# Pregnant mini Rex   Due any minute



## Cbgjr236 (Jul 13, 2013)

Hello everyone !!
We are new to this forum.... Just found it on BYChickens....
I've got a question about our pregnant mini Rex ,  we got her when she was two weeks till due date,we noticed her,week before last carrying around hay in her mouth so we put in the nest box, she went to work packed it with hay,pulled a bit of fur, then got out, she goes in every so often .... She was due this past week, we are keeping her cool but was wondering should we bring her in to the cool ??
We have ice bottles in her cage , fans running and a short time we turn on the misters to knock out the hot part of the day
And would the heat delay the birth process ?


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## Moonshine (Jul 13, 2013)

No, sounds like you had a false pregnancy. Rabbits gestation is 29-35 days. If she started pulling hair a week early or has gone past the 35 day mark it was most likely a false or phantom pregnancy. When my does pull hair they usually have their kits that night. They have been known to wait a day or 2 bit usually no more than that. Is that your only rabbit or so you have a buck as well?


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## Cbgjr236 (Jul 13, 2013)

We do have a buck, we got her supposedly pregnant


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## Moonshine (Jul 13, 2013)

Well I would think it was a false pregnancy if she pulled just a little hair two weeks ago. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but it does happen when the doe thinks she's pregnant, shows all the signs, and then nothing happens. Its happened to us twice this year so far.


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## Moonshine (Jul 13, 2013)

Oh you Do have a buck? Throw her in with the buck then (be prepared to expect her to get pregnant). If she throws her tail up and lets him have his way, she's not pregnant. If she fights him off or runs from him she's with child.


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## Bunnylady (Jul 14, 2013)

I'm inclined to think "false pregnancy" too, though if there is one thing that my rabbits have taught me, it's that they follow their own rules! I have had does that pull fur early, but those that have, continued to pull it. I had a Jersey Wooly that would start about 10 days before she was due, and by the time the babies came, the cage would be covered in fluff and the rabbit would be almost completely bald! She'd have a 2" wide Mohawk of fur right down her spine, otherwise, her body would be totally bare.  Some of my does will pull just a little bit a couple of days before, and then load the box up when they deliver. A lot of my does continue to pull fur for days after the babies come, particularly when the weather is cool.

Does don't do an obvious heat cycle, but they do experience hormonal fluctuations. Right after kindling, a doe experiences a very high hormonal peak. A doe bred on that peak will likely produce a large litter, as her eggs are very "fresh." Later in her cycle, the eggs have aged a bit, so though she may breed, not as many will make viable embryos and result in live kits. Just the act of being mounted can convince the doe's body that she is preggers; they can experience false pregnancies from being mounted by other does. 

As I said, does don't do obvious heat, though some will show signs that they are at a hormonal peak. Some does will grunt or stamp more than usual, or "chin" things in their cages to scent-mark them. Some will raise their hindquarters as they are being petted. Some does will fight with a buck at every other point in their cycle, and only accept him during the few days when they are most fertile (I had one that would fight the buck even when she was at her peak; we just had to wait her out and see what she did when she quit fighting). Checking a doe's vulva color is the best clue I've seen - red means she's ready, purple means she's past her peak, and pale pink means "don't bother."

Knowing where you are in a doe's cycle can keep you from wasting time on "maybe" pregnancies. If I have a doe that has had a false pregnancy, or has lost her litter, I usually breed her again within a day or two because I know that she is most likely to produce a good litter at that time. Otherwise, you can lose a lot of time trying to get in sync with the doe's cycle and getting her bred again.


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## Cbgjr236 (Jul 14, 2013)

Thank you all for your help,grately appreciate it !!
Lol we were gonna take her to the vet this week .
Another question .... Someone said when the tempeture gets above a certain point, the buck may become steral ??
Any truth to that ??
Sorry this is our first set of bunnies other than just a pet for the kids
Thanks again !


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