HELP PREGNANT BUNNY

[Katiebear]

Hi! Boy is this a long story… lets just start from the beginning. I got a rabbit from a breeder, she said the rabbit was FEMALE. We took a further look at home and saw that the bunny had.. well special boy parts. We went back and chose the bunny that was in the SAME cage as the othe bunny.. this one is definitely a girl. After a week of having her I noticed her shedding ALOT.. I brushed it off with a comb and threw it away… oh noo.. a few days ago I noticed she gained ALOT of weight, and she gets a healthy diet of oxbow pellets, and Timothy hay and free roams my room for most of the day, plenty exercise… I continued combing the fur and throwing it away… and now I’m noticing that I took her nearing fur. She’s pregnant. She grunts ALOT, digs ALOT, gets more excited to see food than usual and well is rllly fat. She also has became a little aggressive. I haven’t been able to check if I can feel her nipples becuase she won’t let me touch her huge tummy. And I see missing patches of her fur, but I see no nest? She’s basically free roam in my room, is there a possibility she has hid the nest somewhere? Behind my bed or any other furniture? And is it bad I took her fur when I brushed it off her? I honestly didn’t know she was pregnant at the time. Please give me any advise on how to deal with this and what to do when the babies are born and stuff.

[Bam]

There are a few helpful links in our resource section https://binkybunny.com/RESOURCES/tabid/67/Default.aspx
Scroll down to Pregnancy/Babies.

The nest gets made very late in the pregnancy, like the day before the babies come. Give her a box that she can put bedding and hair in.

Bink Bunny doesn’t have a lot of members with baby bun experience, so I suggest you have a look at the forum Rabbits Online. They have a section about breeding. I can’t link because my phone won’t let me.

[jerseygirl]

It just suprises me so much that breeders get it wrong. I mean, if you could tell by the time you got home that the first rabbit was a male, why on earth couldn’t the breeder tell?
If you do have yourself a pregnant rabbit, I hope you inform that breeder.

Do you know how old this rabbit is?
To me, this could just be moulting and a sassy, intact rabbit. When moulting, they can get rather grumpy. If pregnant, she would likely only pull fur herself when close to giving birth. Though, some 1st time rabbit Mums may do this earlier then again when closer to birthing. There are hormones that are released that make the fur easier to pull out. So the fact she has fur coming off *could* be a clue to her being pregnant. You’d honestly have to wait and see, I think.
It is not supposed to be easy to tell when a rabbit is pregnant just from physical observation. But some behaviours give a better idea. Hay she been carrying hay in her mouth at all?
As bam suggested, Id give her a box and some paper for nesting material and see what she does with that.
Its possible its a false pregnancy also. If the male mounted her, its enough to make her ovulate and that alone can trigger a false pregnancy.

[Katiebear]

She is probably around ten months old. I don’t know how she
Could get the gender of the male wrong tho, he was clearly
A matured male. So with her being caged with a matured male,
Her behavior is almost exactly what I’ve read about pregnant bunnies,
And her random weight gain, when I feed her the correct amount of
Food and she runs around my room all day, I just don’t know how
She could be so chubby? She actually barely eats her pellets but eats
A lot of Timothy hay.

[jerseygirl]

Eating lots of hay is great, especially with all that fur coming off her. Pregnant buns look for more protein, so it’s interesting she’s not going for the pellets so much. I did read that a rabbit would reduce food intake before giving birth though.
I wonder if she is heavier or if it’s just loose fur making her look chubby? Buns can look like they increase in size right before a major moult.

[Katiebear]

A few weeks ago she would eat a lot of the pellets but just recently she started to hardly eat them at all. I’ve also noticed she is very attached to a little couch that I have in my room, she likes to flip the pillows over and hide in them and when I try to touch the couch or pillows she will grunt or lunge at me. Idk if she just really likes this couch or if she wants her babies to go there. I also read online that if you can feel her nipples than she’s pregnant, and even though I got a few scratches from her in this process, I checked and I could definitely feel the nipples.

[jerseygirl]

Ooh. The little couch is interesting. When she is distracted elsewhere, I would investigate that closer. She may already have babies there. Rabbits don’t typically visit the babies much. Only to feed them, which might be once a day. They do tend to cover the nest also. In the wild, they’ll even pack the entrance with dirt, grass, twigs etc.
You may have to put her in a carrier and not let her see while you look. If there is a nest or babies already, I would inclined to leave them there if you think it is safe.

