My DH is due -today is day 30. I really expected that she would have kindled by now. I put the nest box in a couple days ago and have changed the litter and bedding in it each evening in case she kindles. But nothing.....
I thought smaller breeds go right on time but I also thought a smaller litter may take longer to kindle. Not sure how long to wait?!
Thanx in advanced. I did try to palpate her but I can\'t say as I \'feel\' anything. I think maybe the breeding didn\'t take -which stinks because I paid for it and I drove almost 2 hours to pick her up!
Any suggestions?
We have Mini Rexes and Holland Lops and experienced breeding for the first time a couple of months ago. Both of our Mini Rex does were bred the same day and had their babies exactly 31 days later within an hour of each other. Your doe isn\'t late yet, she\'ll probably have them in the morning. It will be the start to a great day! I hope all goes well. Let us know...
Shannon
Thanx -I hope you\'re right! Nothing like the anticipation! LOL
She hasn\'t even made a nest yet, I keep fixing her \'area\' and she keeps messing it up. LOL Hopefully by morning.
Rabbits may take up to 32 days to have babies.usually if they go to 35 the babies are born dead.bluebird
Our does (Havanas and Minilops) kindle at 31 days...always (I know, never say always or they\'ll prove you wrong! lol). When you \"fix\" her area, she\'s probably thinking you keep \"messing it up\"
We loosly fill our nest boxes with soft hay and let our does at it. Sometimes they dig it all out of the box and then put it back in. Other times they just form a great little round nest in the back. 4HMomof4 is probably right...you\'ll wake up to babies! Good luck
Hey Lorelei...
Your DH doe may or may not actually be pregnant (31 days is the most common gestation), but I noticed you said...
\"I put the nest box in a couple days ago and have
changed the litter and bedding in it each evening in case she kindles...\"
I wouldn\'t recommend that practice if the doe is indeed planning to kindle. You would effectively be encouraging her NOT to use the box by changing the bedding in it every day. If the doe is actually using the box for a bathroom A) She may not be pregnant B) You have the box in the wrong corner of her cage C) She\'s a goofy doe.
Some first-litter does just don\'t \"get it\". They may or may not use the nest box on what seems to be a whim or they may use it for a potty box even with a litter of kits in it. I had a Flemish doe who would urinate all over her kits. She really infuriated me...What a MESS!
Rabbits tend to have a favorite \"bathroom corner\", so you definitely do NOT want to put the nest box there. (Best way to encourage the doe to kindle on the wire.) If a doe is not pregnant, then she will see the box as a fun place to hide or a new place to use for a bathroom.
Now...even very good rabbit moms may deposit a few marbles in the box outside the actual nest of kits. This is normal. It serves as both a territorial marking system and kits will actually nibble on the \"marbles\" ingesting beneficial gut bacteria in the process.
If you feel your doe is pregnant and you\'re afraid she may kindle on the wire, completely cover the cage floor with a thick layer of hay. Most kits will be fine if kindled there. When the doe is finished, remove her from the cage while you pick up the nest of kits and place it in the box. Put the box in the same corner where the doe kindled and remove all the rest of the bedding from the cage. Replace the doe. She should take care of the babies fine.
Good luck.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
I do have the feeling she\'s not pregnant. She\'s a proven doe -she\'s two y/o and has had litters before. Her previous owner did not \'warn\' me of any unusual habits, so I assumed she\'d kindle normally.
I had put hay in the cage so SHE could make a nest - and under that a piece of cardboard and her hock board so it didn\'t \'look\' that different to her in case she kindles outside the box. I also put a cardboard \'bumper\' around the inside of the cage in case she kindled and the babies wiggled around. My bigger doe had a litter and they would \'slither\' and get their heads stuck. So I started making a bumper for my pregnant does.
That has been in for 2 weeks so its not something \'new\' to her.
The box has been moved around to other corners and she doesn\'t seem to find one thats comfortable.
So I don\'t know, I\'ll just wait and see what happenes tonight.
I had better luck hatching eggs this week!
Thanx for the input everyone
Well, NOTHING! Sad to say she wasn\'t pregnant.
Now its too late to breed her again because I want to put her in the fair!
Too bad...I\'m sorry.
When is your fair? Does can be up to 2 weeks pregnant on the day of show with no impact to their showability or the unborn kits.
I hope the breeder will give you another breeding. You know, 2 hours is a long way to drive for something so uncertain. Have you thought of buying a buck? Then the \"goods\" will be on the premises.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
The fair isn\'t until Aug. but I wanted all this behind her so we didn\'t have to worry about it and I could find homes for them before summers end. (Last year I got stuck with 6 extra all winter! LOL)
Ironically, I did buy a year old buck. But she had a good breeding champion buck since she didn\'t have any real young ones like I wanted she offered to breed it to her good buck.
I could breed it to my year old DH -but I already paid her! I just emailed her so we\'ll see where we stand.