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MyBabyHasPaws

MyBabyHasPaws

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Joined
Mar 19, 2012
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Location
Miami, Florida, USA
I posted this in the other forum and was recommended to try here, so i re-posted...
Last week we went to the feed store. I live in Miami so this was way out south and west from me... not too many feed stores here.. anywho. I was able to get lots of stuff for my babies there! I left both of my kids with my dad, which i'm thinking was a really bad idea now. My dad, bless him, is pretty old and he just lets the kids do what they want as long as it wont hurt them. So I got home and walked in only to find Bugsy AND Oreo out of their homes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I asked Giovanni my eldest how long they've been out and TOGETHER and he said "Since you left mommy!" I'm pretty darn sure Bugsy got her..more than once, maybe even more than that. Giovanni said Bugsy wouldnt leave her side...

Oreo has been a bit antisocial. When I open her crate she'll still come for lovin but she wont hop out onto my lap like normal She's been kinda ignorning her pellets and doing lots of damage on the hay. Maybe i'm just crazy but it also seems like she's gaining a little weight too! If she is pregnant, it happened on the 6th. I have been doing nothing but craming my head with as much information on rabbit pregnancy and kit care. I went back to my feed store yesterday and got a nesting box just in case and some KMR too. I'm scared and i'm nervous. The lady there also suggest that I get CalfManna? I got some, they are like red pellets.. but i'm not sure about them so I havent given her any.

I feel terrible that this happened. Bugsy was a few months short of getting fixed and my son knew better than this!! I cant blame him, i'm just saying.

What can determine how many kits she will have? Is her size a good way to kinda sorta tell? She isnt big at all.. maybe 2lbs 3 at max. I read I shouldnt change her diet at all now, which i wasnt planning on. Just keep her on what she's been on. I also read that I should palpate her at day 10 and not later than day 14. Not sure how i feel about that...

Any advice or information you can help me with would be really appreciated. Please dont be mean. It took me this long to post this here as I was scared I would get chewed out for an unplanned rabbit pregnancy...

I have a few family members that want a kit when they are ready already! These are all people I can trust, i'm not worried about finding them homes. I will find perfect homes for each of them or they will just stay with me, simple. I am worried about caring for a preggo grumpy bunny and bunny birth in general..
 
Dont know anything about babies but no one should be mean about this. Stuff happens and an accident is an accident. Mama should hopefully do most of the work where the kits are concerned. Keeping you in my thoughts. Good luck with everything!
 
Thank you all.

Oreo bit me this morning. Her first time ever!! I clean their cages every single morning before I go to work, so they can have a nice clean cage all day. Today I started removing her things to take the tray out and she lunged at me! then bit me! It didnt hurt but it scared me! I just looked at her, like, what's wrong with you?! She hopped in my lap after that and dug down really low in my thighs.... aww my poor baby.
 
Sounds like hormones are getting to her. I have read that just being around males can stimulate a female rabbit into ovulating. You can palpate on day 10-14 but dont be surprised if you cant tell what you are feeling. I had to have someone show me how to palpate properly before i could on my own.

She will take care of mostly everything you are just there to make sure it goes smmothly. Mark on the calendar what day she was with the buck. Count 28 days from then and thats when a box should be put in her cage with some bedding and hay. This will be a safe place for her to have the babies. Does will kindle on day 30-35 so watch closely during these days. Usually they are born late at night or early/late morning. If any babies are born dead make sure to remove the bodies and leave the healthy ones. Does will also feed night or morning so watch them to make aure they are feeding. If you find one that isnt keeping up with the others the kmr can be used as a supplement.
 
I understand it's sometimes hard to tell if one is dead or not. I think people have posted about wrapping in a warm towel.... But don't freak out about this now; just be prepared.
 
You can't really tell how many babies a bunny is gonna have.. when i brought my bunny to the vets a week before she gave birth they couldn't actually tell if there was babies in there or not. She is only 3 pounds and had 7 babies. Not one died and she took care of them all.

I kind of had the same situation as you, i took a 'female' bunny of my friend and bonded ''her'' with Alice, then found out that she was a he! He mounted her once and that was all it took for her to have 7 babies!!

I made sure that all my bunnies went to family member that i knew and trusted, i didn't let a stranger take any, i had 2 left that no one wanted so i kept them both, i was willing to keep all 7 if no one from the family wanted them.. i wanted to make sure i could check on them and make sure they were treated properly :)

But yeah, Alice was really grumpy with me when she was pregnant, she would growl if i went near her nest, but them once the babies were born she became really loving and let me handle her and the babies, i fed her the same amount of food when she was pregnant then when babies were born i fed her unlimited hay, pellets and veggies :)
 
Having had a couple oops pregnancies with my bunnies, I know how you feel. That being said, it's not as daunting as it may seem! Just take a deep breath and relax.

Pregnant mommy bunnies need structure. It's not uncommon for them to get extremely hormonal and hard to handle. In my experience with female bunnies, they definitely go through mood swings. The best thing is to try and keep things like they would be normally. Give her a mixture of pellets and fresh foods, like lettuce, carrots, collard greens, etc. All of our females have had healthy pregnancies with only one in nest infant death (that baby was born with a birth defect).

