Weird birth?

[siddsaysgimmie]

The other day between 4-6 AM my doe gave birth to 4 babies - 2 peanuts, 1 healthy, 1 DOA. I was a little disappointed but seeing that she did have a healthy one and a much easier delivery (she is a small doe), I was fine with it. She was very relaxed all day. That night I picked her up to look her over and felt that there was still another baby in there. I was very unimpressed since I assumed she was having difficulties and I was going to have to pet her and her baby out. So I gave her a Tums and checked her in the morning. Nothing, no pushing or stress. After cleaning her cage out, around 12 PM (so a day and half after the first babies) I saw a baby on the floor of the cage. I was about to toss it into the compost until it moved... at that point I wondered how her normal baby got out of the nestbox. Well, turns out it was another baby and alive. She had no trouble birthing it, it was very quick and the baby is fine.

Anyone experience this before? For me, whenever a doe didn't have the last babies an hour or so after the others, they are having troubles and the baby will be either stretched or DOA. Any ideas as to what could have caused the birth of that baby to be later than the others? She wasn't in labor between the two births. :shock:

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I'm raising up my first litter of Mini Rex...my doe birthed one normal kit and one peanut and seemed totally finished with labor...almost an entire DAY later, she had a SECOND pair of kits, another normal kit and another peanut!!! Both normal kits are thriving, IDK, the doe never seemed stressed and she acted like this was totally normal. Nobody I know has ever heard a doe delaying birth that long but apparently it CAN happen...my two kits are proof!

 

[Dood]

Two uterine horns, or even two uteruses equals two birthdates

It happened twice to me, out of 47 litters so far, and I have read of several similar incidences since joining Rabbit Talk.

 

[stone soup farm]

I have had two does deliver 24 hrs later but both kits where DOA, not stretched though. They have delivered fine since then. It probably won't happen again.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it.

Dood, I heard that the whole "get pregnant with two litters at once" thing was a myth. It's hard with bunnies, you never know what to believe. I wonder if it's true.

Does anyone think that I should be concerned? Do they usually continue doing this in their litters and should I consider culling? Someone else said I should consider petting her out but I don't really see a problem as long as she doesn't have difficulties next time.

She is feeding her babies way too much... I took them away from her yesterday morning and gave them back for a minute this morning. Took them back out and they were all ready unnaturally full... like, it looks painful. Poor things. Going to have them walk around a bit and get them to pee then tomorrow I'll put in a baby from my other doe (about a week older than them) and hopefully they'll be okay.

 

[Dood]

I wouldn't worry about it.

It was two different does that did it in my barn. For one of them it was her first litter and it didn't happened in any of the next 9 litters she's given me so far. She is also my best doe and her daughters are all producing great and haven't had a weird birthing.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

Okay, thank you. I'll decide what to do depending on what happens next time.

 

[ottersatin]

Did you try re-breeding that Doe more than three days apart?
It could possibly be that a second litter was conceived
in the second horn. Often such breeding choices lead to larger litters.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I heard that the whole "get pregnant with two litters at once" thing was a myth.

According to the study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the link below, it is not possible. (Wow, finally something I can thank the UN for! )


http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690E/t1690e05.htm

In most mammals the progesterone secreted during gestation inhibits oestrus and the pregnant female refuses to mate, but a pregnant doe may accept mating throughout the gestation period. Indeed, in the second half of pregnancy this is the most common behaviour (Figure 10).

A breeder cannot therefore use the sexual behaviour of does as an indication of pregnancy. Mating occurring during gestation has no dire consequences for the embryos. Unlike the phenomenon observed in the female hare, superfoetation (two simultaneous pregnancies at two different stages of development) never occurs in rabbits.

 

[siddsaysgimmie]

Very good to know, thank you!