Do rabbits pull out their hair in winter to keep warm?

[Fuchsia]

Hello, so I have two Holland Lops and one is pulling out her hair and make a bed out of it. Is this normal? Is she doing this to keep warm in winter? Thanks, Anna

 

[promiseacres]

Probably not, was she bred or with a male? They can have false pregnancies and pull hair but I would be giving her a nest box and checking daily for kits.

 

[Bunnylady]

The only 'normal' reason for a rabbit to make a nest at all is because her hormones are telling her she's about to have babies to put in it. The hormones can be wrong; as @promiseacres said, rabbits can experience false pregnancies. Some rabbit does may pull a little bit of fur when they hit the peak of their hormonal cycle and are at the absolute best time to breed, but to answer your question, no, rabbits do not make a nest to keep themselves warm in, fur keeps them warmest when it's still attached to their bodies.

 

[messybun]

I agree with what’s already been said. If she’s pulling from her belly she is either preggers or thinks she is. If the other rabbit is a male he will harm the babies so you might separate them for a few days if you can.

 

[Bunnylady]

If the other rabbit is a male he will harm the babies

I have sometimes put rabbits together in colony-type arrangements, and occasionally lost track and still had the rabbits together when the babies started arriving. I have never seen a buck show any interest in the babies at all, either positive or negative. What I have seen, is the buck relentlessly pursuing the newly-kindled doe, and the doe running around, jumping in and out of the box, scattering and stepping on the babies herself. What I've also seen, is does kindling another litter exactly 31 days later, which isn't a good situation either for her or her kits. So though I have my doubts about whether the buck himself is actually a danger to the kits, I agree, you want to get him out well before the doe's due date.

 

[messybun]

I have sometimes put rabbits together in colony-type arrangements, and occasionally lost track and still had the rabbits together when the babies started arriving. I have never seen a buck show any interest in the babies at all, either positive or negative. What I have seen, is the buck relentlessly pursuing the newly-kindled doe, and the doe running around, jumping in and out of the box, scattering and stepping on the babies herself. What I've also seen, is does kindling another litter exactly 31 days later, which isn't a good situation either for her or her kits. So though I have my doubts about whether the buck himself is actually a danger to the kits, I agree, you want to get him out well before the doe's due date.

That’s very interesting!

 

[Fuchsia]

Well she is not with the male we have, BUT she has been with him before. (not trying to breed her)

She is also taking hay and making a nest with the hay and her fur.

Is there any other ways to tell if she is pregnant?

 

[Fuchsia]

Also I don't know if she is even old enough?

 

[messybun]

Definitely give her a nesting box and whatever supplies she wants. Rabbits have been known to have kits as early as three months; I nicknamed one of mine Mary because of her impossible babies

 

[promiseacres]

an experienced breeder can palapate at 10-14 days. or feel them but it's not easy and at this point when she's nesting I'd not try it. a rabbit's gestation is 31 days so if she was with him a little less than that you're on schedule to having kits