When you hold her, try to be calm and soothing. Loud noises can really upset pregnant bunnies. Those hormones and mood swings kick in, making her territorial and irritable.

When it comes to her cage, make sure (like the others said) that she has soft bedding. We have never given our females any special box to nest in, just a medium sized cardboard box will do. Make sure that it's not too big, because otherwise she might try to lounge in it. When one of our females shows signs of frantic nesting, you can be assured that she will have her babies within the nest 24-48 hours. Sometimes a female will start nesting before hand, but in my experience she usually begins her nesting right before birth.

Giving her something like paper towels to tear up can be a comfort to her. She will use the paper towels to line her nest and make it extra soft. I have also given pieces of batting (like you use to line quilts or pillows) to a nesting female. They love soft warm things for their babies.

It's important not to freak out when a female starts pulling out some of her own fur to line the nest. It's instinctual. Usually it happens right before birth, and occasionally right after birth as well. Sometimes however, an over zealous female will continue to pull out some of her fur for the first few weeks. We have one female, Cinnamon, that has 3 week old babies and she still occasionally pulls some fur out to cover them with.

When you gently feel her stomach to see if she's pregnant, you generally can't tell until her 3rd week. Don't press to hard, you generally can feel them by that point. It will feel like marbles or grapes resting just beneath the skin. If a female is overweight, you might not be able to feel the babies at all. Don't panic! It's fine, she's just got a layer of fat that is making it hard to feel the babies. Don't press down harder trying to feel them in that case. Just let her be, and watch for signs of nesting.

It sounds like you will make a wonderful Bunny grandmother!
It's hard not to step in and be overzealous with prenatal care. I know the feeling. Just try to be patient with her, and everything should turn out fine.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
 
Lydia, thank u for the wonderful advice!

Charlotte..if it not a family member or friend then its not going anywhere! :)

She has been ok. Doesn't really want to leave her cage, and she doesn't have to.
As for the palpating...today makes day 10..and I'm still not brave enough to do it. So we shall wait and see lol. She doesn't really let me get near her tummy and I wont force her. So about 20 more days or so. Patience is key!
 
I'm glad to help Maria! If you ever need any advice during Oreo's pregnancy or about any other wacky behavior, feel free to ask! I'm sure Bugsy and Oreo will make beautiful babies. It will be interesting to see how the cuteness of a Mini Rex will mix with a Mini Lop. Our Mini Rex mommy bunnies have had litters ranging from 2 to 7 babies. I don't know how many a Mini Lop usually has, but I imagine it can't be too different than a Mini Rex. Oreo's size can be a factor on how many babies she can carry, but sometimes a good indicator is how big the father is too. Is Bugsy bigger than Oreo? We've noticed that when Twinkle (our most prolific male bunny) was bigger in size than the female, there tended to be fewer babies. Obviously this is not a clear indicator, but it is interesting. The babies tended to fewer, but they were larger in size than the average newborn. So, I suppose we will just have to wait and see what happens with Oreo!

How is she doing? Is she still throwing temper tantrums? :)
 
Temper tantrums is an understatement! lol!

Bugsy is a lot bigger than her i would say! He's about 4lbs where Oreo is maybe 3 closer to 2.5lbs. GOOD! Hopefully because of that it means fewer babies, if any. It would be amazing if they came out with his fur and her ears!
Yesterday she stood up and was begging for her lettuce so i got a little brave and tried to touch her belly... she actually let me, but i didnt feel anything. I would assume they are still too tiny to feel anything? We are on day 14 right now. All i did was lay my hand flat on the belly.. i didnt want to poke or push or anything! Palpating terrifies me, and i'm pretty much past that, so couldnt do it even if i wanted to!

Should i give her the Calf manna that I bought? Still unsure about it.. how much do i give her?
 
It sounds like she is doing well! Begging for yummy lettuce is always a good sign. :)

It is a bit early to tell by feel right now. We have never felt them that early, and it could be that it's harder to tell because of their (dwarf bunnies) size. When she starts getting into her 3rd week, it will be easier to tell. An easy and non evasive way of telling is to gently feel her belly while holding her in your lap. Have her facing away from you, her bun bun butt pressed up against your stomach. Then, gently putting your hand under her front legs, help her stand up on her back legs. She doesn't have to be standing up straight, having her at an angle works best. Then, gently run your fingers over her belly without pressing down too hard. If she isn't too chubby around the middle, you should be able to feel the baby bumps. If not, that's fine. Just watch for nesting behavior!

Has she started digging more than usual or gathering things in her mouth? If so, she may be trying to start building a nest. You can introduce the nesting box to her soon, just try not to put it too close to where she goes potty.

A certain hormonal bunny (Cinnamon) was trying to nest off and on during her pregnancy. Our other bunny girls have been hormonal, but she really took the cake. She would even try breaking in her sisters enclosures to steal away their babies and forceably adopt them. Obviously, we put a stop to that. :)

I've never personally used Calf Manna, but based on what I found on it online, I would wait. It seems that it is primarily for nursing mothers that aren't producing enough milk for their babies. Obviously, Oreo is not at that stage yet. I would just try to keep her diet as normal, and maybe occasionally give her a few more special veggie treats.

