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| Holland Doe Nesting Early?; Baby watch! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 19 2013, 09:16 AM (688 Views) | |
| NCK | Apr 19 2013, 09:16 AM Post #1 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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We have a just turned 3 yr. old Holland Lop doe who is due on April 29. We bred her on March 29, and both she and the buck were very eager and willing. This is our first litter, but she has raised at least two litters before. We are out of town and my grandma is watching the bunnies for me. She said that yesterday (day 20) the doe was stuffing her mouth with hay, so she put in the nestbox. This morning she had pulled fur all over the cage, but not in the box. I've read that this can indicate a false pregnancy but that some experienced does are just anxious and/or just like to prepare early? I'm pretty sure that she is pregnant... I didn't palpate but her stomach feels firmer than our buck's and other doe's. And like I said, she was very willing to bred. They bred twice and then we did a rebreed 1 hour later. Has anyone had a doe gather hay and/or pull fur like that this early in a pregnancy? I don't really know what is normal since this is my first litter, and I'm just worried since I'm out of town and not actually able to see what she is doing. Edit: My grandma moved the fur to the box and said that when she went back to check on her, the fur had been moved out. She did not build a nest at all. Should my grandma take the nestbox out? Could she have just been gathering hay in her mouth but not actually ready to build a nest yet? Edited by NCK, Apr 19 2013, 09:35 AM.
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| sidd-says-gimme | Apr 19 2013, 04:01 PM Post #2 |
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sidd says stay gold
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I would put the fur in a baggie for later, if you're positive about the breeding date and there's no possibility that she was somehow bred earlier. Then closer to the due date, you can add the fur to the nestbox. I have had does build a nest this early, yes. Not many times though. |
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| NCK | Apr 19 2013, 05:26 PM Post #3 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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Thank you! Yes, positive about the breeding date. She didn't build a nest with the hay she was given, though. I'm wondering if, when she stuffed her mouth with hay yesterday, she wasn't actually ready for the nestbox yet? And maybe she pulled fur just because she was given the nestbox and it is a learned behavior for her? Since she has kindled successfully before, I'm not too worried ![]() But, should I have my grandma take the nestbox out, or do you think that would confuse the doe? Here she is, sitting on the box:) You can see the fur she pulled. |
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| sidd-says-gimme | Apr 19 2013, 06:52 PM Post #4 |
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sidd says stay gold
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You could take the nest out, but you never know. It's up to you. Some pull fur early, it could be a false pregnancy but I wouldn't rule it out just because of this. ![]() She's adorable! I love it when they sit on the nestbox. |
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| NCK | Apr 19 2013, 09:03 PM Post #5 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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Well, now she's nesting! I just received a video of her beginning to build her nest, so I'll definitely have my grandma leave the box in. Tomorrow she will be 9 days away from her due date. She was so eager to breed when we first got her and would rub my hand with her chin almost every time I would pet her. She has not done that since she was bred. She does look fatter to me (unless it's just wishful seeing!) and I had been noticing that ever since about 2 weeks along, she had been laying down to stretch out quite a bit more often. So I'm pretty sure that she is pregnant. Another question... would it stress her out too much for us to move her back to our house on day 25? (Today is day 21.) She would be in the same cage and it is only a 10 minute drive. She didn't appear to be stressed out at all when we moved her to my grandma's house 3 days ago. |
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| NCK | Apr 20 2013, 08:42 PM Post #6 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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Okay, now she is pushing her nest towards the front of the box and going potty in the back. It is a small cage and large nestbox, so she doesn't have a ton of room in the cage where she usually does her business, but the box is in the opposite corner of where she usually goes. We were planning on getting a larger kindling cage in a few days, not anticipating her nesting this early! I think I may have her take the box out for now and just keep a close eye on the doe to make sure that she doesn't get anxious without it, and then we will replace it on day 28. Silly pregnant does! |
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| athomepets | Apr 21 2013, 07:46 AM Post #7 |
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This bunny isn't leaving anytime soon
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does she have some straw or hay she can add to that nestbox??? it won't stress her out to move her. |
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AT Home Pets My rabbitry blog Rabbit Talk Blog | |
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| NCK | Apr 21 2013, 11:25 AM Post #8 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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The doe has had plenty of hay available for her to use to build a nest, and actually did use a little of it. She was using also using the nestbox as a litter box, though, and chewing on the cardboard on the bottom, so my grandma has removed it. She is watching to make sure that she doesn't get anxious without it. We will plan on giving it back to her on day 28, and if she doesn't build a nest on her own then I will help her out. I think she may just not have been ready for the box yet and so she wasn't being serious about it. She is not due until a week from tomorrow. |
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| sidd-says-gimme | Apr 21 2013, 09:05 PM Post #9 |
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sidd says stay gold
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I agree, it should be fine to move her. Taking the box out and replacing it a bit sooner to the due date is a good idea. Let us know how it goes!!
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| NCK | Apr 22 2013, 09:14 AM Post #10 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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I will let you know how it goes! I'm very excited about this litter.
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| NCK | Apr 29 2013, 11:54 AM Post #11 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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Today is our doe's due date! We gave her the nestbox on Friday, and she spent about 1.5 hours carefully building her nest! She was determined to rip the cardboard bottom out, so I had to remove it, wait until she was done with her nest, take the nest out, and sneak the cardboard back under there . She hopped in right away to inspect, but fortunately she didn't dig down far enough to find it!Since then she has just been relaxing on top of the nestbox or stretching out in her cage. When she's laying down, we can see the babies moving and kicking! I *think* I can see at least two babies squirming around in there! Hopefully we will have kits soon! |
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| volz83 | May 2 2013, 11:35 AM Post #12 |
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Hey, look at you! You chatterbox you. Now you can request a new title! PM the Admin to do so
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Did she have her kits yet?? I love being on baby watch! I can't help but stay up no matter how late and be around when the kits come! Plus I'm worried about babies on wire etc LOL |
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| NCK | May 2 2013, 03:30 PM Post #13 |
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Somebunny is a awfully chatty
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Sad news... I checked on her early Tuesday morning (after checking on her every 30 min. Monday and staying up late with no signs of fur pulling) and she had passed away . I have no idea what happened and I feel so terrible that I wasn't there to help her. I started digging around in the nestbox not really expecting to see anything good, but there were two warm, wiggly kits in there! She had made a beautiful nest and covered them in plenty of fur. We don't have another doe to foster to, so we are trying to hand-raise them now. I have a topic up in the ER forum. I thought that one was a broken tort and one a solid tort, but now I'm thinking we have a broken and a charlie. Either way, they are so tiny and cute! Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 |
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| NeuBunny | May 2 2013, 05:20 PM Post #14 |
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Genetics Geek!
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so sorry for your loss. Did you find a foster mom for the kits? |
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| sidd-says-gimme | May 2 2013, 07:27 PM Post #15 |
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sidd says stay gold
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I really, just... hate to be the one to say this but they look like peanuts... She must not have been able to birth a normal-sized baby...
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. She hopped in right away to inspect, but fortunately she didn't dig down far enough to find it!
. I have no idea what happened and I feel so terrible that I wasn't there to help her. I started digging around in the nestbox not really expecting to see anything good, but there were two warm, wiggly kits in there! She had made a beautiful nest and covered them in plenty of fur. We don't have another doe to foster to, so we are trying to hand-raise them now. I have a topic up in the ER forum.
3:30 AM Jul 11