My NZ Doe (Birthing)

by Erik
(Ogdensburg, NY)

My New Zealand doe has given us kindlings of 6 to 8 kits when the weather gets warmer. She was quite large during this last pregnancy. She nested and pulled fur and there is one (albeit larger than typical and more active) kit in her nesting box from last night.


She's eating/drinking and not in pain, but she still looks a bit pregnant. I've read on two other websites that labor can halt and continue the next night. I doubt I see an answer before tomorrow, but maybe an answer can help someone else with the same question.

My rabbits are in individual cages. No mating two weeks into the pregnancy.

***** Karen Sez *****

There were a few kindlings like that at Aurora Rex Rabbit Ranch where the doe looked like a blimp and then kindled a singleton, similar to your description. Sometimes this happens.

You'll only know if she has more to kindle if you palpate (carefully), or if you wait for time to tell the story. The bloated look goes down within a few days after kindling as the reproductive system returns to its pre-pregnancy normal.

Singletons are at risk for chilling to death as they have no littermates to keep them warm; keep an eye on it, or provide additional fur for the nest. Best of luck with everything!

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Comments.

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Check Software

Double-Value Guarantee

Our policy is to always OVER-deliver on value,
which is why your purchase is fully covered by our
Double-Value Guarantee.

Go ahead - take any of our e-books for a test drive. Peruse our detailed informational and educational e-books. Examine our plans for building rabbit cages, runs, or metal or PVC hutch frames. Check out the Rabbit Husbandry info e-books.

If you aren't completely satisfied that your e-book purchase is worth at least double, triple or even quadruple the price you paid, just drop us a note within 45 days, and we'll refund you the entire cost. That's our Double-Value Guarantee.

Note: When you purchase your e-books, they will be in PDF format, so you can download them to any device that supports PDF format. We advise making a back-up copy to a drive or cloud account. If the books are lost, you can also purchase another copy from Raising-Rabbits.