HOw long is the gestation period of a rabbit doe? My neighbor put her buck in six weeks ago and still has not gotten any bunnies. This is the doe's second litter.

Thanks for any responses.

Idaho Cher

-- Cheryl Rovang (fullcircle@nidlink.com), January 19, 2000

Answers

The gestation period for rabbits is 28 days. If the doe hasn't kindled by four weeks then she probably wasn't pregnant. Some does will eat their babies as fast as they are born, so if you are expecting baby bunnies and they never show up you need to examine the cage to make sure the mother never built a nest and that there is no blood in the cage.

If you are just starting to raise rabbits I would suggest you go to the American Rabbit Breeders Assosiation's (ARBA) web site and check out their publications. Membership isn't needed unless you want to show your rabbits but their books cover most common problem involved in raising rabbits. http://member.aol.com/arbanet/arba/web/index.htm

-- Adam Roberts (aer4529@cs.rit.edu), January 20, 2000.

Hi Cher, I have been raiseing rabbits for years and have never had a doe have babies on the 28th day.. On the 28th day I give them a nest box with plenty of bedding, usally the babies are born about the 30th day but I have had them go as long as 33 days...Doris in Idaho

-- Doris Richards (dorisquilts@webtv.net), January 24, 2000.

CHEYL, THE LAST LETTER IS CORRECT. IT USUALLY TAKES 30 TO 33 DAYS. JUST BECAUSE THE DOE IS WITH THE BUCK DOESN'T MEAN SHE WAS BRED. ALSO RABBITS ARE VERY NERVOUS CREATURES,AND WILL SOMETIMES REABSORB THE FETUSES IF ALARMED. THIS CAN BE CAUSED BY LOUD NOISES, A DOG OR WILD ANIMAL NEAR THE HUTCHES, OR EVEN A THUNDER-STORM. THEY WILL ALSO EAT THE NEWBORN OR EVEN OLDER BUNNIES IF ANY OF THE ABOVE HAPPENS. SO TRY AGAIN, BE SURE NOT TO LET THE DOES GET TOO FAT OR THEY WON'T BREED[THATS MY BIG PROBLEM]. GOOD LUCK DAIRYGOATMAMA

-- KAREN MAUK (DAIRYGOATMAMA@AOL.COM), January 25, 2000.

hi i have a very important question to ask.my rabbit just had 4 kits and i have her in my house in a smaller cage then she normally had. every morning i lot her out of the cage to run around in my room but when i put her back in she starts tearing up the nest and digging on the shavings and iam afraid she will hurt them what should i do? i also have another question, i am not sure if she is nursing them but they do have round bellys and seem to be strong thank you

-- angelaberreth (angelaberreth@hotmail.com), March 04, 2001.