Red urine or blood?

[JG3]

Gave our does nest boxes last night as they are due soon. I went out this morning for chores and one was stuffing her face with hay and trying to pull fur, so that’s a good sign, but I noticed something red under their hutch. How do I tell the difference between red urine or blood? It was in her usual potty spot on the ground and no where else. There is a little bit on her fur around her potty area, barely any, she’s acting normal, eating now. How do you tell the difference and do rabbits have blood before kindling? I don’t know if they lose somethjng first like humans do or what? There hasn’t been anymore either, like it’s not fresh on her.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

Yes, they sometimes will bleed before kindling, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Red pee is normal. If there are blotches of blood, it would be obvious. Hope everything goes well for your doe's!

 

[Jamielrh]

So If it is normal to bleed before kindling, how much before? My doe bled very briefly 2 days ago and she cleaned herself up immediately after. I just happened to be changing out her litterbox right as it happened. She was carrying straw and cardboard earlier that day, so I thought I might need to put in a nesting box. Here we are 2 days later, and no kits. Do you think it could have been a miscarriage?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

So If it is normal to bleed before kindling, how much before? My doe bled very briefly 2 days ago and she cleaned herself up immediately after. I just happened to be changing out her litterbox right as it happened. She was carrying straw and cardboard earlier that day, so I thought I might need to put in a nesting box. Here we are 2 days later, and no kits. Do you think it could have been a miscarriage?

She didn't have a nest box yet? They should get nest boxes at least a week before their due date

 

[JG3]

Everybody does things differently, it’s not essential to have a nest box a week early. Each rabbit is different. I have one right now that doesn’t nest and just uses it as a litter box until her due date. So I’m not going to give her a nest to keep soiling it and wasting hay. She will get it a couple days before. Others will nest earlier. Depends on the rabbit.

 

[JG3]

So If it is normal to bleed before kindling, how much before? My doe bled very briefly 2 days ago and she cleaned herself up immediately after. I just happened to be changing out her litterbox right as it happened. She was carrying straw and cardboard earlier that day, so I thought I might need to put in a nesting box. Here we are 2 days later, and no kits. Do you think it could have been a miscarriage?

I’m also two days later and no kits, but there’s been absolutely no more red. Still unsure if it was blood or pee but I’m leaning towards pee. Tomorrow is day 31 so I’m expect kits in the next couple days. She’s making her nest.

 

[Jamielrh]

Her due date is not for another week and a half. She has had 2 liters before this while in my care and never nested fully until day 27 the first time and didn't nest until the morning of day 30 right before she kindled the second time. Both times she has carried the babies full term. Her first litter was born on day 31 exactly, but the second litter was split between 2 days on day 30 and 31. She only had 2 kits the first litter and then 4 out of 5 kits were stillborn the second litter. I am hoping I get a keeper this time around so that I can retire her. It will be the last generation so that I can pedigree the babies after that, so it was the plan to replace her as a breeder anyway. She is a holland lop, so the smaller litters are normal. She had 3 successful large litters with the breeder that I got her from and has always been a really good mom. I'm not quite sure what is going on with her now. I'm not even positive if she is pregnant. I didn't palpate anything and only got 1 successful fall off when she was bred.

 

[Jamielrh]

So she started nesting again. Don't know what that means, maybe not a miscarriage
How has yours been? Any kits yet since you passed day 31?

 

[JG3]

So she started nesting again. Don't know what that means, maybe not a miscarriage
How has yours been? Any kits yet since you passed day 31?

No kits but last night she made an even better nest and today is pulling her fur! Day 31 today. I’m assuming they’ll be kits by morning.

Now my other doe, either she’s not pregnant or has no instinct yet being her first time LOL. She’s due today too and no nesting, pulling fur or anything. I’m pretty sure she’s pregnant though, her tummy has a little bulge. She’s either a last min nester or I’m expecting to wake up to kits all strewn around her cage. If thats the case, I hope we can catch them soon and save them.

Did you give yours a box since she’s showing interest in nesting?

 

[Jamielrh]

Yea, and luckily she is not using it for a litterbox. I have another doe due the same day as well. They were both nesting like crazy this morning. Like nesting in the nesting box, nesting next to their nesting box, and nesting in their litterbox. I am hoping that means the doe who was bleeding is pregnant and not just a false pregnancy. She loves being a mom and will nest almost every 31 days whether I have bred her or not. She's done it 3 times now, but no kits. At least I knew she wasn't pregnant those times since she hadn't been with a buck. This time, I have no idea since the mating was so iffy if it even worked or not. They just wanted to cuddle the groom eachother the whole time.

