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in need of advice please!

C

Crunchie08

New Kit
hi, my rabbit mated about 5 week ago and she still hasnt give birth. well iv felt her stomach and as her belly's got fatter the movements have got less and less(probably like our baby's do when we are pregnant) but the question im after is can rabbit hold sperm until they release an egg? because its bin over a week late but the baby's are still moving,and shes as healthy as ever,should i just give her time? or am i right in saying they can hold sperm and can take a few days 2 release the egg?. but i know for sure they havent been near each other since.
now i know there's going 2 be many people that say get her spayed there's many rabbits in the world but don't worry because shes getting spayed asap i have done all the right things for her, iv brought her inside shes in a quiet room and she has a nesting box and many different materials 2 use as bedding, i hope iv just got my dates mixed up.
also i have learn my lesson so please no bad feedback just helpful advice please,thankyou
 
Rabbits can give birth 28-34 days after mating, some even go a day or so later. 5 weeks is just on that border. Although in answer to your question, I have a lot of breeder friends and have never heard of them holding sperm like that.

I hope this doesn't sound like you are stupid, but obviously I don't know you. Do you know how to palpate? Is it possible that you are not palpating properly? Also, is it possible she has reabsorbed, but just gotten fatter maybe? Sorry if you are experienced and that sounds stupid, but some people who are not experienced can confuse signs and signals (such as periastalsis with kit movement, things like that), that's all.
 
thanx i havent palpated b4 but you can feel heads and movements and when shes layed down on her side you can see them moving so i am very sure that she is pregnant but it just feels like a lifetime that shes been pregnant lol and iv read a few things on the internet that rabbits are like rats and mice as in they can store sperm for up to six months after mating:? i have had rabbits all through my childhood but iv never had a pregnant 1 so just want the best for her and make her as comfortable as possible but thanx for you reply you just never know what 2 believe when theres so many different things 2 read thanx again :)
 
I don't think they can store sperm like that, but I know in dogs that sperm can live for up to 72 hours in the female's uterus if she is not quite at the right stage in her cycle for the eggs to be fertliized, but I'm not sure about female bunnies as their reproductive cycles are shorter. So I suppose she could give birth 3 days later than you think, but it wouldn't be weeks.
 
no my male isnt with her theyv bin in separate cages since i got em and let em out together 2 run as i thought they were both girls and thought it was a dominance thing when he tried humping her so i went 2 get him sexed and found out she was a he so they havent been near each other since,and she defiantly is pregnant when she lays on her side you can see each moment clearly and you can tell that they are babys when you feel, http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/74756 this is the site where it says that they can store sperm.
could i also ask could she re-absorb her babys even though they are still moving and so far along in her pregnancy? i really hope iv got my dates mixed up. and the only reason that i ant taken her 2 vets yet is 1.i dont want her getting stressed and 2.is iv bin told 2 wait a few days to a week incase i have got the dates mixed up. like i said earlyer you never know what 2 believe bacause iv read that vets have said 1 thing and other people say another if i see her in any stress ill take her straight 2 the vets but if she was in the wild she'd do it when her body tells her 2 do it. but thank you everyone for caring
 
Are you sure you're not seeing periastalsis?

It is possible he didn't actually do the deed.

They can absorb really far into their pregnancy. I have never heard of them storing the sperm, but even if they do, they are induced ovulators, so will only ovulate when a male is doing his thing, so presumably even if they can store, it wouldn't make a difference because they need a trigger to ovulate.
 
iv heard that theres many people out there that didnt even know there rabbit was pregnant but had the babys with no problems thankfully i know my bunnys temperament and everything and theres bin no signs of stress or change of behavior or anything so i hope that shes'll do it when shes ready
 
Peristalsis is unrelated to pregnancy, it's a common bowel movement where the bowel is digesting the food. It looks like ripples down the belly. I've come across a few people who have confused the two before. Babies kicking look more like little punches outward (apparently).
 
Don't know about babies I'm afraid, it is possible that it's just gut movements you're seeing, but I'd suggest getting the little lad castrated now if he hasn't already been, that way he probably can be reunited with his friend (sister?) once she has had her babies (if there are any!) and they are all grown up :D
 
just to say i have felt these movements my sister has, and i believe they are actually babies never bred bunnies before but have bred dogs and cats my last litter of kittens was born almost 2 weeks ago now and these movements are the same.
 
well everything that iv seen and felt you cant really mistake it,my sisters cats just had kittens but i felt her when she was pregnant and it feels exactly the same plus i have my sisters pregnant dog while my sisters on her hols and it feels exactly the same as her babys moving i dont think i could mistake it really but thanx for letting me know
 
I know with puppies, you see their little feet kicking like someone poking a finger from the inside more than any rippling or wriggling. It's also totally random rather than any rhythmic movement.

Has she started plucking her fur and making a nest?
 
please dont think im being rude 2 any of you cos i appreciate everything from everybody but you really cant mistake the movement of babys with bowl movement it stick really far out and everytime you cup her pregnant belly they move and kick on your hands thers really no mistaking it, i even have a film on my phone,and i keep watching it 2 see if i could be wrong but theres no way that you can, minus the fur it moves like a human pregnant belly which is quite somthing 2 watch.
 
no she hasnt plucked yet but you can tell her fur has got thicker ready for it 2 be plucked, so hopefully it wont be long fingers crossed
 
I have been talking to my breeder friend about this and she has read the post.

This is what she had to say.

~Sounds like the dates might be muddled.
~That much movement it would be unlikely to be bowel problems unless she has an awful bowel. :p
~Normally they kindle at 4 and a half weeks.
~parsley and raspberry leaves can help bring them out.
~She needs nest building materials, and make sure you leave her nice and quiet and don't disturb her. Leave her a lone as much as possible.


This is from me. I have found that some rabbits will only build nests right at the end, so if she ends up quiet and not eating, she is probably looking to kindle within 24 hours, if however, she ends up pushing and straining, she might have a stuck kit or other problem, and so will need immediate vet attention.
 
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