# How long after breeding to palpate?



## Luke0987654321 (Dec 22, 2011)

hi, 
I bred my doe last saturday and was wondering how long i have to wait to be able to palpate her to confirm pregnancy, 
I have done this with dogs and cats but never with rabbits. 
thanks in advance


luke.


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## AZ Rabbits (Dec 22, 2011)

Some palpate on day 10, some on day 14. Try both and figure out which one you prefer.


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## Luke0987654321 (Dec 22, 2011)

ok thanks, 
and what am i looking for, what shape, size, firm, loose?
sorry for all of the questions i just don't want to get this wrong


luke.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Dec 22, 2011)

This may be a dumb question, but there is no such thing as a dump quesiton, but what does it mean to palpate?


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## DianeS (Dec 23, 2011)

ThreeBoysChicks said:
			
		

> This may be a dumb question, but there is no such thing as a dump quesiton, but what does it mean to palpate?


Not sure of the technical definition, but the pictureque description means to squish the doe's abdomen in an attempt to feel rabbit fetuses growing inside her. 

Kits at about 14 days gestation feel a bit like marbles. They are bigger than the globes of poop that you can also feel. It's easiest in my opinion to palpate does you know are NOT pregnant, then palpate the one you think might be - to me that's the easiest way to feel if there is a difference or not. I don't have enough experience to be sure of it without checking a non-pregnant doe first, the kits just aren't large enough or obvious enough to me yet.


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## brentr (Dec 23, 2011)

I try to palpate on day 11-12, that is the earliest I feel like I can feel the fetuses.  There have been a couple times I've been like "maybe I feel something, maybe I don't" and by waiting and trying again on day 14, there has been a little more definition and I could confirm pregnancy.  I am not an expert, by any means.  I still get fooled more often than not.

In my meat rabbits, the "large marbles" are clearly larger than poop balls in the colon; poop balls are also harder.  The "marbles" are a little more slippery, squishier, and feel like they are in a tube (which I guess they are) than poop.

Some people advocate only palpating on certain days.  I handle and palpate my does all through the pregnancy.  By doing that, I've gotten to know how things feel at different stages, and it helps to know if I thought I felt something on day 12, and it is still there a week later, and a little bigger, that I'm feeling the right stuff.

I've NEVER been able to correctly palpate the number of kits, though.  If I feel 1-2, I don't worry about number.  Last doe that I knew was pregnant dropped 8, and I never felt more than 2 at any point along the way.

Patience, and practice, practice.  I echo the comments of DianeS to palpate a confirmed non-pregnant doe before the pregnant doe you are examining.


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## oneacrefarm (Jan 6, 2012)

Take a look at this link....


http://arba.net/PDFs/palpation.pdf


Very good explanation of the process. Actually, it wasn't until after spending the summer palpating NON PREGNANT does that I really was able to tell the difference. It just takes lots of practice, you can even practice on your bucks. Once you know what a NON PREGNANT rabbit feels like, it is MUCH easier to tell when they ARE pregnant.


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## bunnylovincowgirl (Jan 7, 2012)

A friend of mine made a really good video on palpating just recently:  http://4kingsrabbitry.blogspot.com/2011/12/palpating-at-10-12-days.html


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## Luke0987654321 (Jan 8, 2012)

thanks for the links 
very helpful


luke.


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