# Pregnat Lop - Panda. Help please :)



## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

This is my stupid cute lop called panda. I got her on sunday and was told she had been mated with a chocolate and may or may not have taken. I adore her for what she is, so placid and curious and wasnt intentionaly looking to breed. I did loads of research on general keeping before i got her and to be on the safe side im doing some more on pregnancy now, but id like to hear from people that breed them so as i know from others what will happen and any do's and dont. I read somwhere that by 3days old baby rabbits have to be vaxinated for mixy. 3 days seems really young to be getting jabbed and moved around??? Alot of what ive read contradicts itself and i am a bit confused to be honest.

Shes being housed in a 4 foot hutch indoors atm and ive built her a 1.8 x 1.8 metre run. 
any help would be very appreciated : victory:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Not a rabbit expert by any means but Ive never heard of vaccinations at that age and a stressy mum will probably kill them if the owner starts messing with them


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## Emsylove (Mar 16, 2009)

leave them alone untill they are out of the nest as she doesnt really know your smell all to well. when i had babbies we never had any jabs for them as w/e didnt live in a area with lotts of rabbits, so if i was u i woul6d leave it for the person who buys them of u to do the jabs if they want to


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## snowdrop (Feb 5, 2011)

First of she's beautiful, she should produce some little stunners:flrt: anyway i've never heard of anyone giving babies vaccinations at 3 days old.. Since she doesn't know you that well I would advise to just wait until they babies are walking around the nest etc before handling them, as you don't want to freak mum out because she could attack the babies.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

okies, i wana make sure i get the care right.
what about feeding mum after the kits? i was told not to feed her for a few days incase the babies tried to eat it...


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## sjl02 (May 31, 2010)

Do you no when she was mated , so you can work out a due date for her? 
For the 1st 3 wks of pregnancy clean and feed as normal - lots of hay,. Then final week feed her ad lib and carry on feeding ad lib the whole time she's nursing. By the time the babies start coming out the nest there fine to start nibbling some hay/food.
Give her cage a good clean about a week before she's due. Then leave her be (just feed,water,spot clean) untill babies are 2 weeks old. If you need to check the litter to make sure all alive and feeding remove mum from the cage and give her some of fav veg and have very quick peek. She may get unsettled if you do it in front of her. 
Also don't worry if you see mum feeding the babies they have very rich milk and only need to feed babies once or twice a night.
They do not need vaccine untill 8-12 wks


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

sjl02 said:


> Do you no when she was mated , so you can work out a due date for her?
> For the 1st 3 wks of pregnancy clean and feed as normal - lots of hay,. Then final week feed her ad lib and carry on feeding ad lib the whole time she's nursing. By the time the babies start coming out the nest there fine to start nibbling some hay/food.
> Give her cage a good clean about a week before she's due. Then leave her be (just feed,water,spot clean) untill babies are 2 weeks old. If you need to check the litter to make sure all alive and feeding remove mum from the cage and give her some of fav veg and have very quick peek. She may get unsettled if you do it in front of her.
> Also don't worry if you see mum feeding the babies they have very rich milk and only need to feed babies once or twice a night.
> They do not need vaccine untill 8-12 wks


thankyou so much. apparently she was mated about 1.5-2 weeks ago. shes 18months old according to previous owners and with last little was a very good mum. are there behaviour changes to note?

just checked. she was mated on the 1st june


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

just make sure she has enough food and water. straw/ hay to make a nest. 

i count my babies when born and check them over every day or at least every other. 3 days thats silly never heard of such rubbish.

6-8 weeks will do fine to vacinate

weaned around 7 weeks. be able to be re homed 8- 10 weeks old.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

thankyou  do thier temprements change much when they are due?


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## PrettyxPerfection (Sep 9, 2008)

Hissy Missy said:


> thankyou  do thier temprements change much when they are due?


Watch your fingers I must say if she is anything like my 2 does, they get very stroppy and don't like being messed with, :2thumb:

But a few hours to 24 hrs before they are due they start building a nest, this is when you leave her alone to get on with it :2thumb:


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Mated on 1st of June she'll be due to kindle on July 2nd :2thumb:. If she starts making a nest in the next couple of days it could mean she's having a phantom & is possibly not in kit (although i had Doe's who would always nest build half way through & go on to kindle a litter). Make sure there is plenty of soft hay for her to make a nest. Once she's kindled you can check the nest for any dead babies by removing the Doe & giving her a nice piece of carrot, then rubbing your hands in her dirty corner to get her smell on them you can just insert a finger in the nest. If it is warm & wriggly then all is ok :2thumb:. After checking pop the Doe back & then leave well alone, just feed her & remove her wet corner. DO NOT touch anywhere near the nest until the kits have left it (usually at about 3 weeks+), if they leave the nest before it could be a sign that the Doe isn't producing enough milk. Once she has kindled you can offer some fresh parsley, this will help with her milk production :2thumb:. If you need any help feel free to PM me (i bred & exhibited rabbits for many many years, so have some experience as i've bred just a few litters :whistling2. Oh & being a Mini Lop you can expect between 2-4 kits).


