Waiting for kits and going insane!!! Update- Pics

[bun crazy]

I love this forum!! Since we got our buns in early March I have spent hours upon hours reading all of the great posts here and I finally have a reason to emerge from lurkerville

My KoKo is driving me INSANE! Today is day 31 but she built her nest 12 days ago using hay only. She still hasn't pulled fur but she is running and hiding as soon as I open the cage door instead of running up and licking me like she usually does. We have been watching her like a hawk since day 28 thinking she'd start pulling fur soon but...no luck. This is her first litter and I want to make sure I'm near when she does have them but all this waiting is making me crazy!! I know she thinks that I'm bonkers running out to check on her every few hours but....c'mon bunny!! I guess all I can do for now is (im)patiently wait.

I know that every rabbit is different but what do your does do right before they kindle? Any tell tale signs that the kits are on their way?

Thanks all!!

 

[MaggieJ]

with mine, you don't even know until they actually kindle. I think it is a mistake to watch them too closely. You'll drive yourself crazy.

 

[JT_Hunter]

I am waiting on my 2 does...I think my little NZ may have kindled last night, but did not want to disturb her this morning at 4 am before I went to work...my neurotic NZ/Cal mix...is just bouncing around, and charging the door...neither one of them have pulled any fur...miss neurotic does run and hid in her nest when I get near her...the little NZ is such a little lamb about everything...just wait and see what happens...best of luck...keep us posted

 

[bun crazy]

Thanks so much!

Maggie, I figured there was no magic clue but I sure was hoping for one! Lol. I've already gone mad over this litter so it's too late to go back now I got so excited when she started building her nest and it's been a waiting game ever since.

JT, thanks for the good luck wishes. I really don't want to get my hopes up and I keep giving myself the "it's her first litter" speech so I'm not disappointed if something goes wrong.

 

[JT_Hunter]

My NZ started to pull fur today...my psyco doe...well...not so much...yea, this is addictive...exciting...I am sure you have done all you can do...now it is up to the wabbits to do theirs...and they will...in their own time...

 

[akane]

Mine vary a lot. The chocolate doe pulls tons of fur really early. Sometimes weeks early. Then pulls more fur a few days in advance. Then pulls more fur while giving birth. Then pulls more fur for the next 24-48hrs. I had to give her a break from litters despite her being in fine physical shape for another litter because she was going to go bald if she pulled anymore fur. The creme d'argent doe spends about 3 days piling every scrap of shavings, straw, and hay from the colony that she can until she has a 2x3' pile and then doesn't pull fur until the last second. My broken castor doe sits there contentedly eating her hay, pops out kits, makes a hasty nest, and then goes back to contentedly eating hay. Unless you happen to check in that 10min window you wouldn't see her doing anything but eating hay. Kits and fur just magically appear in the box. It's not worth checking on her unless you like to go insane. My champagne doe has only had one litter but she made her nest about 12hrs early on the wire and I waited until she had kits to move everything to the box. We'll see how she does now that she's down in the colony.

 

[SatinsRule]

Maryse waited until day #33 to drop hers, and never pulled the first hair until after the first one dropped, then it was on like a pier 6 brawl. Just hang in there a little longer, and above all else, best wishes!!!

 

[bun crazy]

Thank you all for sharing your kindling experiences!!

The more I really think about it she was bred on March 12th or the morning of March 13th. So I guess there is a possibility that she wouldn't actually be due until today. I think her gathering hay on the 2nd is what had thrown me off. I thought maybe something weird happened at the breeders and she was pregnant when we got her but, that's not the case and she's right on schedule, actually. I know now to just watch for the fur pulling and forget about how early she gathers hay.

Lol, just ignore the over-anxious newbie

 

[Random Rabbit]

Not to worry, we ALL do it ! lol.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thank you all for sharing your kindling experiences!!

The more I really think about it she was bred on March 12th or the morning of March 13th. So I guess there is a possibility that she wouldn't actually be due until today. I think her gathering hay on the 2nd is what had thrown me off. I thought maybe something weird happened at the breeders and she was pregnant when we got her but, that's not the case and she's right on schedule, actually. I know now to just watch for the fur pulling and forget about how early she gathers hay.

Lol, just ignore the over-anxious newbie

You are really not so bad...mine are not due until the 22nd and I am just as crazy as you are! :x :lol: :x :lol:

 

[bun crazy]

Still nothing from Ms. KoKo. I notice she isn't eating as much and she's spending most of her time flopped up against the side of the cage. It looks like she's panting but, it is pretty warm here today (not THAT warm!). Today is day 32 so I'm thinking (hoping) that she has them tonight.

