Pregnant Rabbit?

[caustin4]

I bred my flemish giant on may 6, which means its day 32 today. I'm still unsure if she is pregnant or not (first time I've bred her). She usually has free roam, but for the past 4 or 5 days she has been locked in her hutch with a nesting box. She mostly just seems annoyed she is locked up. At first she used the box as a litter box (so like her...) then on day 30 she started tearing it up. Since it was soaking wet with urine I switch the straw and bedding out and helped pull some fur out to get her started. Last night she went back in and was tearing stuff up and this morning had lots of straw in her mouth. Although a few months ago there was a pile of straw and she collected all of it in her mouth just to move it, so I thought maybe she was doing that again? She may or may not have recently looked bigger, it's so hard to tell what is real and what is my imagination just wanting bunnies.

It's day 32 now and I'm starting to get skeptical if she is pregnant or not. I know they can have healthy kits past 32 days, but I just want to know what's going on! If she isn't pregnant I'd like to let her out of her hutch to run around. Any ideas? or anything I can look for or way I can feel for babies without hurting them this late?

On another note, I went to a friends last night who's flemish giant had 12 kits 4 weeks ago. They were are adorable! Grey, black, and white kits in the same litter from grey and steel grey parents.

 

[ZRabbits]

Not sure about bigger breeds, but the smaller ones I know can go as long as 36 days and have healthy kits. Can you wait four more days to see if she kindles?

I would be a bit nervous trying to palpatate her to see if I could feel anything, but that's just me. I'd seek someone who has done this before, either a Vet or another breeder. It's really hard to tell for a novice.

Hopefully someone who's been through this can give you something more.

Please let us know how she does.

K

 

[Samara]

I'm in the same pickle with Molly right now. Atticus got to her just before he was neutered, so June 5th was day 30 for her. Today is 32 and she's made a nest, pulled fur, but nothing. She made the nest over a week ago...now she just sleeps in it.

I'm still keeping Molly restricted until more time passes. I'd hate for her to kindle someplace where I won't know, you know?

Good luck with your bun!

 

[Hill-Hutch]

If she doesn't kindle in the next few days, it may have been a false pregnancy, or she's taking her sweet time doing it.

When you palpate her you want to feel along both sides of her abdomen for grape-sized lumps(hers may be bigger). You can do this when she is either stretched out or flipped over on her back.

The only litters I've ever had so far were surprise litters, but based on the kind of research i've done, that's how you do it.

If this is her first litter, there may be a chance that she gave birth and ate the kits, which I hope didn't happen!

Let me know how it goes!

 

[majorv]

I have a new doe who made a nest 3 days before she finally kindled on day 32. She didn't pull fur until she had the kits. Just be patient. We made the mistake of taking the nestbox out at day 34 and the doe had them the next day, on the wire. We didn't have much experience with kindling back then.

By now, you should be able to feel movement in her belly.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Any babies yet?

I have heard you can try taking her for a car ride or putting her temporarily in a bucks cage (without the buck). People also give tums to preg rabbits to help start the process?

 

[ZRabbits]

I've heard about tums, but also heard that lavender will help bring on labor.

LAVENDER - Cardiac complaints, circulation problems, migraine, nervous stress, neurasthenia, neuralgia, exhaustion, induce labor

http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/rabbitsandherbs.php

K