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Are there any surefire signs of a pregnant doe?

How long ago do you think conception would have occured? If she is very aggresive to intruders and making a nest then they could either indicate a real pregnency or a phantom one. When pregnency is mature then you would be able to feel the babies inside her. If they would still be too small to feel then you could ask your vet to do an ultrasound.
 
Ooh, you're very close to me :)
Tim is right, if she's being quite aggressive it could mean it's either a phantom or a real.
Why do you think she's preggaz?
 
Dont worry I know the bunny rules re: not breeding :)

Her bunny she is bonded with is a male who is neutered. He was neutered 3 weeks ago they have been together since and I know he is technically fertile for up to 28 after being neutered but there was no way of keeping them apart any longer due to personal circumstances and the general dynamic of my foursome. So they have been together since he was neutered and it is making me worried. I am watching her like a hawk. She isnt aggressive but she is constantly digging and sitting in a burrow. I just dont know what to do. I cant physically get far enough into the burrow (at least til tomorrow) to check if there are already babies in it, there have been none in hutches I check each morning. I know rabbits tend to give birth overnight and she is always in a hutch over night - with the other 3. Which also worries me as I dont want anyone potentially eating babies if they are born over night.

But besides my general paranoia I have no reason to think she is pregnant. :) I just want to know so I can best look after all the rabbits including her and any potential babies. I have had a good feel of her tummy and I must admit I cant feel anything but I am not a vet! I will probably take her to my vet ASAP and get them to check her out just for my peace of mind. If she isnt pregnant now I can breathe easy as it will now be impossible for her to get pregnant!
 
Hmmm i think there would be a possibilty this is nest building?
NOT SURE THOUGH - i'd get her checked at a vets. Are you willing to have her offspring? If not, maybe she needs an emergency spay if she's in her early stages (where they're just little blobs)
Hope it all goes well for you
Xx
 
Hmmm i think there would be a possibilty this is nest building?
NOT SURE THOUGH - i'd get her checked at a vets. Are you willing to have her offspring? If not, maybe she needs an emergency spay if she's in her early stages (where they're just little blobs)
Hope it all goes well for you
Xx

I suspect she is just digging burrow as a nice warm spot as it started when the cold snap came on. But I dont know. I would keep whatever babies she were to have or give half to some very responsible close friends & family who know how to look after rabbits.
 
I know rabbits tend to give birth overnight and she is always in a hutch over night - with the other 3. Which also worries me as I dont want anyone potentially eating babies if they are born over night.

But besides my general paranoia I have no reason to think she is pregnant. :) I just want to know so I can best look after all the rabbits including her and any potential babies. I have had a good feel of her tummy and I must admit I cant feel anything but I am not a vet! I will probably take her to my vet ASAP and get them to check her out just for my peace of mind. If she isnt pregnant now I can breathe easy as it will now be impossible for her to get pregnant!


Hi, we have recently had two litters but the same doe. The first time, the babies were born during the day and the dad was present. He didn't harm the babies at all and has the hump big time now that I have seperated him. The second litter were born at night and the first litter of babies (3) were there. Again no harm came to the babies - I think the mum just put the older babies in the 'open' section of the hutch and the new babies are warm and toasty in the 'closed' section.

The first time, I have to say I had no idea she was pregnant. She didn't get any bigger and she only pulled fur about an hour before they were born. She wasn't aggressive towards me etc. The litter were born all over the hutch so I had to make a nest and was worried about her feeding them etc but the 'mother' side of her came out :)

The second time, again I didn't really know until the day they were born. She pulled fur out on the day and was gathering straw/hay (again on the day) and they were born that night. Again she didn't get any bigger. I thought there was a chance she might be (the dad escaped and got into her side of the garden) and the only other 'clue' (until the day the babies were born) was that she was eating *lots* and *lots* of food!! Not the first pregnancy but the second pregnancy ... not sure if that was just pregnancy related or the fact that she was feeding the original babies and then pregnant on top as well.
 
