# Doe is early!



## yannimom (Feb 3, 2011)

I have an experienced doe.  She has had 2 litters of 7 and raised 6 both times.  A very attentive mommy.  Both times she kindled on day 30.  She is not due until Feb. 11.  When I went out to the barn this morning, there is fur EVERYWHERE!  Mostly it is in her hidey hole.  A nice fluffy nest!  There is also alot that I guess she pulled and it fell through the wire because it is all over underneath her cage.  She is a Satin/Mini lop.  Is there any chance that she is really having them this early?  Can they make it?  Is there much I can do at this point?


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## AlpacaEmployee (Feb 3, 2011)

I think she's just starting on her nest early. I wouldn't worry about it yet.


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## Bunnylady (Feb 3, 2011)

When did she start her nest the first two times? IME, most does don't change their nesting behavior dramatically, they may get better or more efficient, but they usually stay pretty close to the same pattern. Kits of 22 days' gestation can't survive, if she gives birth this early, it would be considered aborting (which I have seen happen). I have had does that started nests this early, but that was pretty much the pattern they had from their first litters. This is also pretty much in the window for terminating a false pregnancy. A lot of does don't "carry" false pregnancies for the full 31 days, more often calling it quits about day 21. If she continues to work on the nest, I'd continue to watch her closely, some does loooove to keep you guessing!


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## yannimom (Feb 4, 2011)

She has been a last minute girl.  The first time, I didn't know she was expecting.  When I went out to feed the rabbits, I saw fur and some blood and thought something attacked her.  Then I saw the pile of fur moving.  The second time, I caught her carrying straw and she seemed rather frantic about it.  She already had fur pulled.  She had the babies about 30 minutes after.  I know this because she had them in the afternoon (weird?) and I saw the whole thing!  Neat!  Nothing new this morning, though.  She has not been eating much for about 3 days.  Only maybe half her ration of pellets, some oats and some kale.  She is also not spending much time actually sitting in the nest, but kind of next to it.


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## tortoise (Feb 4, 2011)

I leave my does with the buck for a week - 10 days.  I know when the doe is going to kindle soon because she'll stop eating.


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## yannimom (Feb 4, 2011)

Thank you everyone for your comments.  I don't feel as nervous now.  Hopefully she will wait till next week to let me see her babies.


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## yannimom (Feb 10, 2011)

So when I went out to the barn this morning, Dominoe was just sitting on the wire.  There was lots of fur!  I petted her then looked in the nestbox.  Didn't see anything, so I put my hand in there and there was warmth!  I found 4 alive and warm, one off to the side of the bunny pile but still buried, but really, really cold.  It looks like part of one back leg was chewed.  Maybe it got stuck?  I put it in my shirt pocket and brought it in, but it's gone  So she wasn't really early after all ( only by one day).


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## therealsilkiechick (Feb 10, 2011)

awe, i just had a holland deliver a few days ago, about a week early and she ate her litter i found a head and leg.  she is a good brood doe and i have no idea why she had so early or what went wrong. her last litter she had 9 and did everything right and she is experienced so i'm stumped. never had that happen before and hope it doesn't ever happen again.


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## CrimsonRose (Feb 11, 2011)

therealsilkiechick said:
			
		

> awe, i just had a holland deliver a few days ago, about a week early and she ate her litter i found a head and leg.  she is a good brood doe and i have no idea why she had so early or what went wrong. her last litter she had 9 and did everything right and she is experienced so i'm stumped. never had that happen before and hope it doesn't ever happen again.


did anything happen to spook her? They can do weird things like that if they get scared over dogs barking or opossums and raccoons climbing on their cages...


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## therealsilkiechick (Feb 11, 2011)

not that i know of and she is in a mini barn so other critters can't get into where my does r. i'm thinking she double bred at different times (because i accidently left her in w the buck to long) and may still be pregnant and possibly only had one stillborn the other day and not a whole litter like i assumed. she usually has them day 32 which would be in 2 days. she is still acting pregnant and looks bigger to me.


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## CrimsonRose (Feb 11, 2011)

therealsilkiechick said:
			
		

> not that i know of and she is in a mini barn so other critters can't get into where my does r. i'm thinking she double bred at different times (because i accidently left her in w the buck to long) and may still be pregnant and possibly only had one stillborn the other day and not a whole litter like i assumed. she usually has them day 32 which would be in 2 days. she is still acting pregnant and looks bigger to me.


yeah that sounds like what might be going on then... I would just make sure she has plenty of bedding and a nice clean nest box... best wishes!!!


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