# Countdown to kindling



## Hopalong Causually (Feb 17, 2017)

It's only two weeks after breeding, but you know how it is. 
 I've had the older doe since last summer and she had one litter before that.  She was a bit bold and would charge me at first but warmed up to being handled very quickly.  Well, I reached in to give her her daily scratch on the head today and she charged at me for the first time in about six months.  Perhaps this uncharacteristic aggressiveness is an indication of successful breeding?

The younger doe will be having her first litter if all went well.  She hasn't changed her disposition at all but was very receptive to the buck.  He had four fall-offs, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.   Seventeen days and counting.

This is my first breeding attempt with all New Zealand Reds, so forgive my lack of patience, please.


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## DutchBunny03 (Feb 18, 2017)

That may be a sign of pregnancy, or she is just being grouchy. Try palpating( https://www.arba.net/PDFs/palpation.pdf ), thats probably the surest way to tell is your does are pregnant. Later on(at the soonest, a few days before kindling), watch for behaviors for nest building, haystaching, and fur pulling. Good luck!


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## Hopalong Causually (Feb 23, 2017)

My younger doe, that is working on her first litter, surprised me today by gathering up a mouthful of hay and carrying it around the cage as if to say, "I'm supposed to do this but what do I do with it?"  I've never seen her do this before.  It's WAY too early for nesting behavior.  She still has twelve days to go.  

The older doe, that was aggressive with me earlier, has returned to a more accepting disposition but still shies away from me after having her head scratched.  I haven't palpated but they both have been engaging in behavior that is out of the ordinary for them.


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## promiseacres (Feb 23, 2017)

for litters. I have 2 does day 32, 31.... and nothing...   will be rebreeding Monday


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 6, 2017)

Today is day 31 for my older doe.  I really was hoping to get a good buck in a litter from her, but no dice today, yet.  She just isn't acting pregnant at all except for the first day I installed the nest box when she immediately dug a hole in the hay.  No pulled hair and her activity level hasn't slowed a bit.   If she's still a no-go in a few days, I'll try her again.
The younger doe is at day 30, fat as all get out, and paying a lot of attention to her bottom this morning.  Maybe she'll work out this first time for her.  The suspense is agonizing.


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 7, 2017)

Today is day 32 for the older doe and 31 for the first-timer.  Still nothing.  This is my first breeding attempt with pure New Zealands.  The thought of going 0 for 2 in this breeding attempt is disappointing.  The buck is a proven performer.  Are New Zealands prone to longer gestation periods?


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## samssimonsays (Mar 7, 2017)

I had French Lops who would go to 34 days for some, 29 for others. Larger breeds can tend to go longer periods of time. But I would say after day 37 it is safe to breed them again. The trick I learned from some breeders with Newzealands and crosses is that 7-8 hours after the doe is exposed to the buck, place them together again and one week from that day you can place them together again and just see if the doe is receptive or not. "usually" when they are not, they are bred. I have had does breed every week up to their delivery though. (Oreo was a floosey  hahaha)


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 7, 2017)

I'm still holding onto hope that they're just hanging on until the last minute to kindle.  

samssimonsays,
  I read that rabbits have two pronged uteri and that test breeding can be dangerous to the doe in that a dual pregnancy, mismatched in time, could result in atrophied embryos in one of the prongs.  Is that not a concern?

I think I'll be patient at least until day 37.


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## samssimonsays (Mar 7, 2017)

There is that chance but The chances of that happening have been slim to none in my french lops, I never had it happen and I used it for 5 years between the french and Mini Lops as well as my new Zealand doe. I was told this by a judge and someone who has been using the technique for over 30 years (learned it from her mother who has used it 30+ years before her) in French Lops, English Lops, Tans and Champagne D'Argents along with other breeds along the way.


