What would you make of this behavior?

[BunnyJumps]

I have a lop rabbit that is 3 years and her baby (doe 10 weeks old). I posted before about finding a ton of strays. Turns out some of them were males (2 of them were taken by humane society, I took two back and put them in a different outside pen away from my females, 1 was a female that was caged with my rabbits (in her own cage) and one unfortunately was hit by a car).

Today I went out to feed and water the buns and noticed that my lop and her baby are building a nest together. The baby was carrying mouthfuls of hay and making the nest, the mother lop would get in the nest and try it out and then take the hay from the baby and correct her mistake.

Is this normal for a mama and baby to build a nest together? Should I expect babies from them? Is it even possible for a 10 week old to have babies?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Time will tell, but we've had neutered females build nest in the past.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Are you certain the doe isn't a buck?
Also, are they living with a buck? If either, I'd definitely be expecting babies.

Regardless, at ten weeks of age, the mom and baby should be separated from each other.

Emily

 

[BunnyJumps]

I have two bucks that live on the other side of our yard,

I didn't seperate them because they are getting along great and the few occassions I have separated them they stopped being as active and became mean towards me. All have been vet checked for sex.

Our vet said they could stay together as long as they were getting along, is there any other reason why they should be separated?

 

[tamsin]

The 10 week old can't be having babies, as gestation is 4 weeks and they usually nest build only shortly before she'd have had to have got pregnant at 6 weeks - which is too young to be fertile.

Is possible the mum is pregnant again? - the baby may copy her behaviour. Of the mum could be having a phantom pregnancy, again with the baby copying the behaviour.

Again, if the baby is only 10 weeks, she/he would have been too young 4 weeks ago to be the father.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

tamsin wrote:

The 10 week old can't be having babies, as gestation is 4 weeks and they usually nest build only shortly before she'd have had to have got pregnant at 6 weeks - which is too young to be fertile.

Is possible the mum is pregnant again? - the baby may copy her behaviour. Of the mum could be having a phantom pregnancy, again with the baby copying the behaviour.

Again, if the baby is only 10 weeks, she/he would have been too young 4 weeks ago to be the father.

I don't care to comment on this actual post, but I will say that babies can by all means get pregnant between 6 and 8 weeks. I've had it happen... Had a litter of 5 born from a 12 week old ND doe, so she got pregnant at 8 weeks.

 

[woahlookitsme]

BunnyJumps wrote:

I have two bucks that live on the other side of our yard,

I didn't seperate them because they are getting along great and the few occassions I have separated them they stopped being as active and became mean towards me. All have been vet checked for sex.

Our vet said they could stay together as long as they were getting along, is there any other reason why they should be separated?

So the boys are separated from the girls?

 

[BunnyJumps]

Yes as soon as I captured the males I put them in a pen away from the females. However before that they were out and about and according to the vet probably their whole life (9 months).

Once I spotted them I locked up my girls so they wouldn't have any problems.

 

[majorv]

As long as mother and daughter are getting along, it shouldn't be a problem if theystay together...as long as there's enough room.