# Need help with pregnant doe



## Haley Renee (May 14, 2016)

I just recently purchased a pregnant doe (three to be exact, but two of the still have 2 weeks to go) and am needing some help. I was told she should have her babies yesterday (may 13th) and she hasnt. She's taken to destroying the nesting box i've placed for her, eating all of the newspaper and hay in it, and has stopped showing signs of being close to kindling. Is there anything i can do, or signs to know by? This is my first pregnant doe to have, and am a bit on edge about the whole thing. She's a french angora, if that matters.


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## promiseacres (May 14, 2016)

Rabbits will kindle day 28 to 35... many on day 31. So double check dates. Best nest material imo is straw, usually they won't eat it. A wooden or metal nest box, or in some cases plastic is best and generally they won't be able to destroy. Couple things to consider, 1 she didn't get pregnant and 2 she was probably stressed by the move and may of absorbed the kits. But wait until day 35, 36 to remove the nest box.


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## Haley Renee (May 14, 2016)

Okay, thanks for the help! Is absorbing the kits something that happens often when they get stressed?


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## promiseacres (May 14, 2016)

Haley Renee said:


> Okay, thanks for the help! Is absorbing the kits something that happens often when they get stressed?


Yes.


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## Haley Renee (May 14, 2016)

promiseacres said:


> Yes.


I see. Thanks for your help!


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## promiseacres (May 14, 2016)

Any changes (in this case a new home) can cause an animal to lose a pregnancy.  Definitely a risk to buy a bred doe but not always. Hopefully she's just late.


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## Haley Renee (May 14, 2016)

promiseacres said:


> Any changes (in this case a new home) can cause an animal to lose a pregnancy.  Definitely a risk to buy a bred doe but not always. Hopefully she's just late.


Ahhh, goodness. I did sooo much research before purchasing them and never read a single thing about this! I'm definitely hoping all will be well, but am very much on edge.


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## Latestarter (May 15, 2016)

Greetings @Haley Renee from the front range In Colorado  Welcome to BYH. Sorry you're having issues with your doe... Hope it all comes out OK. We have some really good, active, Rabbiteers here, so if you have a question, you should get a timely answer (or 2/3/4/...)  Glad you joined us! Hope you'll share some pics when you find the time.


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## Bunnylady (May 15, 2016)

How far along was she supposed to be when you bought her? You say she has "stopped showing signs of being close to kindling," what "signs" was she showing? 

While does can absorb kits, they can only do it in the fairly early stages of pregnancy. I've had a couple of does that aborted litters at about 3 weeks' gestation due to stress, but the fetuses were there to be seen; even if the does had managed to eat all of them, there would most likely have been traces of blood as a sign that something had happened. 

However an actual pregnancy ends, a doe would stop acting pregnant at that time. In the case of these two miscarriages or premature deliveries (or whatever you want to call them) that I witnessed, the does had no chance to make nests, and wouldn't have been nest making at that stage anyway. 

Something that is very common in rabbits is a false pregnancy. Just being mounted by another rabbit (even another doe) can cause a doe to experience one. I've heard that does with false pregnancies usually end them within about 3 weeks, but I have had many does go all the way to day 31, make a nest, pull fur, the whole nine yards, and produce nothing. This is the reason that so many rabbit breeders feel the need to learn to palpate; it saves them the bother of making preparations for a litter that is only a figment of a doe's imagination.

If a doe seemed to be making preparations, and the stopped without producing kits around day 30-32, my best bet would be a false pregnancy. But I second promiseacres' advice to leave the box until day 35 or 36, just in case.


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## Haley Renee (May 15, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> How far along was she supposed to be when you bought her? You say she has "stopped showing signs of being close to kindling," what "signs" was she showing?
> 
> While does can absorb kits, they can only do it in the fairly early stages of pregnancy. I've had a couple of does that aborted litters at about 3 weeks' gestation due to stress, but the fetuses were there to be seen; even if the does had managed to eat all of them, there would most likely have been traces of blood as a sign that something had happened.
> 
> ...


I purchased her when she was about three weeks in, with a week left. I was given the dates, told she should have them by friday (even though it was day 28, she assured me it should happen then) and on Wednesday she began pulling fur/pacing/messing with and/or building her nesting box. late thursday she stopped pulling fur, pacing and now only goes in her nesting box to eat. I know that today is day 31, but because i was told she would have them friday and didn't, i just wanted to take extra pre-cautions. like i said, this is my first pregnant doe ever.


