Palpation results

[Tristen23]

I palpated my doe who is about 8 days along and felt round balls the size of rabbit poo. Easily felt between 3 - 4 balls close together and just below the spine in the lower abdomen. At 8 days of age should they be about this size or am I just feeling poo (if that is even possible :/ ) ? I was told to feel for marble sized balls but I'm feeling smaller sized balls, thinking it's because they're 8 days old instead of the 11 -14 day old to feel feel for marbles. Anyone? I really want babies

 

[brentr]

The key phrase in your post is "just below the spine." You most likely felt poop balls if they felt like poop balls in that location. The reason 11-14 days is suggested for palpation is that the fetuses are larger than poop, but still compact enough to be felt and recognized. I personally think that it takes almost expert level skill to palpate at day 7/8 and confirm pregnancy. I know I can't do it because I've tried. Day 7 palpation - not sure; day 11 palpation - bingo. Size matters in this case.

A couple things I've learned about palpation with my rabbits: one is the location of the fetuses is back almost in the groin. I fooled myself a couple times early on when I thought I had felt a "big grape/marble" and realized later that it was the kidney. The kidneys are up just behind the ribcage. So I make sure I'm feeling down lower in the abdomen (top to bottom) and back between the hind legs.

Two, poop balls and fetal rabbits don't feel the same. Poop is very round, and hard. Fetus is grape shaped at 11-14 days, and firm but slippery. I suggest you palpate a doe you KNOW is not pregnant, find the poop balls, and squeeze just a little harder - you'll see how they don't really give at all, and you can feel the hardness. A fetus doesn't feel that way. It is squishier, and it will slide/slip between your fingers while you are gently squeezing.

I find it helpful to palpate the doe at day 11, and if I suspect pregnancy, I'll re-palpate at day 14. On day 14 I find the fetuses in the same locations, and they are usually a little larger to the feel. In does I think are pregnant at day 11 but ultimately aren't, that day 14 check usually reveals that what I felt isn't in the same location, and I can't find it again.

You can always try test mating to back up your palpation, but that is risky. Some pregnant does willingly breed, some open does actively resist, so the behavior itself isn't always a sure indicator.

Best of luck with your rabbits!

 

[Tristen23]

Today is the 14 day mark, what I am feeling are round balls, now a little larger than poop now much lower from the spine. Felt them between in the area between her hind legs. They seem to be quite slippery and soft but I am just not sure... They are all somewhat in a line, I can tell you that but don't know if poop are also aligned in a line.

Also put the buck and her back on the table and she still grunted and would not lift. I'll still provide a nest just in case but does anyone have any thoughts? Size a little larger than poop but not quite the size of a marble 2 weeks after meeting the buck.

 

[brentr]

Sounds like you might have a winner. Palpate again at about day 26 - you should be able to feel the whole body, and it'll just help reinforce that you felt the right things on day 14.

Worst case, the doe has no litter and you get a lesson that what you felt wasn't right - now you have a mental note to compare the next time you palpate a doe.

One of the reasons I like rabbits is that it only takes 32 days to know for sure if there is a litter or not. Waiting on an "is she or isn't she" goat doe would kill me!

 

[Tristen23]

Thanks, I'll palpate again in a little less than two weeks then report back.

Checking my buck, he doe not have the round balls I felt in my doe. It is convincing me a little more that those round balls I felt were fetuses.

 

[Tristen23]

Day 26, I feel round marble sized balls, VERY close together. Felt at least four, tightly in a line. Should they be stretched out or still curled in a ball? Fecal matter or fetuses?

Read some material that claimed that I should be able to feel actual heads and bodies at this point, starting to think that the breeding did not take. :/

 

[brentr]

At day 26 they would be quite larger than marbles. If I had to guess, I'd say your doe didn't conceive.

 

[Tristen23]

Palpated again today, this time a little longer and I felt something more elongated, a couple inches in length. It did take a while to find, it was not something I could feel right away.
Positioned just after the rib cage. I'll provide a nest box for a week to see what happens then rebreed if nothing comes up.