Pulling fur really early

[Albert]

Small bit of history. This is Fifi our doe that we couldn't get a fall off for exactly two weeks, we had tried on various days during that time but no dice.. Then on Saturday we finally got one fall off. So yesterday (Sunday) all was normal. We go out this morning and boom she's pulled fur like a maniac! Does this happen often or did she mate back when there was no fall off and she's two weeks in and not two days? There's also a stack of fur in her run.

We thought rabbits were going to be relatively easy..... there should be a warning about this stuff!

Here's a picture of her in bed this morning, she looks grumpy because its cold and raining and I've exposed her to the bad weather when she's in bed.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

My doe Yoshi Bagel will pull fur two weeks before she's due, but she ends up not having kits anyway

 

[Albert]

My doe Yoshi Bagel will pull fur two weeks before she's due, but she ends up not having kits anyway

Well that's just peachy! I looked at the wife and confidently predicted she's definitely in kit

 

[Cosima]

If she is not pregnant then she is fat lol.

 

[MuddyFarms]

You know, she may be having a false pregnancy/pseudo pregnancy. There are some pretty interesting threads on here about trying to tell the difference between a true and false pregnancy! I am guessing that your other doe has not shown any nesting behavior?

The first link has an explanation by @MaggieJ about false pregnancies:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/more-questions-from-the-new-comer.33319/post-328233
This one has a doe making a nest at two weeks and still having kits:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/doe-scratching-at-1-2-weeks.33661/
From what I have read about false pregnancies, does usually don't breed until the false pregnancy is over, so it is interesting that she bred on Saturday. I have also heard of does breeding while pregnant, too. You could get kits from any of the times she was with the buck, as well as the breeding she had on Saturday. She already has a nest together, so basically it would just be watching to be ready if/when she has kits to make sure they are all covered and good to go in the nest.

She is just trying to get your feet wet in rabbit challenges! I have does that like to start building nests very early, I think I have had ones start hay-stashing sometimes at two weeks temporarily and have kits at 30 days. It is a really fun guessing game, I suppose!

 

[hotzcatz]

Whoever said 'breeds like rabbits' is probably also the same idiot who said 'gentle as a lamb'. Have you seen how crazy lambs are jumping all over the place?

It's actually rather tricky to get them bred. The doe won't like the buck, the buck won't be interested in the doe, they'll chase each other around and then the doe will glue her butt to the ground. Or they won't even bother to chase, just sit there and look bored. Other times, though, it can get done in about ten seconds, so no telling.

When we've had a doe pull wool really early, more often than not it's a false pregnancy. However, not always! Other does won't pull wool until the babies arrive, so it can go either way. Usually, we give the doe a nesting space and leave her to it for at least 36 days if not 40 days. If no litter by then, it's most likely she's not pregnant.

Buns are real quick about having a litter. It's just a bit over a month from meetup to litter so just give the doe a nice nest spot and see what happens. If she doesn't have a litter in a few weeks, she can go back to meet the buck again. Hmm, come to think of it, there's a couple here who should go meet up. Springtime and all !

 

[Albert]

Despite all of our reading and research it seems every day is a school day when it comes to rabbits. Looks like we'll just wait and see and hope she's got some fur left by day 32!

There really is no substitute for experience thank you all for your help.

 

[ladysown]

USUALLY does that pull fur two weeks after breeding have missed. It's an excellent time to redo the breeding. IF she catches then you have only missed two weeks.