[Katiebear]

Okay, so I checked the couch over yesterday day and I didn’t see anything execpt for a chewed up book and a small pile of hay, which I think she was building the nest with. So I took her cage and filled it with care fresh bedding, I put double the amount I would usually put, and she seemed to like it. This morning I woke up and I went to check in her and she was doing this strange thing, she would dig a hole in the bedding and the sit in it with her legs spread and her tail up as if she was going potty, but nothing would be there when she moved, and she keeps doing this? So I went to pet her while she was in the cage and she started lunging and grunting, which she didn’t do before. She doesn’t seem to cage for the couch anymore. But what is this’s strange this she’s doing?

[Bam]

I can’t say if she’s struggling to give birth, because I’ve never seen it. Please ask on RabbitsOnline
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/
They have a section called the Rabbitry And Showroom where people ask breeding-related questions.

They will know there if your bun is ok and this behavior is normal, or if she might need veterinary intervention. Or if you yourself can help her in any way.
I wish you the absolute best of luck!

[Mikey]

If shes been struggling for more then a few hours, she needs to go to the vet. There could be a blockage which can end up badly for both her and the babies

[Yilina]

Hi Katiebear!

I hope she’s doing better and was able to give birth. Please, keep us updated!

[Katiebear]

GUYS! Minnie has gone into LABOR!!! She’s building the best as we speak, we’ll type! I’m kinda skated becuase I have to leave right now to stock up on guinea pig food and hay. Which we will be gone for a while, and idk when she has the babies but I want to be their when she does to make sure she haves them in the nest and that they don’t freeze!!???

[Bam]

Wow!!! Keep us updated!!! Safe labor-vibes for ((((Minnie))))

[joea64]

Good luck to you and Minnie! Hopefully you got back from your supply run in time for the blessed event – I’m given to understand bunnies can give birth real quick. Fingers crossed they’re all born alive and in good health, in the nest where they’re supposed to be and nice and toasty warm!

[Katiebear]

Okay so Minnie hasn’t pulled any fur yet. I have her things like ripped up soft fabric, and she even took the red of the fabric which was the size of a baby blinket, and ripped up paper/tissue and bedding and hay and she used all of those. But she has pulled any fur yet? She’s still in labor, which I was told labor could last for two days. Should I be worried that she hasn’t pulled any fur? She also won’t let me touch anything but her head, so I cannot pull it for her or she tries to bite me.

[Bam]

I honestly don’t know how they are in labor, but don’t bother with the fur. She’ll take care of the nesting, you can help her once the babies have come if she doesn’t have enough to cover them with. I’m pretty sure I’d bite if someone tried pulling hair off of me while I was in labor. ???
I’ve asked the other leaders to have a look at the thread, maybe they’ll have some tips for you.

[Mikey]

If she doesnt give birth within 24 hours of this starting (the squatting and squeezing/pushing is the start), she needs to go to the emergency vet. It can take up to 48 hours, but at the 24 hour mark, if theres no sign of babies under her, the rabbit in labor needs injections which a vet needs to give.

[Katiebear]

It’s only been about 10 hours now. If she hasn’t gave birth by tomorrow afternoon I will call a few vets and see if any are experienced with bunnies. Right now she’s just laying down and she won’t eat anything but a few nips at vegetables.

[jerseygirl]

Its normal for a rabbit to stop eating before going into labour.

Is she in the nest “squatting and squeezing/pushing” as Mikey mentioned? Im still hopeful that this is just phantom pregnancy due to her frequent nesting behaviour but inexperienced Does can to do this too…

Regarding a vet, if you don’t find one experienced with rabbits, honestly, just turn up at the most local vet to you. They will have some training with pregnant animals, the meds required to induce labour, and x-ray equipment to check if she is pregnant or has complications.

Is the breeder you got her from close to where you live, or are there other breeders in the area. You could ask their advice also, since they’d be familiar with Does that are kindling.
It’s also an idea to touch base incase there are babies and your rabbit doesn’t make it. Im sorry, but this can happen. So if in the sad event the babies are orphaned, they can be fostered to another Doe who is producing milk. It will be better for chance of survival. In my view, the breeder where you got her from owes you some assistance but Im also leary of them…
So perhaps some advice from them over the phone but also get in touch with other, more responsible breeders?

