magic rabbits? not not the magician kind... the breeding kind!

[zzGypsy]

So, I've got a pair of does that I bought 1/10/2012

here's the timeline:
1/10/2012 bought does and buck (in together)
1/28/2012 separated buck (ok, it took me that long to get cages sorted out)
2/5/2012 Does kindled
2/25/2012 rebred
3/5/2012 Does Kindled

-- 36 days after oldest breeding opportunity (when buck was removed)
-- 29 days after first kindling
-- 9 days after newest breeding

so ... anyone want to help explain this? other than "magic"? 9 day gestation? simultaneous overlapping pregnancies?


My hubby said... perhaps it's the rabbit version of immaculate conception...

 

[terri9630]

Rabbits have two horns in the uterus and can carry two litters at once. Not the best thing for doe or kits.

 

[zzGypsy]

well definitely not planned...
so can they deliver one horn of kits while retaining the kits on the other horn?
because that's the only way this makes sense... plus a 36 day gestation.

and in the new litters I've got 8 in one and 10 in the other... can they carry 10 kits in one horn of the uterus?

 

[currycomb]

must be, we had something similar happen, second bunch did not live

 

[Bunnylady]

Rabbits can also do a thing called "delayed implantation." Eggs are released and get fertilized, but don't implant until some later date. I believe the longest case of this on record was something outrageous, like 6 months?!! If you use more than one buck, how can you ever be sure about the father of the litter?

Really talented rabbits can breed through the wire, too. Not sure how they do it, but I make a point of making sure that any bucks and does that are housed in adjacent cages are at least the same breed, just in case.

 

[zzGypsy]

ok, the delayed implantation thing makes sense - the new litters are right on the 30 day mark from the previous litters so that would fit with max-rabbit breeding cycle.
as of this morning, both litters seemed to be fine, moving around in their fluff nests although I didn't peek... I'll check them tonight when I get home and see if they're getting fed and to see if we've lost any kits.

delayed implantation - very clever device - clever rabbits.

 

[Bunnylady]

Rabbits have one more weird reproductive trick. If conditions are not good, a pregnant doe can actually resorb her fetuses. Hopefully, nobody does such a poor job of caring for their rabbits that a doe would actually wind up needing to do it, but they can. Wild, huh?

 

[zzGypsy]

that seems like a useful survival strategy... kinda gross, but useful.

checked the nest boxes and we're still good... 8 and 10 kits, all alive and wiggly! so far, so good. the mamas are eating well, and neither look thin, so I think we probably going to be ok on this one, even if it wasn't intended.

tomorrow, I'll check the boxes again and maybe even them out to 9 and 9, I'll see if there's a skinny one in the box of 10.

looks like I might have a couple of tri-colors in there, based on the skin markings. certainly looks like 2 or 3 are going to be interesting harlequins.