Pulling Fur For Two Days?

[machoman]

I recently purchased several rabbits from a woman down the road. Most were for meat, but I did keep one female to breed. From the beginning she was very combative. The woman loaded the bunnies in cages to put into my car and she put a couple of females in together, I believe related and this one started attacking the others pretty viciously. So, she was placed in her own box. Once I got home I attempted to breed her. One buck was very interested and tried but she would not have it. She just sat with her bottom to the ground. So, I tried the following day with another buck. This time she a bit more aggressive with stomping, etc. He got creative and would sniff her face so she'd bite at him and lift her bottom off the ground and then he'd run really fast to jump on. I watched this go on for about two hours and it did not seem successful. That was five days ago.

This Sunday morning she started pulling fur and her appetite has decreased. I moved her into a larger cage with a box and she briefly stopped pulling fur and now she's pulling again, so two days now.

I've heard with fur pulling, birth usually follows in a matter of hours or a day. Has anyone had a doe pull fur this long? Could it be she's experiencing a false pregnancy?

The woman said it was possible she could be pregnant as she wasn't the best about keeping them apart?

 

[Bunnylady]

Each doe is different: until you have experience with a particular doe, you don't know what her pattern will be. I had one doe that did absolutely no preparation until mere minutes before the kits arrived. I had another doe (a Jersey Wooly) that started fur pulling about 10 days before she was due to kindle; her cage was awash with pulled wool and she was nearly completely bald by the time she had kits.

Most of my does have continued to add fur periodically for a few days after the kits are born.

Soooo, yeah, she could be pregnant, and just hasn't delivered yet. Her crankiness with the others and disinterest in the buck could be pointing in that direction. On the other hand, she might be experiencing a false pregnancy. I have had does that went "full term" and pulled fur and everything, just like the real thing, only no babies were produced. Only time will tell.

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

We had a doe that went full term, built a nest, etc and nothing. No kits, no mess, no aborted babies, nothing. Waited a month and rebred her and she had 10. 2 on the wire and 2 died later. Ok for a first time mom. We'll see how she does next time.



Anyway she pulled for for about a week for both litters. The real one and the fake one.