URGENT HELP! 12 week old rabbit possibly bred.

[JessicaMoore]

Hello guys!

I got two rabbits on the 29th August this year, a brother and sister.

I seperated them around Wednesday/Thursday last week. The day i seperated them he humped her for about 4/5 seconds, i knocked him off, the day after when i put them together for a few minutes (supervised) while i fed them he humped her for 2/3 seconds and I knocked him off, he tried once more but she wouldn't lift. He possibly tried a few other times before i separated them which i didnt see.

They were both born 16 June so they are both 12 weeks old today.

They are currently separated until he gets neutered.

In the past few days she has been eating ALOT more, she is very cranky, and when i went to feed her this morning there were small chunks of her fur lying around. I saw her pulling some of her chest/neck yesterday aswell. I also felt her stomach, it doesnt feel "bigger" but it feels a lot tighter.

Is there any chance she is pregnant?

Thanks

 

[akane]

How did I count the weeks wrong?

Smaller breeds have bred at 8weeks but 12 weeks is quite common. If they were housed together prior to the 29th she may be ready to give birth but if they were only together for a time after that she wouldn't be showing or acting any different. Other possibilities are she may have a false pregnancy which frequently causes them to act like they are going to give birth only around 2 weeks after breeding. She may also have just reached sexual maturity and it's hormones of getting ready to breed causing the changes and not being already bred. Some does are very moody and may even be aggressive at times if not spayed and not bred. It would be best though to give her something to use as a nestbox just in case. A cardboard box a little bigger than her and low enough she can jump in will work if you fasten it to the cage (zipties) or weigh it down. Fill it with some bedding to soak up urine and then give her lots of hay and put some in the box to make a nest with.

 

[JessicaMoore]

How did I count the weeks wrong?

Smaller breeds have bred at 8weeks but 12 weeks is quite common. If they were housed together prior to the 29th she may be ready to give birth but if they were only together for a time after that she wouldn't be showing or acting any different. Other possibilities are she may have a false pregnancy which frequently causes them to act like they are going to give birth only around 2 weeks after breeding. She may also have just reached sexual maturity and it's hormones of getting ready to breed causing the changes and not being already bred. Some does are very moody and may even be aggressive at times if not spayed and not bred. It would be best though to give her something to use as a nestbox just in case. A cardboard box a little bigger than her and low enough she can jump in will work if you fasten it to the cage (zipties) or weigh it down. Fill it with some bedding to soak up urine and then give her lots of hay and put some in the box to make a nest with.

So even if she is 12 weeks old is it possible she was bred before the 29th?

Thanks

 

[akane]

My brain does not function well at 4am after taking sleeping meds :lol: It doesn't usually happen until 12-16weeks but sometimes they do breed as early as 8weeks. It is probably more likely to be a false pregnancy unless the birth date is off. I've guessed some dates before when I bred something for meat and then someone wanted to buy one. Sometimes I don't record all information on food or pet rabbits because I don't expect someone to want a detailed pedigree. I really should stop trying to answer posts at this time of night.

*And then realizes despite looking at the clock 2 times to be certain of what it says, it's 3 am instead of 4am*

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi JessicaMoore!

I moved your post to the breeding section and edited your title so you will hopefully get more input.

Oftentimes young rabbits will mount one another as a way to show dominance. I would check him and see if his testicles have even descended. I would also take a look at your doe's vent to see if the color is a bright pink or purple.

This thread has photos to show the varying levels of readiness shown by the changes in a doe's vent:

judging-a-doe-s-readiness-and-breeding-tips-t9869.html

If she is bred, don't worry too much about it. Many of our members have noticed that young does have better mothering instincts than those who are older when bred for the first time.

As Akane suggested, I would keep a nestbox in with her for the next 35 days or so, just in case she is pregnant. You will have to check the box daily to make sure she is not soiling it. A few "bunny berries" are okay but if she urinates in it you will want to move it to a new spot and also replace the bedding.

Keep in mind that once your buck is neutered you need to keep them separated for at least another 30 days since sperm can survive in the vas deferens (tube from testicle to penis) for several weeks.

 

[imajpm]

I sold three, three month old does, who were popped right into a colony. 31 days later they all had kits. But, hard belly and pulling hair that early, is not in my experience, the norm. I'd agree with perhaps false pregnancy but I'd give her a nest box later on, just to be on the safe side. My does never appear pregnant until the last week or so, except my angoras lol, who are too fuzzy to visually tell.