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

thankyou so much corny girl. im sure ill be pming you in a blind panic at least once or twice lol


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

and the babies will probly be harlequins : victory:


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> and the babies will probly be harlequins : victory:



Carrying Chocolate :2thumb:.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Hissy Missy said:


> thankyou so much corny girl. im sure ill be pming you in a blind panic at least once or twice lol




No problem hun, you PM away :2thumb:.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

corny girl said:


> Carrying Chocolate :2thumb:.


and chinchilla from mom :2thumb:


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

:gasp: shes been grinding her teeth at me last night! moody much....


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

PrettyxPerfection said:


> Watch your fingers I must say if she is anything like my 2 does, they get very stroppy and don't like being messed with, :2thumb:
> 
> But a few hours to 24 hrs before they are due they start building a nest, this is when you leave her alone to get on with it :2thumb:




some rabbits start building days before one of my does built a nest for 11 days. they are due. others build a nest just before they give birth.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

okies, shes really ansey today and was making loud thumping noises alot last night...she also wouldnt let me pick her up. is this a sign? or is she just a bit stropey?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

her hormones are probly kicking in, i dont handle females when they`re up the spout, imo they need quiet time.

thumping in the night isnt normal, could a cat or fox have been hanging around?


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## Slicer (Feb 8, 2011)

Hi there,

I am new to the forums and the only animals I know anything about are rats and rabbits really.

Rabbits get vaccinated at around 8 weeks old, some at 12 weeks old, you will know around 7-8 weeks with how active they are and whether the mummy is very protective. You will find the mum will move away from them more and more and be happier with you looking in etc.... as someone has stated earlier you can do checks on them by enticing mummy with some of her fav veg 

Good luck and enjoy


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

shes doing loads of digging in her hutch atm, i hada gentle feel of her tummy yesterday but cant feel anything??


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

a gentle feel wont show you anything, you really need to know how to `poke` at them, probly a very bad idea unless you know what you`re doing, as you could harm the bubbas or make her abort.

if she`s far gone in her pregnancy you can sometimes see them wriggling about when mom`s lying full streach, but they dont kick a lot like guinea pigs do, bunnies hide their pregnancys well, hold them in and high up.

if she`s digging about and moving hte furniture around she`s probly getting ready to start nesting.
mine make a hay nest a week or so before birth, then line it with belly fur the day before they pop.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

line it with belly fur? will she pull her fur out? she was "twitching" yesterday when i picked her up, but i wasnt sure if that was coz she wasnt comfy...


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yep, they pull fur out of their belly to make a nice warm nest.
buns are born bald and if they didnt line the nest they`d freeze to death.

i woudnt be handling her too much if she`s not got far to go.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

it wont get sore or infected will it?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

what wont?


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

where she pulls out the belly fur?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

its never happened to any of mine, it also makes it easier for the babies to find the milk bar.
she wont be bald, just a bit thinner furred.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> its never happened to any of mine, it also makes it easier for the babies to find the milk bar.
> she wont be bald, just a bit thinner furred.


sorry, they sound like such silly questions


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

best to ask beforehand, at least you`ll know whats `normal` and will notice if anythings going a bit wrong :2thumb:


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

im quite anxious lol, its the first time ive done it and i wana make sure i get it right..are there any sure fire ways to tell pregnancy?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

an experienced breeder can palpate the abdomen from about 2 weeks gone and tell you wether theres marbles in there.
not something to try if you`re not experienced.

you`re probly best going from her behaviour - is she a bit more grumpy? as their hormones kick in they like to shovel shavings and bedding around and pounce on you with their front feet, get a bit cage defensive.

its not a good idea to incease the quantity of food she`s getting till the bubbas have been born either.....rabbit put weight on easily and can crush the babies into dead saussages as they pass them if they`re porky.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

she is grumpy. she ground her teeth at me the other day. if i try to pick her up to put her in her run she runs up and down her hutch and wont let me. she thumps her back feet aswell if i get too near her hutch and i cud hear her shoveling hay from the other end of the garden last night


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

probly best leaving her in the hutch then if she dosnt want to come out.
she`ll want to be kept in for the first month or so after they`re born anyhows.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

so she doesnt need a run a day or anything atm?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

entirely up to you, only you know your rabbit?

i personally do not handle heavily pregnant rabbits, i leave them in peace to get on with making their nests and getting quiet time ready for the birth.
excess poking and that imo is not good for her, i think your more likely to not have a good outcome, she could kill her babies with stress or loose them prematurely.

i dont think you can treat a heavily pregnant rabbit as you would a pet, and i think you should get back to her being a pet after the babies are independant.

tis just my opinion, you dont have to do as i do with mine


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> entirely up to you, only you know your rabbit?
> 
> i personally do not handle heavily pregnant rabbits, i leave them in peace to get on with making their nests and getting quiet time ready for the birth.
> excess poking and that imo is not good for her, i think your more likely to not have a good outcome, she could kill her babies with stress or loose them prematurely.
> ...


your advice is very appreciated and i will take it on bored. i should maybe just treat her the same as i do my pregnant mice? dont handle them much, just clean them out, feed and change water and check on her and the babies once a day...


