Can I leave my buck with a pregnant doe?

[BunnyBoxHop]

Okay, so I have my male and female rabbit together. They have *cough* made love. Lol. I've seen where if you see that your rabbit is pregnant to immediately separate the male from her, but can't I just leave them together until kindling time or no?
I'm not all the way sure if she's pregnant, it's only been a few days. I'm assuming she is. It hasn't hit ten or twelve days, so I can't tell if she is quite yet. I was just wondering for if I do find out she is.

 

[promiseacres]

Very rarely will rabbits be "one happy family" they are territorial and will kill, injure each other and or kits, even if they are theirs. The buck may not leave the doe alone and cause problems when he continues to breed her.
Breeders have found that separate quarters are best for all involved. Some have been successful with colony raising but they've also had some pretty terrible tragedies too. Sorry if you find me blunt but they are rabbits, not people and therefore we can't expect them to behave as a person would.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

So they have been together for several days? Please assume she is pregnant and you are fortunate because most of my does get rather aggressive with the buck after breeding....whether they were pregnant or not.

I would NEVER leave a doe in with a buck until kindling. Even if you remove him as she is nesting, you will have one stressed out doe and stressed does may do things to their kits that you really don't want to see happen.

There are many very good reasons that experienced breeders advise removing the doe from the buck after breeding.

 

[Bunnylady]

I have put rabbits together in colony-type settings on many occasions. Sometimes, everything works swimmingly for weeks. Often, though, the buck continues to make advances, and the doe gets pretty darned tired of it. Whether she acts out against the buck or not, she is being hounded and harassed, and stress is never good for the pregnant female or her potential litter. If the two of them seem pretty cozy together, I suppose you could leave them together for a while, but if she's fussing, get him out. In any case, you will want him out well before the kits arrive.

 

[BunnyBoxHop]

Very rarely will rabbits be "one happy family" they are territorial and will kill, injure each other and or kits, even if they are theirs. The buck may not leave the doe alone and cause problems when he continues to breed her.
Breeders have found that separate quarters are best for all involved. Some have been successful with colony raising but they've also had some pretty terrible tragedies too. Sorry if you find me blunt but they are rabbits, not people and therefore we can't expect them to behave as a person would.

No, you're good! Okay, that is good to know, thank you.

So they have been together for several days? Please assume she is pregnant and you are fortunate because most of my does get rather aggressive with the buck after breeding....whether they were pregnant or not.

I would NEVER leave a doe in with a buck until kindling. Even if you remove him as she is nesting, you will have one stressed out doe and stressed does may do things to their kits that you really don't want to see happen.

There are many very good reasons that experienced breeders advise removing the doe from the buck after breeding.

Yes, after the first known breeding it has been around seven days. Thank you for the information.

 

[BunnyBoxHop]

I have put rabbits together in colony-type settings on many occasions. Sometimes, everything works swimmingly for weeks. Often, though, the buck continues to make advances, and the doe gets pretty darned tired of it. Whether she acts out against the buck or not, she is being hounded and harassed, and stress is never good for the pregnant female or her potential litter. If the two of them seem pretty cozy together, I suppose you could leave them together for a while, but if she's fussing, get him out. In any case, you will want him out well before the kits arrive.

Okay. Great to know! They are pretty cozy with each other and so far I've seen, she hasn't fussed at all, so I think I will keep a look out for any fussing and if I see ANY, I will take him out immediately. I don't think I'll let it go past a week though. Would that be okay?

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

As to finding out if she is pregnant, some palpitate the doe at around two weeks to feel for "marbles" or "grapes." I am pretty good at feeling things out of place with my rabbits, but I have yet to confirm pregnancy until the doe is about 7 to 10 days from her due date.

At that time, I gently massage her sides and underside for about 30 seconds. Afterward, I place my hands gently but firmly against her in those areas without moving to feel for movement. I usually do this daily until I have felt movements a few times, because once I mistook what may have been a movement in the bowel because the doe ended up not being pregnant.

 

[BunnyBoxHop]

As to finding out if she is pregnant, some palpitate the doe at around two weeks to feel for "marbles" or "grapes." I am pretty good at feeling things out of place with my rabbits, but I have yet to confirm pregnancy until the doe is about 7 to 10 days from her due date.

At that time, I gently massage her sides and underside for about 30 seconds. Afterward, I place my hands gently but firmly against her in those areas without moving to feel for movement. I usually do this daily until I have felt movements a few times, because once I mistook what may have been a movement in the bowel because the doe ended up not being pregnant.

Oh okay! Now, my rabbit is not very easily handled and I don't want to stress her out or scare her by putting my hand under her stomach. Do you know of a way to help her calm down or should she be fine?
Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I'm doing this right and not going to harm her or kits.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

Okay. Great to know! They are pretty cozy with each other and so far I've seen, she hasn't fussed at all, so I think I will keep a look out for any fussing and if I see ANY, I will take him out immediately. I don't think I'll let it go past a week though. Would that be okay?

If you have eyes on your rabbits 24/7, otherwise by the time you see evidence of aggression, one of your rabbits could seriously injured or worse.

 

[BunnyBoxHop]

If you have eyes on your rabbits 24/7, otherwise by the time you see evidence of aggression, one of your rabbits could seriously injured or worse.

Okay then.