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 8, 2017)

A little bit of good news.
The older doe still has done nothing through day 33.  The first-timer kindled nine since yesterday.  The bad news is that she pulled no hair at all.  I found one dead one on the wire just outside the box, two dead ones in the hay in the box but not back in the nest depression, and one dead one in the nest depression.  I put hay on top of the survivors and turned the heat up in the enclosed shed.  The survivors appear to be reasonably plump, so it looks like the doe fed them at least once.  I hope these five can hang on.  Is there any reason why it might not be a good idea to scrape up what hair I can from my wire cages (and other rabbits) and cover the kits with that?


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## Hens and Roos (Mar 8, 2017)

Hopalong Causually said:


> A little bit of good news.
> The older doe still has done nothing through day 33.  The first-timer kindled nine since yesterday.  The bad news is that she pulled no hair at all.  I found one dead one on the wire just outside the box, two dead ones in the hay in the box but not back in the nest depression, and one dead one in the nest depression.  I put hay on top of the survivors and turned the heat up in the enclosed shed.  The survivors appear to be reasonably plump, so it looks like the doe fed them at least once.  I hope these five can hang on.  Is there any reason why it might not be a good idea to scrape up what hair I can from my wire cages (and other rabbits) and cover the kits with that?



Congrats on the kits, hope that they continue to do well.  As far as using hair from other rabbits- I guess it would depend on your does attitude and if she is okay with it.  We have used dryer lint once before when a doe didn't pull hair and the next day she had replaced the lint with some of her hair....


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 8, 2017)

I'm learning to be more patient with these rabbits.  Just came back from checking on the first-timer doe and her little ones and discovered that the older doe had pulled hair and delivered at least one kit as there was movement of the hair in the nest.  While I was there, she jumped into the box and appeared to be in contractions with another delivery.  AND, she had enough pulled hair throughout the cage that I should be able to gather it and cover the kits of the other doe.  I'm not going to try to determine the size of her litter until tomorrow.   Hot diggety dog!


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 9, 2017)

Well, the older doe had only the one kit.  Is there any evidence to support a theory that low productivity like this is attributable to the doe?  She's less than two years old.  Is it more likely a genetic trait or the result of a physical defect?  At any rate, I'll try her again in due time.


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 16, 2017)

I took one of the kits from the first-timer's litter and fostered it over to the doe that had only one.  Those two kits are doing fantastic.  The fostered kit is growing far faster than its litter-mates from the first time mother.  The first-timer's kits are hanging on, but not really putting on much size.  Could she just be slow in producing milk?  I've been thinking about fostering another one from the first-timer's litter to the other doe but wonder about the timing of it.  They're over a week old now.  Would I just be better off letting them go as they are and hope that the first-timer becomes more proficient?


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## Pastor Dave (Mar 16, 2017)

The other doe might still accept another kit. I usually try to get done fostering them out by a week old, but it might work.
The first time doe may very well be slow getting her milk. I had one that did that, but has been fine every time since.


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 16, 2017)

Thanks for letting me learn from your experience, PD.  I think I'll just let them be and hope that the experience will be beneficial to the doe, too.  She is a very shy rabbit but actually charged me this morning, so I think her maternal instincts are taking hold.


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## Pastor Dave (Mar 17, 2017)

Sounds like it. I know when mine start growlin', they're close to kindling and usually ease up abt the time they come out of the box because they're gettin' tired of 'em.


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## Hopalong Causually (Mar 19, 2017)

Having more problems.  The younger doe kindled nine.  Four were found dead right off the bat.  I fostered one out to another doe and it is doing great, far better than the rest of its litter mates.  The remaining four have been struggling.  It seems like the doe either has poor quality milk or not much of it.  Found that another one died since last night here on its eleventh day.  

That leaves three for her.  Today, I discovered that one of those had an awful looking "thing" over its genitals.  Looked like a big scab or mass of urine, feces, and hay dust.  I gently swabbed and massaged it with warm water on a towel today until it came off.  Anybody have any idea what this was?


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## Hopalong Causually (Apr 4, 2017)

Here's the fostered kit at just less than four weeks, a very handsome booted broken, and doing splendidly.


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