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## Slicer (Feb 8, 2011)

Absolutely, leave her be, she will let you know when she is ready - you will know when it is time as she will have little fur left on her belly as she uses it for nesting.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

i cant wait til she has babies :flrt:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

they`re gorgeous when they just start binking about @ 3 weeks-ish.

i had a squeeze of nuttybabez`s tiny bew nethie the other day, she`s the squishiest baby bun youve ever seen.
:flrt:

dont feel bad/guilty about her staying in the hutch for a few weeks, imo you`re doing the best thing for the bun, she`ll be back in the run in no time.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

this is my bew ive called harely...i pick him up on the 3rd july 










sooty, 3rd july










and vee, also 3rd july :flrt:


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

the sootys not a sooty.
looks more like a beige otter ( is white underneath? ) and if it is its an unstandardised colour. sootys and beiges arnt supposed to be otters

your bew looks like it has magpie stripes on its butt, if it has = not a bew.

other ones a blue harlequin, very lightly marked though.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

vee was very bright orange colour the last time i saw her. i think harely does have a black strip on his bum of literaly a few hairs, and sooty is now like a blue grey colour, no white on his belly


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

he`s not a blue eyed white then.
they`re made by the vienna gene, they are pure white with propper blue eyes.
like polar bear here









your boy is a harlequin with the chinchilla gene taking out the orange in the coat .
he`s a lightly miss-marked magpie.
little bobs heres a magpie


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

thats what my pregnant girl looks like, only alot more white


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yep, she`s the same colour as little bob.
theres not many of them around, are still quite unusual, in all the years i`ve shown rabbits think i`ve only seen 3 being exhibited. 
1 nethie, 1 dwarf lop and one magpie!


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

theres not many magpies around?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

nope, not many at all, in any breed


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

awwww, and i have 2?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yep, and i have 2 and a tiny baby one.
bobs three babies are all agouti like their mom.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

so is it recessive?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yes and no.

rabbit colour inheritance is a bit more complicated than that, theres five pairs of major genes in play

AABBCCDDEE

plus the other odds and sods..........

if i`d have put bob to a sooty fawn i`d probly have got harlequins carrying chinchilla and non-extension of black


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

BIGGEST hint yet pandas pregnant. i caught her with a MASSIVE mouthful of straw in her mouth last night lol, she spent all night shifting it about :lol2:


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

I has BABY PANDAS!!!:flrt:


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## Slicer (Feb 8, 2011)

Hissy Missy said:


> I has BABY PANDAS!!!:flrt:


Many congrats, when mummy allows you, stick some pics up  looking forward to it.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

Slicer said:


> Many congrats, when mummy allows you, stick some pics up  looking forward to it.


mummy was still growling at me the last time i checked lol...ill peek tonight :whistling2:


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## beth18 (Oct 2, 2009)

Totally irrelevent but this post made me smile because my rabbit is also called Panda ... but that's because she's a dutch and looks like one


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

PANDA BABIES!!!!

im keeping this one i think 









and this one for sure...



























:flrt:


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Congratulations :2thumb:. To be honest i would of left the Doe well alone & waited to take pics (first time mum's can get stressed easily & can even kill their kits). I would only take pics of a litter once eyes are open (usually between 10-12 days). Try & keep any disturbances down to a bare minimum, if this is Panda's first litter then plaese don't get your hopes up too much as first litters often don't make it (Doe's are inexperienced & just leave them to die as they just don't know what to do). I would often mate up an experienced Doe who i know was a good mother whenever i mated up maiden Doe's so i could foster if i had too :whistling2:.


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

corny girl said:


> Congratulations :2thumb:. To be honest i would of left the Doe well alone & waited to take pics (first time mum's can get stressed easily & can even kill their kits). I would only take pics of a litter once eyes are open (usually between 10-12 days). Try & keep any disturbances down to a bare minimum, if this is Panda's first litter then plaese don't get your hopes up too much as first litters often don't make it (Doe's are inexperienced & just leave them to die as they just don't know what to do). I would often mate up an experienced Doe who i know was a good mother whenever i mated up maiden Doe's so i could foster if i had too :whistling2:.


apparently its her 3rd litter. but i will be leaving well alone now i know they are all ok and no afterbirth attached etc. xxx


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

the face markings on the second one are amazing.

a perfect split, harlequin breeders everywhere will be cursing you!

looks like you have maybe a sootyfawn and a couple of agoutis too?


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## Hissy Missy (Dec 6, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> the face markings on the second one are amazing.
> 
> a perfect split, harlequin breeders everywhere will be cursing you!
> 
> looks like you have maybe a sootyfawn and a couple of agoutis too?


the perfect split one im keeping :devil:


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## Hammyhogbun (May 19, 2011)

congrats 

Please dont take them out of the nest again its not a very good thing to do


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