Aggressive Doe

Hi All,
First of all I just want to state that I live in New Zealand and domestic rabbits are not over populated here, so please no advice on breeding more unwanted rabbits
Anyway, I have a lop eared doe and a dwarf rabbit.. I think they may have mated when first introduced (about 16 days ago).
Yesterday I separated them and now my doe is very agitated, aggressive and lunges every time we put our hands in to pet her or feed her.
She seems to always want to eat but is not pulling out fur or collecting straw.
I am a first time rabbit owner and am hoping to let her have one litter before they are sexed.
I tried to palpate her but could not feel anything. Could she be pregnant though with the symptoms I have described? Any help would be great. Thanks :wave:

Hi there! It sounds very much as if she could be pregnant as some does get very territorial in this condition. I doubt whether you would be able to feel any kits even when she is ready to have them.

She might start making a nest any time from now on, but could wait until a few days or even hours before parturition. I trust you have separated her from the buck now as she could get pregnant as soon as she gives birth if he is still with her. I hope everything goes well for her and the babies which will be born about 31 days after she was mated with.

Hi ya,
Thank you for your reply!!
Yes I have separated them, I have been searching the internet and stumbled across some knowledge that rabbits can get pregnant again (whilst already being pregnant. Wow!!!) So I am glad I found that.
I will keep a very close eye on her and see how it goes, if not, I may try again.
Thanks again for your advice

It's tough to tell, rabbit can have phantom pregnancies which are almost identical to normal ones but they don't actually produce anything. Aggression could just be she's hormonal, sometimes having a buck around will trigger that even if they never actually meet, let alone are pregnant. Some does do the same think when they mature without there being any other rabbits about! Unfortunately you might well be stuck with that behaviour until after neutering now. It's a bit late now but I wouldn't recommend breeding in future from any rabbit that shows a tendency towards aggression.

Eating all the time is normal for all bunnies, just make sure she's got plenty of hay to munch on

If it's your first litter I doubt you'd manage to work it out by feel which is the most reliable way of detecting it, a vet experienced with rabbits might be able to check for you, otherwise it will just be a case of waiting 28-31 days since they were separated and see what results! They only nest build a few days before delivery so don't expect that yet.

In preparation I'd make sure you'd got an emergency vet contact, any extra accommodation you need to acquire, you could also introduce some higher protein pellets aimed at breeding does.