Pregnant rabbit

[Mixedcat13298]

Hey everyone
So I bought a female rabbit from a feed store Tuesday and was told it most likely was pregnant since it came in with a male rabbit from same home
They said she was nesting and probably a week from birth but as soon as she got home she didn't nest and has been super sweet
So many questions are
What week of pregnancy will I be able to feel the babies kicking by just laying my hand on her belly?
Where in the belly should I feel for babies around two weeks in?
Thanks again
Katie
This is my first possibly pregnant rabbit

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm a novice. I read you can feel them after 10 days, but I couldn't. My doe got fat her last week, and made a hay nest a week before but didn't pull fur until she had them.

She had also had a few false pregnancies before, so that's always possible too. They build a nest for a false pregnancy.

I just basically waited the 31 days and than mine had her 7 kits. She got a bit moody and growly during the last 2 weeks too.

 

[Higher Ground Rabbitry]

I've read about how to palpate a rabbit but I clearly need more practice. They say the embryos are about the size of a blueberry at day 10 and the size of a grape at day 14, and that is supposed to be the best window to verify pregnancy. I didn't feel any embryos when I tried it, and both rabbits had nice litters. So I'm planning to find a YouTube video to figure out exactly where on the belly, and hopefully how to get the doe to hold still long enough. Apparently it's possible to feel fecal pellets and think they're embryos. There's no harm in trying it, but it takes practice before you can be confident. I've never felt a baby bunny kick or squirm before birth, but then I've never tried. Unless you have someone experienced that can tell with confidence, I'm afraid the only way to know for sure if she'll have bunnies is to wait and see.

(Did you post pictures on Facebook in the NZ rabbits unlimited group?)

 

[Mixedcat13298]

Yes a bunch today but I just felt her babies move in her belly

 

[Higher Ground Rabbitry]

Thought that was you. I commented, I'm Laura.

Maybe @Bunnylady will have some hints on feeling for babies, but at two weeks pregnant I suspect you felt her gut moving, not babies.

We just bred two does, so I'm going to look again at how to palpate a doe. If I get a chance to research it tonight or tomorrow I'll post any interesting links here for you to check out.

 

[Mixedcat13298]

Would the movements be horizontal or vertical
Hers her belly pic from today

 

[Mixedcat13298]

Here is the hutch she was in at the feed store and what they called her nesting inside the nest box part

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see no nest. Mine made a distinctive bowl shaped nest. Every piece of hay was put in that nest, not a single piece left behind.

 

[Bunnylady]

Feeling for movement probably won't get you very far. Even large breed kits are only about 3" long when they are born, with feet about twice as wide as matchsticks. They grow very fast; at, say, 21 days' gestation, they'd be only about an inch and a half long. By the time the bunnies are big enough to feel them move, they are almost ready to be born, and you should have gotten other signs that birth is imminent.

A baby bunny moving would be very quick and jerky. If the movement you felt seemed sort of slow, it was probably the normal contraction/movement of her digestive system.

(not my picture) This ^^^^^^^ is what is referred to as a "haystache." Rabbit does carry hay like this as they make their nests; the only time I have ever seen this behavior is when a doe is building her nest. Rabbits of either gender will play with hay, but carrying it like this seems to be strictly an expectant doe thing. Does kindle after approximately 31 days' gestation; about the earliest I have ever seen a doe start haystaching would be about 10 days before she is due. Of course, every doe has her own way of doing things, and until you have experience with a particular doe, you can't be sure what her pattern will be.

 

[Higher Ground Rabbitry]

You tube has several videos on palpating rabbits if you want to try. If the crazy link below works, that video talks about palpating at 12 - 14 days AND feeling kicks at 20+ days (didn't catch the exact number.) It's possible that commercial type New Zealands are a little different than her dwarf rabbit, but hopefully I'll check later to see if I can feel baby kicks on my New Zealands. There are other videos too, but I'm out of time for now.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video...hsif&param1=958154643&ei=UTF-8&sigb=13iqm9asr