Why would I not be getting kits?

[savingdogs]

I have a five year old doe, Creme D' Argent, who has been bred several times before I had her (successfully).

I've bred her twice since owning her. Both times the same thing happened. The breeding looked quite successful. About two weeks into her pregnancy, she pulled hair, rather early I thought. Then on the day for kindling, no kits! Nothing.

The first time around I rebred her a week later. And today was the day she was supposed to kindle and the same thing is happening.

Could she be miscarrying when she pulls hair early?

False pregnancies? Seems odd when the hair pulling was timed exactly two weeks after the breeding.

Could it have to do with the male I'm using? He is young and never bred before. He seems to know what to do and performs his "job" real well....

She seems in good health, her abdomen feels normal and she is eating well. I'm not good at checking for pregnancy by the way they feel, I'm just inexperienced at it and this is a very skittish doe, so I have not been able to "feel" if she is pregnant or not.

Suggestions as to what would be going on? I'm still crossing my fingers she is just going to kindle .....late......but the chances of it are seeming more and more dim at this point.

 

[rabbitgeek]

Some rabbit just don't want to get with the program.

It can be very frustrating. All I can say is to keep trying.

There are some breeding tips on my website.
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/breedingtips.html

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

 

[PattySh]

She's rather old. It could be her age. I have a rabbit about her age and the last 2 breedings have been unsuccessful.

 

[savingdogs]

Does yours act like she is getting a nest ready as well? That is the part that seems odd.

 

[dewey]

Hair pulling and/or nest making 2 weeks after breeding make my thoughts go straight to FP. :/

 

[savingdogs]

I'm sorry, what is FP? I'm new to rabbit breeding.

 

[PattySh]

False pregnancy.

 

[savingdogs]

So she thinks she is pregnant because she was bred? Would that suggest there is a problem with her or with him?

 

[dewey]

Thanks, PattySh, for typing it out for clarity. I should have.

 

[PattySh]

I would suspect the female because of her age. Most rabbits are culled by age 4 at least with breeding meat rabbits as they slow down having less kits and larger kits. Some simply stop conceiving. She is probably not ovulating. My doe has made a nest the last two "false pregnancies". I put hay in a couple of days before they are due and both times she pulled hair. She only pulled a small amount of hair this last time. That was about 2 weeks ago. I have tried to rebreed her but she has refused the male 3 times now. Looking like she's done with the baby thing. Gave her the winter off (I needed a break!)which might have not been a good idea at her age, probably should have kept her bred. I know it's not the male as other does settled with him.