Guest Blog Post by Sarah Martin: What to Expect When Your Rabbit's Expecting | A Quick Guide to Pregnant Rabbit Care

Remember the Rabbit Breeding Book giveaway a couple weeks ago? Well, Sarah Martin wanted to also write a guest blog post for our blog. So, I thought that would be kind of fun. With guest blog posts and if we continue to do some here and there, we, at Hoppin' Herd of Hares, may not necessarily agree with everything written. Or do things as is written in the guest post. But, it is still helpful information.

Enjoy!

What to Expect When Your Rabbit's Expecting

A Quick Guide to Pregnant Rabbit Care

by Sarah Martin

Waiting for your pregnant rabbit to give birth is one of the most exciting times in any rabbit breeders life. The day you check on your mama-to-be and find a nest full of adorable baby bunnies is such a fun and fulfilling experience, your a bunny parent! 

But before your doe gives birth she'll need a few things from you to make sure that everything goes well and the babies arrive happy & health. Keep reading to discover when these key times are and what you need to do to before your doe delivers. 

After Breeding - Break out the calendar!

Every rabbit breeder should keep a good breeding calendar, in an easy to see place, so they can track & stay on top of important dates and deadlines for their soon to be mama rabbits.  

Mark down these dates (count out from the day you mated your rabbits): 

Day 21 - Start giving your doe all the food she wants to eat (also called free feeding) so she can store up & support the growth of her new babies. 

Day 28 - Nest box time! Take a rabbit nest box, stuffed with soft hay (like Timothy Hay or Bermuda Grass) and place it inside your doe's cage so she can start building her nest. 

I've always preferred metal nest boxes because they're easy to clean and sanitize between litter (and they don't get chewed up by the rabbits) but wooden nest boxes will insulate better if you live somewhere cold (or its a cooler time of year). Another perk of wooden nest boxes is that they are very easy to make yourself if you're a "handy" kind of person.   

Make sure you avoid putting the nest box in the corner of the cage that your doe uses as her bathroom area, you don't want her to decide that the nest box is actually a litter box. 

Day 28-35 - Wait for those babies! Most does will kindle (a rabbit-tech term for giving birth) on the 30th or 31st day after mating but they can give birth any time between the 28th and 35th day, so be patient! 

If you're doe hasn't given birth after the 35th day is highly unlikely that she's pregnant and you'll want to re-breed her and try again. Some does will build a nest in their nest box, even when they're not pregnant (called a false-pregnancy) so you can't always take nest building as an indicator that they are "with child".

Following the above steps will set you and your doe up to a happy delivery and healthy batch of baby bunnies. Don't forget that this is only a quick guide and, if you're new to rabbit breeding, it's a great idea to learn more about mating, birth, and raising baby rabbits before you start breeding. Be prepared and you you'll have less worries and more time to enjoy with your cuddly babies bunnies and their proud mama.