2 days to go- no sign she's getting ready

[Kaye]

I have a NZ mix doe I bread with my lionhead/ dwarf buck. She's due in two days with no sign of nesting. I have a box with her, and she's ha it in there for the last two weeks. I trie to keep some wood chips in it for the first couple of days, but she thru them all out. She hasn't started pulling hair like all my others did. I'm pretty sure she is preggers bc I can feel the swelling when I touch her belly/ booby area. I haven't had her very long, so this will be her first litter with Thumper, my buck. I hope she's not one of those who's going to kill her babies, or have them all over the cage so they die that way.... I've had all of that happen, but they have always pulled hair about a week(at least 5 days or so) before birthing. She's had litters before, as I chose between her and her daughter, do I feel like she should be doing something about now

 

[Shorty]

I have a doe that doesn't pull hair until after she kindles, and another that pulls right before she kindles. I don't put the nest box in until day 28 otherwise they start using it as a litter box. Maybe @Bunnylady @promiseacres @Pastor Dave have more to add

 

[promiseacres]

Agree with you Shorty, most of mine don't show signs until the morning after.

 

[LukeMeister]

Yeah, mine always wait 'til the last second to make a nest and pull fur.
Good luck!

 

[Pastor Dave]

I always put in the box on Day #28 and mine generally don't pull hair until they feel they're in labor.
My most senior doe had hers on the wire mesh floor the other day. I think she was just too hot to think abt getting in the box. I found them and put them in the box, and she pulled fur and cared for them. So, even the predictable ones do their own thing sometimss. One of my does almost never gains much weight/size, but has always kindled and had small litters. She cares for them well, and brings them to weaning.
Just never know. More experience they get, the more they kinda duplicate next time.

 

[Bunnylady]

Of the hundreds of does I have bred, only a couple have pulled hair more than a day or so before their litters are due. If a doe pulls fur a week before, I generally assume that she has a false pregnancy.

They typically will collect hay and dig in corners for a week or more, which helps me to know where to put the nest box when the time comes. Has she done none of that? You say she is an experienced doe; did her previous owner tell you what she did with the other litters? As Pastor Dave said, does tend to set a pattern and repeat it.

 

[samssimonsays]

I agree with Bunny Lady. Usually if there is a sign too early I will assume a false pregnancy. But I have had does pull fur every time another doe was in labor wether she was pregnant or not. (I have all the weirdo animals).

 

[Kaye]

Okay you all just made me feel so relieved. I will let you all know what she does. The previous owner told me she's had a litter every time she breeds and that her first litter she had all ofer the wire floor and squished some. I assumed her other litters she cared for. I saw a few of her bunnies when I went and picked her up. She's around 3 1/2 or 4 years old.
On a side note: all my other does I have had have all been first litter does. (Breed them and have them adopted as pets) Maybe this has something to do with the early hair pulling?? I've never had a doe who's had litters before and I also have never had NZ rabbits and they're a lot different than my dwarfs and lops. I've also never had a doe not take when breeding. How else would I know if it's a false pregnancy?? Just wait and see??
She hasn't used her box as a litter box, she goes in the opposite corner. But I guess I never even thought of that. I just guess I randomly put it in the right place every time... Do all rabbits go in just one spot?? Or is this just because I put the collection pan there??
Sorry so many questions, I'm just clueless right now and it has been about 16 years since I last had anymore than one bunny at a time.
THANK YOU ALL

 

[LukeMeister]

How's she doing?

 

[Kaye]

I'm assuming it was a false pregnancy. No babies, but all swelling is gone. She doesn't even feel like she ever was. I didn't think false would go so far, I mean I was COMPLETELY fooled until the very last day.... Lol
I'm going to try to breed her once more, if nothing happens next time I'm going to find a different doe. Have her adopted as a pet and only a pet