by Angie Pollock

Created on: August 09, 2009

Long before a rabbit owner takes on the challenge of breeding rabbits, they should know about how to care for the doe before, during, and after conception. Whether the breeding was intentional or a surprise, your now pregnant doe will need some special care to prepare for the delivery of her kits. The gestation period of a rabbit is a short 28 to 32 days so you need to prepare early for the new arrivals.

Diet and Nutrition

During a doe's pregnancy, she will need special considerations given to her diet. Her body will be requiring extra energy and will need to keep up with the demands of her growing offspring. Before and during her pregnancy, provide your doe with a high-quality, nutritious diet along with an unlimited supply of fresh, clean water.

Some breeders will provide their doe with unlimited supplies of food however; this can lead to excessive weight gain which can make delivery difficult. Unlimited amounts of Timothy hay and a normal supply of nutritious rabbit pellets will keep your rabbit healthy for the delivery. Two days prior to delivery, cut back on her food but not water. By cutting back on her diet by at least 50 percent just prior to birth, your doe will have less of a chance experiencing medical problems like mastitis and ketosis. Once she has delivered her kits, her diet can gradually be increased and she should be back to her normal diet within one week of kindling.

Environment

Just prior to birth, your pregnant doe will need a kindling box. Most rabbits are already provided with a nest box but if your rabbit doesn't have one, now is the time to purchase or build one. The kindling box should be just several inches larger than your rabbit. Some rabbits are known to use their kindling box as a bathroom if it happens to be large enough.

Your doe will want to fill her kindling box with materials to build a nest. She will pull some of her own fur but you can also provide her with straw and shredded paper. When the time is near, your doe should not be disturbed. A rabbit needs a quiet environment to give birth to avoid undo stress. Do not check on the kits until after they are all born and the doe has recovered from the delivery.

Most kindling (births of kits) will happen either late at night or in the early morning and typically occurs quite quickly. But some kindling can last up to two days before all of the kits are delivered. The kits will be born with either head or feet first. Birthing problems are rare in rabbits.

The Kits

A litter can contain only a few kits or up to a dozen. Once they are born, the doe will nurse her young but she will not stay with them continuously. Fresh, clean water is vital to not only a pregnant doe but a nursing doe. Once the kits have arrived, it is time to start increasing her diet gradually until she is back to her normal amounts of food.

For outside rabbits, owners should take the weather into consideration and the doe should also have a cage not shared by other rabbits. Caring for a pregnant rabbit isn't difficult. Keep her free from a stressful environment, provide her with a nutritious diet and clean water, and supply a kindling box and your doe should do the rest.

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