Is my bunny pregnant or sick?

[melodielove]

Today is the 31st day of my mini lop bunny's pregnancy, if she has one. She has been bred 5 times at least 31 days ago. I don't know how to palpate, but I observed larger stomach when she stood up on the cage. She stopped eating her favourite carrots and any other food yesterday for half a day and was sitting there but she started eating yesterday night. Today she was active again and showed no signs of pregnancy at all except she would nip me if I tried to touch her belly gently.
She had behaviours of digging at corners of her cage and lying on her side for these few weeks which I have never seen her done before pregnancy. BUT, she doesn't gather the hay stack and she doesn't pull fur even though right now is the 31st day afternoon. She will be delivering babies for first time if she is truly pregnant. My rabbit is 6 months old. Is she pregnant or sick?

 

[JBun]

Based on your description, she very well could be pregnant. Rabbits can sometimes go over the 31 days. If too many days past, the babies aren't likely to be born alive. She may very well deliver tonight or tomorrow. Keep an eye on her eating, as going too long without food and water isn't good, and make sure she has a nestbox and lots of hay, in case she does have babies soon.

 

[melodielove]

today is the 32nd and my mini lop still hasn't give birth yet. I have read online that the buck mounting the doe can induce natural oxytocin for her to give birth OR she might not be pregnant. I put both the buck and the doe in a cage, and the doe has been escaping from the buck's advances for 2 hours now. Do you think this would work? If she is not pregnant, would she be so eager to avoid the buck? I am not sure, because when I previously breed her with the same buck, she seemed a lot more compliant than now. I am trying to avoid going to the veterinarian because it is very expensive. Does anyone have any ideas for my bunny? No furs or nests build yet..

 

[squidpop]

Some breeders believe parsley or lavender are good to try to bring on labour.
Other say to give them tums which is really calcium to induce labour. None of these things are proven but I don't think it can hurt to try.

Letting the buck chase the doe around also could work but... I wouldn't let him mount her. Someone on this forum has a doe that got pregnant while she was pregnant, in other words there's a slight chance that she could get pregant if he mounts her while pregnant. So if you do let the buck chase her around don't let him mount her.

Also, someone an another forum that I visit had a doe that gave birth 10 days late, to a single baby. The baby was the size of a week old baby and had all its fur, and is doing fine. So there is always the chance she is just late.

Last thing, if she will let you touch her tummy at day 31 you will be able to feel them move and tell if she is pregnant or not.