Update: sad :( HELP!!!! What do I do with my pregnant Rabbit?? (pics)

[Farm girl 1465]

We recently bred my young Flemish Giant. As of today she is 14 days pregnant. She currently rotates out of an inclosed area with our other rabbit. I was wondering when, or if I should limit her to her cage only.She is able to jump in and out of her cage while outside now, but has an overturned kids pool she likes to sleep under. I am just worried that she may make a nest somewhere other then in her cage.

Should I keep her in her cage at day 28 when you would put the nest box in? Or sooner

Also if I have her in the cage for the last few days with my other male snooping about outside, Would it upset her enough to hurt the babbies?

The magority of the time he leaves her alone but

......Just not sure if this will be too much of a distraction?

Thanks for the help!!!

He goes underneath.....

And right beside....

Ocationally he goes crazy and starts running in circles all around the pen!!!

 

[EmAbTo48]

LOL this is super cute! I would for sure keep her in the cage once shes closer so you can keep an eye on the kits also. If she will get along with the buck I don't see any harm right now. But some females will actually attack the buck when they are pregnant since they don't want anything to do with them

I would at least once closer not allow the male to be around her anymore. Let her focus on her kits!

 

[Czech's_chicks]

I second putting her in an area by herself. Flemish are docile but can be aggressive because of the kits, so you don't want to chance it. BUT ultimately, you know your rabbits and it's a judgment call. I had two sister does that used to stay together regardless and they would kindle at the same time and often shared nest boxes or would alternate which ones they nursed. Not sure if that was out of confusion, or not.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Definitely separate her soon. I wouldn't wait until she is getting real close since she may show signs of aggression toward the buck, like the others said.
Also, by keeping her in the cage, you have limited her to where she can have the babies and don't have to worry about finding them in a hole under the pool. Also, rabbits can get bred immediately after kindling, so you don't want to take a chance at her getting pregnant again right away. She will need time with the kits and time to recover from the whole thing first.
Good luck. I won't do the huge rabbits, but we have Mini Rex and Netherland Dwarfs. It is always ups and downs with rabbits.

 

[Farm girl 1465]

I'm not too worried about her being aggesive toward my buck and we don't let them out together so no worries there.

Recently she started to gently wine and grunt if he gets too crazy but doesn't hide, thump, or attack him through the cage.....

Athough when she's outside (with the buck in his cage) she constantly sniffs and lays down to relax right under his cage.

I'm still quite confused about what her feelings are?

Mainly wondering if I should keep the Buck in his cage full time when/if

....she has her kits so she doesn't hurt them?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Keep her in the cage. She will start pulling fur from the chest/ belly area and make a nest for her babies. I wouldn't worry about the buck outside the cage, she is not likely to hurt them.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

The whines and grunts are her telling him to, politely, bug off - she's pregnant and not interested. That may be as far at it goes from here on out but, then again, tomorrow, his persistence may make her want to rip his face off.

LOL People and animals aren't that different from each other so you can probably relate to her a bit, but male rabbits are not part of the picture at kindling. The doe will be fine if she never see's him again until she's ready to breed again in 4 months or so.

I have never seen a doe hurt her babies because a buck was nearby. However, I have had does eat their kits. Stress has always played a role their reasoning, though, not from things some would think - like people hanging about or touching the babies. If your doe is used to a stimuli, she'll probably be okay with it at kindling - to a point. My rabbits are used to me, four boys, dogs, cats, chickens, and goats being in or around the barn . They're used to all that but still, we tend to keep the ruckus down near kindling time just out of courtesy.

After they're born, though, the babies are picked up immediately to see if everyone is okay and then, at least once a day after that. Gotta count them every day, check on peanuts (if you have dwarf rabbits), make sure every kit has a full belly after about 24 hrs and goes from wrinkly to plump in a about three days, monitor the cleanliness of the nest box, check eyes on day 10 or 11, etc. Plus, it's a great way to have your rabbits grow up tame (kinda like holding chicks).

Glance at mama, too, although you probably don't want to be picking her up unless she gives you good reason to. She'll clean herself up and get on with her inconspicuous mothering the way rabbits do (you might not even see her nurse them).

I'm sure everything will be fine with your doe. I'd say just go with your gut when it comes to your buck. Do keep very close tabs on her when she's out over the next two weeks. She'll dig a hole from here to China before you even notice and that is exactly where you don't want her and her litter - where you cannot help or recover them. So maybe a mandatory lock down, erm, "bed rest" should be implemented at the end of week three? Or, before that if she shows any signs of nesting.

I'm excited for you. Babies are fun.

 

[bossynbella]

I completely agree with ChickenPotPie we had a doe who from the time she was bred could no longer be allowed on the ground, she was intent on digging a burrow to china, and trying to pull a 10lb doe from a deep hole in the ground is no fun, even less fun when you are trying to be sure not to hurt her belly! We learned early on, once Blue is bred she doesn't leave her cage.
Good luck with the new bunnies!

 

[holdinggold]

Besides all the good advice from everyone else, please keep in mind that just because she is already pregnant doesn't mean she won't mate with the buck & get pregnant "again". Rabbits have 2 uterine horns & can carry 2 litters at the same time.

Also, she will be VERY in heat & VERY fertile almost immediately after she kindles. In the wild rabbits breed back 24-48 hours after giving birth.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Quote:
I didn't mention this because it was said the two aren't out at the same time, but it is true what holdinggold said. And nursing kits is much more stressful on the doe than being pregnant and kindling. If she has to nurse two litters, it would not only be very rough on her but the younger kits may not be able to compete with the bigger, stronger kits for milk. They may starve to death.

You know, I had always heard this but had never known of any cases of it myself. Until it happened in my barn a few months ago. I have a one kit from a litter of 3 who has a different birthday than the others. LOL Surprised the heck out of me especially since I fostered the first born to another doe (thought it was a single kit litter). I was very lucky to have been lazy about taking out the next box, though! Because two days later, I saw the wool moving in there. Wow. LOL

When I mentioned it on a rabbit forum, people came out of the woodwork sharing cases of this - some with litters as far as 16 days apart!