Not-so-tame maybe pregnant bunny

by Mimi
(USA)

Her baby picture

Her baby picture

I have a French Lop doe that is about 9 months old. She was put in with the French Lop buck about 9 days ago. If I were to palpate her, what way should I hold her? She is not very tame, and I don't know if she will abort the kits if I scare her, or if I will injure her if she gets too scared. I have never bred a rabbit before, so any extra information is greatly appreciated! Thanks!


***** Karen Sez *****
Don't be afraid to pull your doe out of her cage and put her on your lap or a table top. Her babies are cushioned in amniotic fluid, and they are still very young. Our experience is that palpating can be done very safely up till day 14-15.

Palpation is probably easiest if the rabbit can stand on something like a carpet on a table - comfortable for you and secure and unslippery for her. Settle her down before starting in on the palpation by speaking calmly to her and by petting her kindly.

With her head toward your tummy, secure her rump with your left hand so she can't back up, and turn your hand palm up underneath her abdomen. (Reverse hands if you're left-handed.) You'll be feeling along the right side of her belly with your fingers, and along the left side with your thumb. Use just enough pressure to lift her hindquarter up but not so much that her feet leave the carpet.

By sliding your thumb and fingers up and down, you should be able to detect the little lumps that are the babies. By day 10 they'll be grape-sized. Hint - you're most likely to find them by feeling toward the middle to the outside of the left and right sides of her abdomen.

Hope this gives you a bit more help with the technique of palpation! Best of luck with everything.

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Jan 29, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Only 4 more days!
by: Mimi

She has been pregnant for about 27 days now. I put the nest box in yesterday, due to my impatience. This morning, it was knocked over. Is that a sign of something? She was also digging new holes in every corner of her cage everyday for the past week. I think she might be pregnant... What do you think?
Jan 16, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		RE: Karen Sez
by: Anonymous

Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I believe that I was basically feeling the sides only, maybe not enough on her belly. I REALLY really reaaaaaaaaaaly hope she is pregnant! LOL. She isn't usually THIS uncomfortable with me, but now she hardly wants me to even touch her. Have you been breeding bunnies yourself? How long? Again, thank you so very much for all the info. I like how I can ask my own questions, and someone will actually reply every single time.

I hope I am not bothering you,

Mimi

***** Karen Sez *****
Heheh, my beginnings in raising rabbits are shrouded in the prehistoric mists of time, back when jackalopes roamed the earth... Yeah, she's pregnant. Glad we can help. :-))
Jan 16, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Ugh.
by: Mimi

:( I tried the other day, but I'm hoping I was doing it wrong. All I find is squishiness. Each day she is bothered by me more and more, so I don't know if I should continue to mess with her or not. I was really hoping she was pregnant, so maybe I just did it wrong. I pushed her shoulders down just enough to where she could not move, and pushed her abdomen with one of my hands. I felt nothing. Oh, and don't worry, I did not hurt her at all. Could I have done it wrong?

*****Karen Sez *****
Did your hand cradle the doe's belly first? All the way under, not just pushing on the sides? If so, you probably did it right. And sometimes you just feel squishiness until you get a sense of the vague lumpy feeling that is a kit.

At this point your best clue is her increasing impatience with you. Probably time to give the palpation thing a rest, and start collecting everything you need for a nestbox on day 28.

Have fun...!

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