How is Bugsy taking this? Is he overly interested in the goings on?
 
Just think...in a few short weeks, you could be seeing Oreo's very first babies. :) I give all of my pregnant/nursing does Calf Manna, along with all my show stock. For her size, I'd go with the teaspoon, at least until she delivers.
 
At day 14 the babies are only about grape size in numerous places along the uterus. To feel babies at that point you would have to feel pretty hard into her abdomen. It is a quick way that breeders can tell if the rabbit took without waiting the full length of gestation. Around day 28-30 is when you can just lay your hand on the stomach and feel the babies moving or at least my mom can.

Calf Manna is very commonly given to lactating and pregnant does in the show world and can be used for any life stage. If you have it why not use it. It's very palatable and you only give a tablespoon or teaspoon a day I believe. Directions are on the side of the bag.
The only thing we noticed is that the rabbits would much rather eat the calf manna instead of their normal pellets lol.
 
That sounds like Becky with the oats. I started adding them to her pellets because she was so skinny when I got her. Now she refuses to eat without them. She's still thinish so I don't worry about the extra calories.
 
Lydia wrote:
It sounds like she is doing well! Begging for yummy lettuce is always a good sign. :)

It is a bit early to tell by feel right now. We have never felt them that early, and it could be that it's harder to tell because of their (dwarf bunnies) size. When she starts getting into her 3rd week, it will be easier to tell. An easy and non evasive way of telling is to gently feel her belly while holding her in your lap. Have her facing away from you, her bun bun butt pressed up against your stomach. Then, gently putting your hand under her front legs, help her stand up on her back legs. She doesn't have to be standing up straight, having her at an angle works best. Then, gently run your fingers over her belly without pressing down too hard. If she isn't too chubby around the middle, you should be able to feel the baby bumps. If not, that's fine. Just watch for nesting behavior!

Has she started digging more than usual or gathering things in her mouth? If so, she may be trying to start building a nest. You can introduce the nesting box to her soon, just try not to put it too close to where she goes potty.

A certain hormonal bunny (Cinnamon) was trying to nest off and on during her pregnancy. Our other bunny girls have been hormonal, but she really took the cake. She would even try breaking in her sisters enclosures to steal away their babies and forceably adopt them. Obviously, we put a stop to that. :)

I've never personally used Calf Manna, but based on what I found on it online, I would wait. It seems that it is primarily for nursing mothers that aren't producing enough milk for their babies. Obviously, Oreo is not at that stage yet. I would just try to keep her diet as normal, and maybe occasionally give her a few more special veggie treats.

How is Bugsy taking this? Is he overly interested in the goings on?
Click to expand...

The digging is insane! She was digging ALL LAST NIGHT! She kept me up most of the night. It seems like this is her favorite thing to do now. She hoped in my lap yesterday and just sat there for the longest time. I love just talking to her, its almost as if she understands me and it soothes her.

I have been uping her veggie intake. Went crazy at the grocery store yesterday, got spinach, watercress, lettuce, carrots (just for a little treat), parsley, basil and collard greens. Buggs is enjoying too lol.

He is very interested in whats going on in her cage. So much that he pushed his stool all the way to the other side just so he can sit on top and watch her lol. I have them pretty close and a lot of times Oreo will shove her head in his cage so he can groom her.

I'm going to stop handling her this week. She is due July 6th, i dont want to handle her and her try to jump or something and then tragedy. I'm super paranoid if you havent been able to tell lol.

I just want this to be over. I want to see babies!!!!!!!

Thanks for your awesome help :)
 
woahlookitsme wrote:
At day 14 the babies are only about grape size in numerous places along the uterus. To feel babies at that point you would have to feel pretty hard into her abdomen. It is a quick way that breeders can tell if the rabbit took without waiting the full length of gestation. Around day 28-30 is when you can just lay your hand on the stomach and feel the babies moving or at least my mom can.

Calf Manna is very commonly given to lactating and pregnant does in the show world and can be used for any life stage. If you have it why not use it. It's very palatable and you only give a tablespoon or teaspoon a day I believe. Directions are on the side of the bag.
The only thing we noticed is that the rabbits would much rather eat the calf manna instead of their normal pellets lol.
Click to expand...

Ok, so I guess I will start the Calf Manna today. The bag it came in was like the clear plastic bags from the feed supply. I only bought 1lb and thats how they gave it to me. She told me how much and now I forgot.. I will google.

Thank you!
 
wendymac wrote:
Just think...in a few short weeks, you could be seeing Oreo's very first babies. :) I give all of my pregnant/nursing does Calf Manna, along with all my show stock. For her size, I'd go with the teaspoon, at least until she delivers.
Click to expand...

Teaspoon it is. Will start today as soon as I get home! :)

How areyour gorgeous kits doing?
 
My kids are doing well, and growing like there's no tomorrow. Thanks for asking! You're down to the home stretch now. Soon we'll be seeing Oreo's little ones. It's an amazing experience, for sure!
 
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