Can There Be Just One?

[HomesteaderWife]

Well, I posted here awhile back that we had a female rabbit that did not seem to be pregnant. Showing no signs, and her teats were not swollen. She was supposedly bred when we got her on May 29th, so she was due to pop the end of June. We didn't notice any signs of the pregnancy, and had re-bred her.

I walk out this morning to tend to them and there was a cold little baby in the pen with her, but not stiff, so I knew she had just recently had it. I ran and grabbed a big box, and put some hay in it for her. Even though the baby is not living, I still put it in the box as what I was hoping could be an example of where she could go if she were having more. Should I be concerned as to whether she is having more? Or could she only have one?

I figured I would come in and let her have her privacy for awhile, then go check on her again in 30 minutes or so, or should I wait a bit longer?

I apologize for all the questions, but I am newer to rabbits and trying to do what I can to help the momma bun out.

 

[animalmom]

Seems to me that checking on her during the day would be good. I had one doe, one time, take several hours to deliver all her kits.

How is the doe doing? How are you doing? Inquiring minds are asking, please and thank you.

 

[Bunnylady]

"Normal" for a doe can vary a bit, but there are usually several babies to a litter, and they are all born within about a half hour after 30 - 32 days' gestation. If a doe is carrying a really large litter (12+) she may go earlier; I had a doe deliver 14 on day 27 once. Generally, if a doe goes to day 34 or 35, she is carrying only one or two, and the kits grow so large that the doe has trouble delivering them, and they seldom survive the birth process. A normal kit for a, say, 10-lb doe to deliver would be about 3 to 4 inches long; these things would be around 6 inches long, and either the nose or the feet are often dark and swollen with the blood that was forced into that area with the doe's contractions.

How old is this doe? Has she been bred before? A young, fertile doe bred to a good, fertile buck should produce more than one kit in a litter. Some does have been known to do some pretty unusual things (someone who is a member here said they had a normal litter after something like 40 days' gestation) so I think I'd take a sort of 'wait and see' approach with this girl. Does she seem to be distressed, like she might still be in labor? Some does will split a litter, delivering some at one time, then a few more hours or even days later (English Angora breeders have told me their breed is notorious for this).

If this were my doe, I'd palpate her to see if there were more kits inside her. A full-term kit is pretty hard to miss, but if you don't know what you are feeling for, I don't know how much help that would be.

Have I told you that I believe my rabbits put their heads together when I'm not there and ask each other, "how can we drive her crazy today?" Welcome to rabbit raising!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Well, there's still only one that was delivered. As mentioned, it was lost. The man we bought her from said she has had a litter before, but who knows. Once she got her box, she started pulling fur and making a nest even though the other baby is removed. We said we would wait another day just to make sure no surprise/late babies showed, then would try to breed her again next week.

Yes, I will admit I have NO idea what to feel for. I'm used to palpitating cats and dogs to feel for little ones- not a rabbit. I never felt anything, but when I looked at her earlier I noticed slight swelling on her teats. Maybe we will have better luck the next go around, and I will try to learn as much as I possibly can on breeding and babies in the mean time.

I feel like that is what our animals do- try to drive us crazy.

 

[Bunnylady]

I wouldn't wait even a week to rebreed the doe. As you know, rabbits don't do regular heat cycles like some other animals, but they do experience varying hormone levels. A doe hits one of the highest hormonal peaks she will ever have right after she kindles; she is very fertile at that time and usually very receptive to the buck. If she is bred at that time, she will likely conceive the (numerically) largest litter of which she is capable. If you wait, her hormone levels will drop off, and while she may breed, her litter size will likely be smaller.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I bred her about 3 days afterwards, and she really seemed to take well this time. Very receptive to the buck, and I think we had a successful breeding out of the pair. I am really hoping we will have some buns in the future, and that they will be healthy and happy. It was heartbreaking to see that the one baby did not survive.

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Sorry for your loss @HomesteaderWife!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Well, we re-bred her and had the same exact results yesterday morning. I had a box with hay and everything for her, but she had just one baby outside of the box. It was not alive when I went in to check....and the mother had torn skin off of it (which is the only thing not exactly the same as last time). This is one bad luck doe...

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Well, we re-bred her and had the same exact results yesterday morning. I had a box with hay and everything for her, but she had just one baby outside of the box. It was not alive when I went in to check....and the mother had torn skin off of it (which is the only thing not exactly the same as last time). This is one bad luck doe...

Aww, sorry to hear this @HomesteaderWife!!! :'(

 

[goatgurl]

maybe that's why the previous owner sold her