Question about my pregnant rabbit

[toddntiff]

So my doe, a holland lop, is about 2 1/2 weeks pregnant. (This Wednesday marks 3 weeks). She and the male holland are let out of their cages each day into the goat pen where they run and play all day long and then at night, because it's colder, we've been putting them in the garage in a kiddie pool with rabbit wire around it and it's filled with hay for them to bed down into. Well, today when we went to bring them in for the night, we noticed inside that both rabbits were inside the goat house. It is filled with hay, but on the dirt floor. There is a pallet in one corner of the house with hay on top of it as well. So...underneath the pallet looks to be a tunnel. It was getting dark and we couldn't see how deep it was or if there was anything in it.
We put them in the garage and felt the females stomach and she is still pregnant. My question is this...is she beginning to nest already and building the tunnel to have the babies there? Should I not let her outside for awhile to prevent her from having the babies outside? There isn't natural sunlight in the garage so if I were to take away her playtime outside...what do I do to help her get sunlight? If I did let her stay outside and have her babies, would the male eat them? We wanted to do a colony type set-up anyway once these babies were bigger...but we just didn't know how to handle it in the beginning.
As far as them being in the goat house...there is only one goat, a mini-lamancha who loves the rabbits and they have been seen laying side-by-side. With them burrowing under the pallet I'm not as concerned about the babies being stepped on by the goat when they are tiny.
So many questions about how to handle this!!! Thanks for your advice!

 

[redhen]

hi...how long are rabbits pregnant for?..if i remember right..its not very long...(i think)..i would keep her safe and secure inside till she has them....also..wont the males eat the babies?...i believe you have to seperate them..or he will eat the babies..(again, i think)...the bunny experts on here will reply to you..best of luck!..Wendy

 

[d.k]

* Your doe should have her own cage and a nest box to have her babies. The nest box should be filled with hay and she will burrow in that and ought to line it with fur from her belly to cushion the kits and keep them warm. I would set it up now. She'll have the babies, probably overnight of day 28. Time for dad to be a lonely bachelor again for awhile.

 

[coffeemama]

d.k :

* Your doe should have her own cage and a nest box to have her babies. The nest box should be filled with hay and she will burrow in that and ought to line it with fur from her belly to cushion the kits and keep them warm. I would set it up now. She'll have the babies, probably overnight of day 28. Time for dad to be a lonely bachelor again for awhile.

ditto​

 

[TheTeenyTinyFarm]

My doe always had her babies early in the morning. Watch her when she plays outside, usually a few days before she gives birth she will start to collect hay to make her nest. Once she makes that nest, she will start pulling her hair out to line the nest for the kits.

Yes, does will have their babies in a hole that they dig, but if you know for sure what day of pregnancy she is on and it hasn't been a full 3 1/2 weeks, she most likely hasn't had them yet. I would put her up, a couple of days will not hurt her to be up.

I have never had a buck eat the babies, but my buck is more like a dog, sweet as can be. Some bucks will though so since you are not sure, keep them separated.

I hope this helps.

 

[d.k]

* I did have 2 high-strung does that would scatter/eat kits; One of them was young and I was able to "re-hab" her fairly easily. The other was quite an older doe, so I after rescuing the second litter (the first didn't survive) I just didn't breed her again.

 

[toddntiff]

Thanks for the input! I have put her inside the laundry room in a cage for now. I know she doesn't like it...she loves to run and play. But this way I can keep my eye on her and the babies since she is a first time mom. With it being about a week away (until 28 days) she will have time to get use to her new surroundings and feel comfortable having her babies!