Makes me nervous because she's more lovey today than she has been, almost back to normal, and her belly feels a lot less swollen. But, I'm not giving up hope yet!!<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:36 am __________<br /><br />Well, exactly a week from my first post and I have a nest full of nine wriggly little popples!!! Looks like one is a runt, it's pretty small but my little doe popped out eight fairly large kits and all were alive and almost all of them look really healthy!! I'm so excited...can you tell

The breeder stopped out yesterday and told us that I was crazy, she wasn't pregnant. I palpated her today and bet my husband $500.00 that she had a belly full of kits and he said I needed to give up, she wasn't pregnant and we'd have to try again. I wasn't going to go out and bug her tonight but I figured, why end the ritual I almost pulled her nest after the breeder was out yesterday. Boy am I glad I didn't!

I'm sure a few won't make it. But two are brokens and one has a really pink belly. I'm not going to bother her anymore tonight but I'll be posting pics in the next few days.

Thank you all, again, for all of your help!!! I'm glad I didn't give up on my little munchkin.

 

[MaggieJ]

It always pays to wait. Sometimes one is disappointed, but so often one hears of someone pulling the nest box and then the doe kindling on the wire. Glad your doe came through for you and that you stuck it out with her.

You can buy lots of new rabbits, cages, feed etc. with that $500!

 

[JT_Hunter]

Congrats on the new litter...mine finally kindled last night...and my little NZ should kindle tonight...baby bunnies...way cool...where in Ohio are you...

 

[bun crazy]

Lol, Maggie. He should have known better than to bet me. I told him the other day that I thought she was bred later than we originally thought by a couple days. After I told him that he proceeded to tell me that his nephews came over and when he went out to check to see if they latched the hutch doors KoKo was in Kosmo's pen. :evil: I just wish he would have told me but, with her building a nest so early I doubt it would have made a difference. I would have still been stalking the barn I'm just glad everything worked out the way it did!

JT, Thanks! I just noticed you were from Ohio too! I live about an hour south of Wilmington right on the river. It's 35 miles east of Cincy in a tiny little town called Felicity

 

[JT_Hunter]

I know where Felicity is...I used to hunt around there...and I work in Alexandria KY...yep....60 miles each way...every day...

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Well, exactly a week from my first post and I have a nest full of nine wriggly little popples!!!

Thank you all, again, for all of your help!!! I'm glad I didn't give up on my little munchkin.

So excited for you! Mine are due tomorrow and Saturday......I am dying over here! :x :x :x

 

[bun crazy]

JT, that's cool you know where Felicity is. Normally when I tell people where I'm from they scrunch up their nose and say "Where is THAT?"

Oneacre - the waiting, for sure, is the hardest part. Isn't it!? I lost more sleep over the past week over these buns than I ever imagined I would. Good luck with your litters!!

Once they get some fur on them I'll post pics. I'm so proud of how calm she's being and how well she's taking care of them. She doesn't care when I reach in and check on them or pull them out to make sure their bellies are full.

 

[SatinsRule]

BC, don't give up on the runt of the litter. I had several of them in years past turn out to be really nice rabbits as late bloomers.

 

[bun crazy]

BC, don't give up on the runt of the litter. I had several of them in years past turn out to be really nice rabbits as late bloomers.

Oh, SatinsRule, I'm not It's my favorite!! It's belly is never full like the others and it's obvious why. It's a third the size of the rest But, I've already held KoKo and let it nurse and I plan on continuing to do so as long as it seems to be helping.

I know that it might not make it but, I'll do all I can to help it along!!

__________ Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:26 am __________

Well, here's the happy family!!!

Momma KoKo

Poppa Kosmo

I thought this one was a runt. I actually think it could be a peanut What do you guys think?

I couldn't get him/her to stand still for the photo shoot but the only broken of the bunch.<br /><br />__________ Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:33 pm __________<br /><br />Well, looks like Pip was a peanut. We went out tonight to give him/her some formula and (s)he was already dead. I was pretty convinced this morning that it was a peanut but I wanted to do everything I could and we did. Poor little thing but, I know, it's better for the whole litter in the long run. The rest were already starting to get fur and had grown almost twice their size since they were born. Pip hadn't grown at all

 

[mountainrabbits]

Congratulations! They are gorgeous! Especially that broken!