[joea64]

Hope Minnie has successfully kindled by now and the kits are in good health! *fingers crossed* I don’t know where you’re located, but does often give birth in the predawn hours so it’s quite possible you might have gone to sleep last night and have woken up to find a litter of kits in the nestbox. 

[Mikey]

Any updates on mama bun and hopefully some babies?

[Katiebear]

I am happy to say that Minnie gave birth to five babies around an hour ago! I don’t know what was going on with her nesting and stuff but it’s all fixed now. the only thing is she had put together a good nest and pulled a lot of fur, but she had the babies outside of the box x except for one. As soon as I put them in the nest she ran over and fed them. There little tummies are full and I covered them in her fur. I also turned the heat up to be safe!

[Katiebear]

I forgot to add that she made her nest in the floor behind my couch, that’s why I have the heat on so that the floor is warm. Tomorrow I’m going to go to the pet store and get stuff to make her a new nest, in a nesting box. Any idea if that’s a good idea or what should I do?

[joea64]

Posted By Katiebear on 8/07/2017 8:13 PM

I am happy to say that Minnie gave birth to five babies around an hour ago! I don’t know what was going on with her nesting and stuff but it’s all fixed now. the only thing is she had put together a good nest and pulled a lot of fur, but she had the babies outside of the box x except for one. As soon as I put them in the nest she ran over and fed them. There little tummies are full and I covered them in her fur. I also turned the heat up to be safe!

That’s WONDERFUL news!  I’d been quite concerned since I hadn’t heard anything about it in a few days. Glad to hear all the kits were born alive and well, that mommy Minnie is taking care of them and they’re getting well-fed (plump tummies are the best indicator of that, you know!) Pics when you can! I’m no expert but I think a good nesting box is a good idea to keep all the kits safe and secure. I’m not sure but my gut feeling says to keep the nesting box where the nest already is, since rabbits like to keep things in the same place – anyone with more expertise want to comment?

[Boston's Mama]

Has she pulled some of her fur for in the nest box? Or only behind the couch?
If she has used hay and her fur already in the nest box that babies are currently in I wouldn’t change it … she’s a first time mother so it’s best to disturb as little as possible I found for first 2 weeks.
Aside from looking in to check all babies are alive and gaining weight and none stands out as needing more nutrition ( which I would do at mothers veges times so she is distracted ) I wouldn’t touch the nest other than those times.
Also are you giving unlimited pellets now that she has babies? I would until the bubs are fully weaned and mothers condition is back after that. Young rabbit oxbow is a good one – make sure it’s a good brand with alfalfa hay based

[joea64]

For the more experienced people on this topic: is it usual for a doe to be in labor for so long? @Katiebear reported that Minnie had gone into labor on the 3rd, so that was 4 days?

How is Minnie doing overall? Hopefully she’s not been too stressed by the experience of giving birth for the first time and is getting back to her usual temperament and routine (aside from her daily feeding of the kits). It so happens that one of the buns I just adopted is a young mother who had her litter at 6 months or so (she’s 13 months old now more or less, her son, the other bun of the bonded pair, is about 7 months); I’ll have to ask the Friends of Rabbits people if they know anything about the birthing.

[Boston's Mama]

They need to be warm to feed so the heater is a great idea most mothers don’t mind their babies being touched right from the start but some first time mothers can have issues with it so better to be safe than sorry and limit it to the weight and health checks twice daily for now as I mentioned
Also remove any water bowls and use a water bottle instead ( if she knows how to use one already great – if not add one to her cage as well as the bowl for a couple of days till you know she can and will use it before removing bowl – smear banana on the nozzle if she needs encouragement ) over the next 2 weeks a bub can be attached drinking when mother pops out of nest box and stray baby buns can easily end up in the water dish unable to get out.

[Boston's Mama]

For question above – from the description of what was happen in this thread it sounds to me the firsts two days were mother preparing – not nessasarily in labour. After 24hours I would seek help – up to 48 hours they are ok till provided no other signs are displayed ( excessive distress , signs of being warn out etc ) but by 48 hours it’s important intervention at a vets is started.

[Mikey]

If its safe behind the couch, I would leave the nest there. If its not too safe, you can try moving her nest someplace safer. You might need to get a large pen for her and putting her in there with the nest if she has a tendency to move the nest around. Good idea on the heater, just in case. Make sure to check them every day or so to ensure they are warm enough and well fed.