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## Ebers (May 15, 2016)

Almost all of my does kindle on day 31 or 32 so hang in there you've been given some excellent advice, they've helped me through some stressful situations lately


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## Bunnylady (May 15, 2016)

In over 30 years of breeding rabbits, and hundreds of does, I have only had a handful kindle on day 28, and they were carrying very large litters. I had one doe that always kindled on day 30, regardless of the size of the litter. The vast majority have been day 31 or 32, though if they go to day 35, there are usually only 1 or 2 huge babies, and they take so long to  deliver, they hardly ever survive.


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## Haley Renee (May 15, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> In over 30 years of breeding rabbits, and hundreds of does, I have only had a handful kindle on day 28, and they were carrying very large litters. I had one doe that always kindled on day 30, regardless of the size of the litter. The vast majority have been day 31 or 32, though if they go to day 35, there are usually only 1 or 2 huge babies, and they take so long to  deliver, they hardly ever survive.


Okay. Thank you so much for the help!!


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## Haley Renee (May 17, 2016)

do rabbits bleed when coming close to kindling?? my other two does have small drips of blood in their cages. not sure where its coming from on them, since theyre quite feisty and wont let me hold them for more than a few seconds.


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## promiseacres (May 17, 2016)

Not normally. Any chance they tore a nail?


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## Haley Renee (May 17, 2016)

promiseacres said:


> Not normally. Any chance they tore a nail?


There's definitely a chance. I'll try to look them over, but they aren't being very cooperative. (running to the back of the cage/squirming when I pick them up/kicking when I hold them)


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## DuckyLou (May 18, 2016)

My does did when they were having trouble delivering. How are they doing today?


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## Haley Renee (May 18, 2016)

DuckyLou said:


> My does did when they were having trouble delivering. How are they doing today?


One of them is bleeding more today than she was yesterday. the other has stopped bleeding completely. i was told they should have a week to go still (kindling around the 24th) but she could have had her dates mixed up. is there anything i can do to figure out why theyre bleeding, or help if theyre having trouble delivering?


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## Haley Renee (May 18, 2016)

this is in the last 10-15 minutes.


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## promiseacres (May 18, 2016)

Haley Renee said:


> this is in the last 10-15 minutes.


I would guess they're miscarrying... I personally haven't had one do that though.


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## DuckyLou (May 18, 2016)

Are you able to look to see where the blood is coming from? If you scruff them (like a mother cat would her kittens) that helps when trying to handle them to look and see or to palate them.  I'm still very new to this but I have had 4 litters born within the last month, 2 litters surviving and 2 didn't. My latest doe that kindled had 2 kits on Sunday one DOA and the next was deformed but alive, I thought that was all she was going to have but she started bleeding over 24 hours later and when I came back to check on her she had had another kit. My other doe had only 2 kits and they were too big and we're stuck. It was her and my first litter, she bled like your picture for about 3 hours and had contractions the entire time. She lost both of them of course. I'm not trying to freak you out, hope I'm not! Just letting you know my experience which could be totally different than what your dealing with. Here is a website that has helped me a lot. hope your girl will be ok, keep us updated! 
http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-breeding/


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## Haley Renee (May 24, 2016)

DuckyLou said:


> Are you able to look to see where the blood is coming from? If you scruff them (like a mother cat would her kittens) that helps when trying to handle them to look and see or to palate them.  I'm still very new to this but I have had 4 litters born within the last month, 2 litters surviving and 2 didn't. My latest doe that kindled had 2 kits on Sunday one DOA and the next was deformed but alive, I thought that was all she was going to have but she started bleeding over 24 hours later and when I came back to check on her she had had another kit. My other doe had only 2 kits and they were too big and we're stuck. It was her and my first litter, she bled like your picture for about 3 hours and had contractions the entire time. She lost both of them of course. I'm not trying to freak you out, hope I'm not! Just letting you know my experience which could be totally different than what your dealing with. Here is a website that has helped me a lot. hope your girl will be ok, keep us updated!
> http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-breeding/


They havent bled at all since i first posted this and updated it. I've had the rabbits for 22 days now and they were to have been bred at LEAST a week before purchasing them. i'm leaning more to the fact that they've miscarried due to stress. will they pass the babies? is there a chance they could have passed and eaten them (gross as it is) without me knowing? i tried putting both my girls in with my buck, and neither took, which is supposed to be the #1 way to find out if theyre pregnant.


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