Confused: Nesting at 17 days (but she has a "bunny bump")

[TinysMom]

Harmony started pulling fur a little bit ago and making a nest in her cage. I bred her 17 days ago.

To me this says, "false pregnancy" but she's had a "bunny bump" for a bit and I thought she was gonna have a large litter.

Two questions come to mind...

• Have does ever nested this early and still been pregnant?
• If it is a false pregnancy - would she still look pregnant?

I can't palpate worth beans.

 

[lelanatty]

To answer your first question, probably. One of those extreme freak of nature cases.

Second question, I think yes. If you can usually see a "bunny bump" this early in a pregnancy for a flemmie, then you will still see it with a false pregnancy. All of the usual pregnancy events happen, there are just no babies.

It's totally up to you to decide when to take away her nest, but I wouldn't let her brood over it until her due date if she isn't really going to have babies. If you notice her "bunny bump" goes away in the next few days, you will know it is a false pregnancy.

By the way, "bunny bump"? Oh, the punny things rabbit people come up with...

 

[TinysMom]

Here is a video of her that I put in my blog the other day. It was taken on the 29th...



You need to click on the photo to see it....and pardon Mercury for his "bunny bits" but I figure that breeders would be used to it.

 

[TinysMom]

BTW - I have had does have false pregnancies before - just never when they appeared so large already.

I usually let them have their nest till they start destroying it - then I distract them with fresh hay and take out the old nest....

 

[amdfarm]

I don't think Hope's bunny bump was nearly that size at 17 days, more like a week before she kindled. So I'm not sure, but she looks the part fairly well.

OMG, that video!!! Mercury was rude to shoot pee onto the floor. ROFLOL!

 

[mistyjr]

The video of Mercury peeing on the floor made me laugh. Because my Alex the lion does that but he hits me instead. Yuck!

 

[LindyS]

lol bunny bump!!!!!!

 

[amdfarm]

When my mares start to show, I call it their Budha Belly.

 

[TinysMom]

Mercury NEVER pees out his cage like that....he was jealous that Harmony was getting the attention (they're both attention hogs).

 

[CiaraPatricia]

Yeah one of my does nests about a day after mating, and she has always been pregnant. My last doe nesting on day 14, so I thought it was a false pregnancy, but nope

 

[TinysMom]

I went to love on her a bit ago and she was begging me to pet her and she was whimpering and crying (like does will do if they think they're pregnant and you go to breed them).

Her mood and actions are so different from her normal self.

I thought about taking her out of her cage and letting her play outside for a bit....just to get a break - and then come back in.

I feel bad - she's my love-bug and its like she wants me to sit beside her and pet her all day.

 

[amdfarm]

Awww, poor Harmony!!

 

[iluvdutchrabbbits90]

I have a doe that will start pulling hair at about 10 days. By the time she has her kits she looks like a naked rat!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Any babies?

 

[CCWelch]

By my calculations it is early for babies yet, more like the 12th-14th.
My NZ doe started nesting on day 20 which freaked me out. Then she stopped and started again on day 28 which was ok but no babies til day 31 and boy did she have a brood. She had 10 total, 7 survived.