is 31 days, plus or minus a couple. A doe carrying a big litter may go as few as 28 days. Most of my does go 32. If she goes to 34 or 35 days, she is most likely carrying only one or two, and the babies usually are lost during delivery.
So when the buck and doe breed... does the doe nornally try and mount the buck as well?
Oh, yes! It can be an outrageous wrestling match! When I'm having trouble getting does bred, I will sometimes put a buck and 2 or 3 does in one large cage. I've seen them looking like a bunny conga line!
You've described this animal as "the mean rabbit." A lot of does are a bit cranky and possessive about their space. The only truly vicious rabbits that I have known have all been bucks, but being a bit crabby does sound more like a doe. Does can be perfectly sweet, too - my girl "Cupcake," (RIP
)who played "Chester" on One Tree Hill, was one of the sweetest rabbits you'd ever meet!
32 days and you will have babies. Make sure she has her own cage and a nest box. tsctractor supply sells them. provide straw as bedding.
Yes does will mount bucks if they are ready to breed, or irritated with him trying to mount her. You got to be careful because sometimes the doe can bite and hurt the buck really bad. Anytime two rabbits are together should be supervised. Two bucks should never be together. As well as rabbits you don't know the sex of.
A nesting box will be a good idea; something with sides high enough to keep young kits in while mom can hop in and out. A nesting box is a must especially if you have a wire floored cage.
Great! The cage is one of those with the plastic bottoms and wire tops.
How big should the nesting box be? The cage is maybe a foot and a haldf - 2 feet wide, and three - four feet long. She has an igloo in there right now but ill take it out. Can i use the same straw I do as my ducks or do i need to buy something else? What signs can I look for and also is there a special diet? At about what day can I start feeling the kits inside? The doe , btw, is about ohhh... eight lbs? but i may be wrong, she is kinda hefty. and what doe it mean when she "peeps" at me? It not a grunt, but when i was petting her she let out this little "meep " noise.
Mom is going to be SOOO mad
but she will be ok once the kits are born, she caves in at cuteness.
She is a mutt, I can get pictures if needed. Im not sure what she is a mix of. She is , i guess you would call it, a blue color, with short fur and a crazy hair do
The size of the nesting box needs to be comfortable for the mother rabbit. Big rabbits like New Zealands will need a bigger nesting box than smaller rabbits, for example. It should be cozy, but with some wiggle room. You can get standard sized nesting boxes at places like Tractor Supply that will suffice. The box keeps the kits safe and cozy and gives mom a chance to get away from them for a bit of rest when she feels the need.
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I have been using 10 gallon bucket with a lil hay and a lil hay scattered around the pen (she likes to make the nest herself by playing with it) I've never had a problem with kits escaping cept when their actaully old enough to go chase momma around anyway, you could just put a small blanket under the bucket toward the opening if your worried about them getting out on the wire, please since its like a "cave" mine always stayed warm, a doe of mine raised ALL 8 of her kits in a bucket and she had them on one of the coldest nights this winter, along with another doe who had 7 2 months later and was still cold, Raised all 7. Also have the nest box in there by day 25 so she can get use to it because at about day 27-29 she will start playing with the nest and hay, and dont go by feeling her stomache to know if shes preggo or not, Both times I couldnt feel anything on my rabbits and 8 and 7 popped out later
Shes also a Big black lionhead mix and she fit just fine in the bucket and never hurt the babies getting in or out
Goat_walker, do a google search of "Chu method of nestbox management" . This is the way I raise my kits and it is a wonderful experience(especially if you like to be hands on with your pets)