Hi, we have recently had two litters but the same doe. The first time, the babies were born during the day and the dad was present. He didn't harm the babies at all and has the hump big time now that I have seperated him. The second litter were born at night and the first litter of babies (3) were there. Again no harm came to the babies - I think the mum just put the older babies in the 'open' section of the hutch and the new babies are warm and toasty in the 'closed' section.

The first time, I have to say I had no idea she was pregnant. She didn't get any bigger and she only pulled fur about an hour before they were born. She wasn't aggressive towards me etc. The litter were born all over the hutch so I had to make a nest and was worried about her feeding them etc but the 'mother' side of her came out :)

The second time, again I didn't really know until the day they were born. She pulled fur out on the day and was gathering straw/hay (again on the day) and they were born that night. Again she didn't get any bigger. I thought there was a chance she might be (the dad escaped and got into her side of the garden) and the only other 'clue' (until the day the babies were born) was that she was eating *lots* and *lots* of food!! Not the first pregnancy but the second pregnancy ... not sure if that was just pregnancy related or the fact that she was feeding the original babies and then pregnant on top as well.

thank you for the helpful descriptions! At least you are breaking the myth that all babies are born at night... that is really important to me as she is in a totally different place day and night so I need to know what I am looking for. :) I havent noticed any fur pulling or hay gathering or excessive eating though.
 
thank you for the helpful descriptions! At least you are breaking the myth that all babies are born at night... that is really important to me as she is in a totally different place day and night so I need to know what I am looking for. :) I havent noticed any fur pulling or hay gathering or excessive eating though.

I know I was really shocked! I opened the door of the hutch about 8am (no signs!) and normally both rabbits are eager to go outside in the garden. However this day they didn't! Checked about half nine and there was some fur and then I went and checked again around 11am and there was the mum looking a bit 'what happened there' and the dad looking quite proud and 5 little babies spread on both levels of the hutch!

I went into 'panic' mode and was thinking what do I do now! Had a little look on the internet and they said to make a nest etc so I did, got a small box, laid a towel and straw/hay and what fur I could find and picked up the little ones and put them in there. One baby that was at the bottom of the hutch was already dead and we did loose another baby the following day. The remaining three are still with me and are doing very well :)

The second litter she has been much better, she had pulled fur and made a nest and when I found them in the morning, all four were (still are!) toasty and cosy in the nest.

Something else, I have just remembered (and was surprised about when I read about it and noticed it) was that the mum dont really stick with the babies. IE Star (my rabbit mum) will leave the hutch in the morning and not go back until the night time and very rarey does see seem to 'check' on the babies (this was the same both first and second litter) so if your rabbit is sitting where you think the babies are then there probably isn't any babies if that makes sense?
 
Something else, I have just remembered (and was surprised about when I read about it and noticed it) was that the mum dont really stick with the babies. IE Star (my rabbit mum) will leave the hutch in the morning and not go back until the night time and very rarey does see seem to 'check' on the babies (this was the same both first and second litter) so if your rabbit is sitting where you think the babies are then there probably isn't any babies if that makes sense?

I know my friend whose rabbit had babies said the same thing! So I am bearing it in mind... she has been in there A LOT recently but not for the last hour.

I am actually contemplating getting a plumber to my house so I can use his telescopic camera to see inside the bloody burrow and know once and for all if anything is in there! My vet just suggested it (joking) and I actually thought "thats not a bad idea!"
 
If she is pregnant, boy bunny will need taking out anyway.

Buns are still fertile for up to 6 weeks after op - someone on here had babies 5 weeks after boy bun was neutered.

It's possible you can have a spay - some vets will spay up to 3 weeks into pregnancy.

