Bunny Pregnancy Questions

[mae9406]

I have read over some posts on bunny pregancies and have been trying to get a good idea of it, but I have found myself having more and more questions.

First off, we got a new bunny back in mid july (which was supposed to be a girl but ended up being a male). He'sa5 mth old mini lop, and she's presumed to be a satinandis about8 1/2 mths old.My bunnies are usually free-range with them taking "night and day shifts" out of the cage until we get them both altered.But my female hasn't been caged since she was 3-4 weeks old so she's always very clever on her"escapeplans"and broke out of our makeshift cage on the weekend of Aug 27th (where I was preoccupied withrunning back and forth between the hospital and home, thanks to my hubby getting injured at work).

Anyways,they have been bonded since day one so I have the cage set upon my floor so thatthey can stillgroom each others heads and lay next to one another threw the C&C cagebut not GET to one another. Whilethat one morningshe broke out andI woke upto fur ALL over my floor throughout my apartment and I was just wondering if it's possibleforthese twobreeds toeven produce any kits?If they are, will they even survive? Are they even old enough to produceyet? (My male has testicles).

I also read you can sometimes feel babiesin the bellyafter 2 weeks (which I was trying to wait for),butIdon't know if I am doing it right or how to really do it and I don't want to hurther but I want to know! I have been presuming she is so that I can take the right precautions, but I'm really not sure to how to go about that withherbeing afree-range?Will I have to keep her locked up or canI let her out-still like I do now? How long can babiesgo without Mommy? Will a male try to eat them?

She's usually a very loveable, mall-to-pieces bunny that allows us to cradle her in our arms while she's on her back and touch her feet and belly without a single fuss, but these past couple of weeks she hasn't been herself. She's usually always out in the open and playing, but she's been "digging" our carpet, looking for hiding places, peeing and eating a lot more then usual (my litter pans used to need cleaned once every 2-3 days now it's a 1-2 days MAX on the ones she uses the most). Her fur has been thickening and changing (could this be from the weather getting colder though? Or is it a sign of pregnancy?) She won't even allow us to touch her belly, she freaks out and scratches and doesn't enjoy being held anymore except for in a certain way and for not nearly as long. But she's not really "showing". Do rabbits "show" like dogs and humans, etc?


Sorry this is so long, but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

They are both old enough to breed. Any 2 rabbits of the opposite sex that are intact can breed and produce offspring. All breeds are still the same species.
It is better if they are about the same size or she is a bit bigger. There can be complications if the male is bigger than the female.

You need to keep her seperated from the male. She can get pregnant right after giving birth. Keep the male away form the babies.
The female will only feed the kits once or twice a day, usually around dawn and dusk. You probably won't see her feed them. You do need to check them to make sure they are getting fed.

You can get her spayed now. It does mean aborting the litter, but can be better in the long run. It might be more expensive to get it done, but you won't have to deal with a litter of kits, finding them homes (or the cost of keeping them) and the possibility of them dying.

 

[Jaded]

Im moving this to The Rabbitry & Show room, you will get more ansews there.

 

[mae9406]

T.A Bunnies wrote:

Im moving this to The Rabbitry & Show room, you will get more ansews there.

Thank you.

 

[mae9406]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

Any 2 rabbits of the opposite sex that are intact can breed and produce offspring. All breeds are still the same species.

I thought that was the case, but a thread a read awhile back had me questioning it, which is why I asked. Not all similiar species can reproduce together -look at horses, mules and asses.

"You need to keep her seperated from the male. She can get pregnant right after giving birth...
You can get her spayed now. It does mean aborting the litter, but can be better in the long run. It might be more expensive to get it done, but you won't have to deal with a litter of kits, finding them homes (or the cost of keeping them) and the possibility of them dying."

Thank you for your input. My female IS kept and has been kept separate from my male, it was a mal-function in my temperary cage that lead to the "probability" that she may be pregnant, and I won't have to worry about her getting pregnant again afterwards because I have the money together for my male's neuter this week. I will get my female done at a later date, and I personally don't believe in abortions(animals or not). I'drather deal with baby bunnies and finding them homes then have them aborted. But that's just me.

 

[Jaded]

Any breed of rabbit can breed to any other breed, if they are bonded the male should be okay with the babies but its still a risk I would cage him until the babies are abit older.
I have a bonded pair of Flemish & Satin, also free range, they had babies and the dad was fine with them.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

You will need to keep them separated for about 6 weeks after he is neutered. He is still capable of inpregnating a doe for awhile until the sperm in his system is gone.

 

[BlueGiants]

Count 31 days from when you found the fur all over the floor and give her a nestbox to have her kits in. The nestbox will keep the kits together (for warmth) and make sure that none of the babies crawl off and get chilled or miss a meal. (Even indoors, the babies need to be kept warm. The average nest temperature is 90 degree's F).

A shoe box will even do if you have nothing else. Give it to her on Day 28 (after breeding) and do not put it where she usually pees or defecates. I would confine her to one area from day 27 until the day after the kits are born. And I also would keep the buck away from her. He is not completely sterile until 6 weeks after the neuter. Some bucks are fine with kits and some does are fine with having her mate around to babies, but I would not take a chance.

 

[Celiamcasson]

My bunny had 4 babies on Sunday. Her stomach still looks large and she won't let me touch it. Is she still pregnant.