 

[Jamielrh]

No kits but last night she made an even better nest and today is pulling her fur! Day 31 today. I’m assuming they’ll be kits by morning.

Now my other doe, either she’s not pregnant or has no instinct yet being her first time LOL. She’s due today too and no nesting, pulling fur or anything. I’m pretty sure she’s pregnant though, her tummy has a little bulge. She’s either a last min nester or I’m expecting to wake up to kits all strewn around her cage. If thats the case, I hope we can catch them soon and save them.

Did you give yours a box since she’s showing interest in nesting?

Do you have a heat lamp? I used that on my last two litters that only had 1 kit each, so they had no one to share body heat with. I would place it a little above the cage. Not enough to make the doe miserable, but maybe it would buy you time to gather them up before they freeze to death.

 

[JG3]

Do you have a heat lamp? I used that on my last two litters that only had 1 kit each, so they had no one to share body heat with. I would place it a little above the cage. Not enough to make the doe miserable, but maybe it would buy you time to gather them up before they freeze to death.

Oh, I’m not worried about freezing to death. We’re in a heatwave right now. LOL I’m worried about them being trampled (or even her eating them ) this doe seems really oblivious. I’m hoping just because it’s her first time and instinct will kick in soon. I guess if she has them in the night they could get chilled, but it’s not getting too low here the next three days.

 

[JG3]

And we have kits!!! Haven’t checked how many yet, not sure when she started delivering and want to be sure she’s done before I go poking around.
I heard it’s typically not very messy and they clean up well but there is some bloody hay in the box, under her hutch, and her bottom is bloody from delivering.

 

[JG3]

Seven total! All alive, so far.

 

[JG3]

She had 3 more on the wire in the night. Ate half of one, one dead and other was alive and we added it to the nest.

Other doe is kindling now.

 

[Jamielrh]

So exciting! Its kinda fun having someone else going through it at the same time. So my first doe that bled the other day had hers yesterday, about 5 days after the spotting. She only had 2 as far as I know, both alive and well. There wasn't any signs of any being eaten. I am still scratching my head about how I was so off on my calculation of due dates. Accordding to what I have recorded, she kindled on day 26, but her babies are huge. And my other doe kindled the next day on day 27. I must've recorded it wrong. For them to both come early just doesn't make sense. I was pretty stoked that I had palpated the second doe correctly at 4. The first 3 were alive and tiny like their momma. Last one was as big as the other litter's kits, so I assume it was too big for her and she had a hard time delivering it. Mine are holland lops and they are a dwarf breed, so small litter sizes and high mortality rates are sadly part of the game. At least I dont have bunnies coming out my ears that I can't find homes for. We are mainly breeding for 4H show rabbits for my daughter to take to fair. We'll keep the best and then supply the rest of the chapter with what's left. I dont have a ton of room to keep a large operation, since I kind of decided on my own that we were picking up this hobby. My husband isn't a huge fan of animals in general. Now he and my kids all think they've been replaced by the bunny project. I do have to admit, they take a lot of time and work, but unlike the bunnies, teenagers aren't quite as cute to cuddle after I'm done feeding and cleaning up after them.

 

[JG3]

Oh, yay! I’m glad yours kindling went well too And all are alive and well.

Watching for fed bellies here now, we have 15 alive, 2 died as they were the ones on the wire.

 

[Jamielrh]

What breed do you have? I cant imagine 15 babies. Sounds overwhelming to me. And where to put them all once they hit 7-8 weeks. I actually haven't had to worry much about crowding so far because each litter has only had one kit.

 

[JG3]

What breed do you have? I cant imagine 15 babies. Sounds overwhelming to me. And where to put them all once they hit 7-8 weeks. I actually haven't had to worry much about crowding so far because each litter has only had one kit.

New Zealand/Californian cross and New Zealand/Flemish Giant cross. We raise for meat. Once weaned, the litters will share a large grow out cage. And mamas cage is big enough for them to live together until weaning. We only have two does, so two litters at a time.

 

[Jamielrh]

How big are you doe's cages? I have dwarf breeds and feel bad keeping them cooped up in their 48"×24" ones, even when they are alone. I've been trying to think of a creative way to have a run for them like one for the females and one for the males. But I dont want to proliferate like crazy so I have to keep them separate. And ours are life long pets, so they aren't moving on any time soon.