Good luck
 
Dont worry I know the bunny rules re: not breeding :)

Her bunny she is bonded with is a male who is neutered. He was neutered 3 weeks ago they have been together since and I know he is technically fertile for up to 28 after being neutered

But besides my general paranoia I have no reason to think she is pregnant. :)

How can it be general paranoia when you've been told male rabbits can get female rabbits pregnant for up to 6weeks after their ops? Vets don't advise that newly neutered males and unspayed females are kept apart for this time to avert paranoia - it's so unwanted litters are avoided. I hope your personal circumstances don't stop you seperating mum and babies and different sexed babies when the time comes otherwise you will have more than one pregnant rabbit to worry about.
 
I agree she is likely to be pregnant. If she has babies in a burrow then you run a lot of risks, so ideally she needs to have them in a hutch, so the burrows need to be blocked up and she needs to be stopped from digging anymore.

I am not far away from you so if you ever need any help or whatever then feel free to holler (I live between Ipswich and Colchester).

You could try finding a local breeder who could palpate for you, or a rabbit savvy vet who could palpate. I wouldn't suggest doing it yourself because when someone does it and don't know what they are doing they can hamr both kits and mum, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.
 
How can it be general paranoia when you've been told male rabbits can get female rabbits pregnant for up to 6weeks after their ops? Vets don't advise that newly neutered males and unspayed females are kept apart for this time to avert paranoia - it's so unwanted litters are avoided. I hope your personal circumstances don't stop you seperating mum and babies and different sexed babies when the time comes otherwise you will have more than one pregnant rabbit to worry about.

Sorry I find treading the lines on this website very difficult its extremely easy to get slightly judgemental posts like this one. I of course do everything I can for my rabbits. In fact the whole reason I have this particular male is that his mother was a rescued abused wild rabbit. So please dont lecture me I am very responsible - and I dont feel I really want to explain or justify myself. If I had a guilty conscience I assure you I would not post on this website and welcome negative input. Thanks. :)
 
I agree she is likely to be pregnant. If she has babies in a burrow then you run a lot of risks, so ideally she needs to have them in a hutch, so the burrows need to be blocked up and she needs to be stopped from digging anymore.

I am not far away from you so if you ever need any help or whatever then feel free to holler (I live between Ipswich and Colchester).

You could try finding a local breeder who could palpate for you, or a rabbit savvy vet who could palpate. I wouldn't suggest doing it yourself because when someone does it and don't know what they are doing they can hamr both kits and mum, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.

Thanks very much for your kind offer! I will be taking her to the vets. I am getting rabbit stress on all sides today!!! grrr
 
I think it's easy to be judgemental, not knowing the exact situation. But to be honest, there's no way or any situation that I would ever put a newly castrated buck in with a doe. I wouldn't want babies so wouldn't take the risk, even if it meant making my life difficult by having to arrange my rabbit staying elsewhere. You are obviously responsible by having your buck neutered and whats done is done.

As it is, not all bucks will attempt to mount after being neutered. one of my boys was constantly mounting his partner up until his neuter, after which he didn't try once. Hopefully this will be the case in your situation.

Goodluck!
 
Sorry I find treading the lines on this website very difficult its extremely easy to get slightly judgemental posts like this one. I of course do everything I can for my rabbits. In fact the whole reason I have this particular male is that his mother was a rescued abused wild rabbit. So please dont lecture me I am very responsible - and I dont feel I really want to explain or justify myself. If I had a guilty conscience I assure you I would not post on this website and welcome negative input. Thanks. :)

I think that's a bit harsh - to be fair, "very responsible" doesn't include putting a newly castrated buck in with an unspayed adult doe :? To be honest I'm a bit disappointed at all the problems you're now having after all the time I spent giving you advice when you just had the two, as all this could have been completely avoidable - not least by just sticking with the two :?

How old was the boy when he was neutered? Was it done as soon as his 'bits' dropped? I think your only realistic hope of her not being pregnant is if he was still really young and not producing fertile sperm by the time he was castrated.
 
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next time you can get hold of her,have a feel and see if you can feel any enlarged nipples,just incase she in preggie put down plenty of "russell rabbit bedding"this is very soft finely chopped straw,it makes a wonderful soft base for a nest.
 
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