Does pregnant? (Rabbits)

[GD91]

All my does are housed in a large pen (kind of link a colony setting except the pens bottom is wired to stop them digging & the buck is not kept in with them, he has his own pen.

For a week my 2 older does were running with a young buck only 12 weeks or so. Maybe a little younger.

While the matings have not been confirmed (this was when they were loose in the garden together while we were building the pens) we will be pleased if they are both pregnant.

Anyway both does are very mellow, have completely stopped mounting each other & are rejecting the buck, desperately trying to escape if he is placed in with them. One doe cut his ear during the 2 minutes he was in with them yesterday & I removed him as they were clearly upset & began trying to escape the pen. They were only put in their new pen yesterday too which is why I just popped the buck in to see if a mating occurred.

As soon as he was removed, the pen went back to its calm & peaceful environment with does grooming & munching together.

Both does are housed with a 3rd lop eared girl who is not mature enough to breed. They all get on well & groom each other etc. No territorial behavior.

The does all have separate hutches to go in when they are due to kindle, so they don't have their litters in the pen ( which is more designed to entertain the does than provide good brooding). The kits have a separate area for when they are weaned fully.

Anyway, sound pregnant to you? If they are, they are about 10 days gone & have been rejecting the buck for that long. They have only been placed with him twice since they were loose together & both does have rejected him both times.
I won't bother placing him with them again now since I believe they are both pregnant.

I don't understand how people can keep colony settings, how does that work with a buck that constantly harasses the does?

Mine were clearly very upset to have him around them, I couldn't imagine forcing them to have his presence in with them constantly. Even a cut ear didn't stop him harassing the girls at all. All the girls were stamping & running away & trying to escape through the wire.

it was pandemonium until I took him out.

 

[michellemire]

I keep my 3 adult females 1 baby female 1 weather male 1 male all together n mine never act like that they all sleep together I have 2 prgenant due anything now he's doesn't mess with them if they don't wanna be messed wit we always keep all our goat together except when there about to have there kids I put them in a stable

 

[SA Farm]

All my does are housed in a large pen (kind of link a colony setting except the pens bottom is wired to stop them digging & the buck is not kept in with them, he has his own pen.

For a week my 2 older does were running with a young buck only 12 weeks or so. Maybe a little younger.

While the matings have not been confirmed (this was when they were loose in the garden together while we were building the pens) we will be pleased if they are both pregnant.

Anyway both does are very mellow, have completely stopped mounting each other & are rejecting the buck, desperately trying to escape if he is placed in with them. One doe cut his ear during the 2 minutes he was in with them yesterday & I removed him as they were clearly upset & began trying to escape the pen. They were only put in their new pen yesterday too which is why I just popped the buck in to see if a mating occurred.

As soon as he was removed, the pen went back to its calm & peaceful environment with does grooming & munching together.

Both does are housed with a 3rd lop eared girl who is not mature enough to breed. They all get on well & groom each other etc. No territorial behavior.

The does all have separate hutches to go in when they are due to kindle, so they don't have their litters in the pen ( which is more designed to entertain the does than provide good brooding). The kits have a separate area for when they are weaned fully.

Anyway, sound pregnant to you? If they are, they are about 10 days gone & have been rejecting the buck for that long. They have only been placed with him twice since they were loose together & both does have rejected him both times.
I won't bother placing him with them again now since I believe they are both pregnant.

I don't understand how people can keep colony settings, how does that work with a buck that constantly harasses the does?

Mine were clearly very upset to have him around them, I couldn't imagine forcing them to have his presence in with them constantly. Even a cut ear didn't stop him harassing the girls at all. All the girls were stamping & running away & trying to escape through the wire.

it was pandemonium until I took him out.

Colony settings for rabbits are very difficult to manage. If they're rejecting the buck, they could be pregnant, they could be out of condition, they could just not be ready. Most of my does are refusing my buck right now and I blame it on the weather since they are proven does to a proven buck, so they're getting the winter off

I really like having all my bucks and does in their individual cages and bringing the does to the buck, but if you want to do a colony, hopefully someone who's done it will come by and add their wisdom

 

[michellemire]

My 6 live in a colony setting when my does or pregnant my buck doesn't mess with them he's not ever mean to them they all live together happy if I separated him from then they gonna break the fence to be together

 

[SA Farm]

My 6 live in a colony setting when my does or pregnant my buck doesn't mess with them he's not ever mean to them they all live together happy if I separated him from then they gonna break the fence to be together

Goats and rabbits are very different though...

 

[GD91]

Goats and rabbits are very different though...

Thankyou, everyone seems to think I'm talking about doe goats! I'd better add rabbits to the thread title.

The does were being receptive before , I witnessed the buck mounting them & they flattened their spines & lifted their tails, but the matings I saw didn't seem to be successful. However they were loose together a good while so theres a very high chance it occured without me seeing it.. I've marked down when they were loose, so I know roughly when the girls are due.

And no, I've got no wish to run a colony setting, I'm afraid I've kept rabbits long enough to know that is what I don't want!

Also, I'm thinking it is probably quite unfair on the does. And I'm not a "fluffy bunny" person, either & even I think that.

I was just wondering how people do it..... I'm thinking you would need a lot of contained space & really you might as well buy a gun & take a walk down into the local fields....

 

[Bunnylady]

If the buck they were with was 12 weeks or less in age, I'd put the odds of these does being pregnant at "possible, but unlikely." I've seen bucks as young as 5 weeks mounting anything in sight, though of course they were too immature to actually do anything. 12 weeks is generally considered the minimum age at which rabbits become fertile; many take a few weeks longer than that.

If this young buck is one of those that is physically mature enough at 12 weeks,, then there is a possibility that the does are bred. Another possibility is a false pregnancy. Does that get mounted by a rabbit of either sex can experience one, and go through all the motions (including refusing the buck) without any kits being produced. False pregnancies usually resolve before 3 weeks, but I have had the odd doe go to 31 days, make a nest, pull fur, and produce nothing.

If these were my does, I'd prepare as if I believed they were pregnant, but not be too disappointed if they aren't.

 

[GD91]

Ok, thanks for that information. I had a doe experience a "false pregnancy" once years ago, but she was always broody anyway.

Maybe these girls are experiencing false pregnancies. Never mind, if they are not bred, I'll just try them again. The buck will be older by then & hopefully more experienced. I just find it strange that both does are exhibiting the same behaviors. They are both at the same stage if they are bred.

Now, what about supplements?

Can I provide a mineral stone & Vitamins in their water?

Its winter, so I don't want them lacking in anything if they have conceived.

 

[GD91]

Ok, one of the does has wore herself ragged collecting hay all day & making a nest. Its now 01.02AM here & I just did my bedtime check on everything & shes pulling great tufts out from under her dewlap & taking it in her box. I left her undisturbed sitting on her "Nest" that she's been building all day. How exciting!

Its actually the doe I thought wasn't pregnant.... the doe I thought was pregnant is so far not showing any signs of pregnancy apart from refusing the buck, but I haven't checked that lately.

 

[GD91]

And it was a false pregnancy

The other does now building a nest, bet she's got a "false pregnancy" to.