was day 31 I'd assume she wasn't pregnant previously, did the buck have any fall offs? If he did then I would restart your calendar.

Also, I'd keep the nest box / nesting material in there for a few more days, hate to be wrong and then she kindles and the kits get chilled.

 

[Sagebrush]

Hello Equinox. I would have to second what Crazy said above.

 

[shazza]

when you get within the couple days of kindle you can feel the heads in the abdomen (they're really obvious hard lumps), so i would say a palpate is worth a try. a doe going a couple days over isn't a bad thing though. if it goes over day 35 then you should be concerned. but yeah ultimately? putting her in with a buck and her lifting will either induce labour or rebreed her, so either way you can't lose ;P

 

[2CrazyFools]

Oh, and if she lays on her side you can watch for kicks from any kits in there and that should help you decide if she's prego or not.

Here's a video of one of my does that I thought was pregnant, and turns out this movement is just normal gut activity, so don't mistake it for kits like I did. :lol:

Normal gut activity:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20wxc1Z4s2U[/youtube]

Actually kicks from internal kits (jabs) obvious one at 33-36 seconds:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpTghIGYxT4[/youtube]

Good luck!! Keep us updated ^_^

 

[equinox]

When palpating I feel what I could swear is a couple of kits, but I'm just not certain. They are somewhat hard, oblong lumps.
Yesterday we put her in with the buck and they mated like ten times, she lifted and seemed eager to be bred. But it apparently didn't induce labor. Now I'm worried that the breeder was wrong about the date and she's going to have babies soon and then even more babies in about a month

 

[2CrazyFools]

If she's already pregnant she's not going to get pregnant again, so don't worry about that! (If that were the case then all of us who used the buck to help induce labor would have double trouble!) On the chance I were in your shoes I would think she wasn't prego before, showing that much interest in breeding sounds to me like she wished she was pregnant, lol. But the more experienced members on here should be able to tell you if that much eagerness is normal when they are about to pop! I know mine certainly haven't been.

Are you experienced with palpitating rabbits? I know I'm not so while I do often try I don't have much confidence in what I'm feeling. :lol: So if you've palpitated before with good success, trust it! Keep the nest box in there and keep a watchful eye on her! If you're not confident about your palpitating skills.... keep the nest box in there and keep a watchful eye on her, lol. "This CrazyFools person isn't much help at all..."

Trust your gut

Oh, one more thing, have you contacted the breeder to express your concerns? They may be able to shed some light on it for you since they know the doe better than any of us.

 

[equinox]

Are you experienced with palpitating rabbits? I know I'm not so while I do often try I don't have much confidence in what I'm feeling. :lol: So if you've palpitated before with good success, trust your gut! Keep the nest box in there and keep a watchful eye on her! If you're not confident about your palpitating skills.... keep the nest box in there and keep a watchful eye on her, lol. "This CrazyFools person isn't much help at all..."

Trust your gut

Well, I used to breed Flemish Giants, so although I'm experienced at palpating, it's been years and I'm not experienced at palpating tiny rabbits, haha. IF she's pregnant, it's only with a couple of kits. I definitely feel something in there, but as I said it could be some sort of organ low in her belly near her pelvis.
I'm just worried that, if she's pregnant and the breeder was wrong about the date, I've harmed the babies by giving her fenugreek, poking at her all the time, and putting her in with the buck. This is hopefully my first litter of rabbits in about ten years and I'm super anxious about it.

I did contact the breeder, and after a couple of days they finally said that their thirteen year old did the breeding and they'll have to double check the date. <br /><br /> -- Thu May 04, 2017 10:19 am -- <br /><br /> It's worth noting that I tried placing her with the buck again early this morning and she was NOT having it.

 

[macksmom98]

Do rabbits have a mucus plug? I have a doe due anyway, and tonight when I checked her there were a couple of spots in her cage that looked a little goopy, gelatin like. I don’t like to mess with them much so I wasn’t about to pick her up and see what her vent looked like, but now I am curious.