Blockages can occur during birth. There also could be complications depending on the mothers age and size. Of course, the mothers health could cause problems too. It is recommended that after 24 hours of obvious labor (a squat and push, kind of like theyre trying to take a weird poop), if one baby has not come out, a vet should be seen or atleast called for advice. Sometimes the mothers need shots or fluid, sometimes the labor is just long. Babies should come out within a few hours of eachother, so of course, if Mommy Bun is still trying after a few hours, but theres a baby in the nest, the mother might also need help and a vet should be called for advice. By 48 hours of obvious labor, if no babies, Mommy Bun should be taken to the vet, possibly the emergency vet.

Another problem with a long labor is that often the mother will not eat or drink very much or not at all. Rabbits need to eat every 8 to 12 hours or they are at risk for stasis.

[joea64]

The good thing, as I understand from the reading that I’ve done on the topic, is that checking to make sure the kits are warm and properly fed is pretty simple, particularly the “fed” part. All one has to do is look at the baby’s tummy; you should be able to see the white of mommy’s milk through its translucent skin, and said tummy should be plump and smooth-skinned. The kits should all be snuggled together nicely inside the nest and squirmy and active or sleeping soundly. They should also feel warm to the touch.

Minnie will only be nursing them once or twice a day for about 5 minutes each, you may want to watch, if you’re present while she’s giving her babies supper, to make sure all the kits are getting fed. Aside from that, she’ll rarely if ever go near the nest, which is normal behavior derived from her wild ancestors; her instincts tell her to stay away from the nest when not feeding her kits so as not to get predators interested. (That doesn’t mean she’s ignoring the nest, though; there’s a famous YouTube video showing an enraged mommy bunny GOING TO TOWN on a snake that’s been so foolish as to visit her nest for lunch! You should find it and watch it – it’s a truly amazing sight, not least for mommy bun’s martial-arts-style acrobatics as she bashes the reptile around!)

[Katiebear]

I am really worried becuase the first time she fed them all got fed, but the past two feeds it seems the same two don’t come out with full tummies? And the others I can already see their fur color showing but these two I can hardly see and they are small. I can show pictures if needed! I read online to flip the mommy bunny on her back and let the babies nurse if they missed a meal but she is still being aggressive and won’t let us pick her up or definitely won’t let us flip her in her back. How do I get these babies fed?

[Mikey]

She may be neglecting them. You might have to make formula (warm goats milk with a spoon full of no sugar added heavy whipping cream) and hand feed them once a day with a little dropper.

http://rabbit.org/faq-orphaned-baby-bunnies/

Scroll down to: The Bunny is DOMESTIC (i.e., pet rabbit, NOT wild) and Really Orphaned – How do I care for a domestic baby?

[joea64]

Posted By Katiebear on 8/09/2017 11:51 PM

I am really worried becuase the first time she fed them all got fed, but the past two feeds it seems the same two don’t come out with full tummies? And the others I can already see their fur color showing but these two I can hardly see and they are small. I can show pictures if needed! I read online to flip the mommy bunny on her back and let the babies nurse if they missed a meal but she is still being aggressive and won’t let us pick her up or definitely won’t let us flip her in her back. How do I get these babies fed?

Oh dear.  I had been hoping something like this wouldn’t happen, but I feared it might; first-time bunny mothers often have difficulties of some sort with their litters. I’ve seen a YouTube video demonstrating how to turn a doe over on her back and then hold the baby so that it can nurse, maybe that’s what you’re referring to – see here:

The Proper Way to Nurse Newborn Rabbit Kits

but if Minnie won’t let herself be turned over, it won’t do any good to force her and would do a lot of harm. From the description for that video, it seems you’ll need somebody else helping you to carry that procedure out successfully. Hopefully the goats’ milk will work, or maybe you can monitor the next feeding if you’re around when it takes place. Fingers crossed that everything turns out; it’s a difficult situation, but don’t give up as long as there’s hope to save those two – glad to hear the other three are doing well!

EDIT: I re-read your post and while it’s a bit unclear to me, if I understand correctly, those two kits are getting some milk – they’re just not getting as much as they should. If that’s correct, then they’re at least getting some of the things they need to have their GI systems develop. Try to observe the next feeding, as I said, and see if the two little ones are able to get anything at all.

[Author]

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