Rabbit Doe Kindling Start Signs

After mating the doe should be returned to the hutch whichshe will occupy until at least after her litter are weaned. Theuse of the same hutch for each animal is always desirable.There will be no change in management during the firstpart of pregnancy, although she should at no time be roughlyhandled. Her feeding during pregnancy will change, butuntil the third week she will be handled as any other adult.At the end of the third week, that is about ten days before sheis due to kindle, the hutch should be thoroughly cleaned out anda good supply of bedding placed therein, together with a nestbox, unless one is left permanently in the hutch, or the systemis not used. It may sometimes happen that the doe willbegin to make a nest early, and in this case the cleaning outshould immediately take place. The doe will make her nestby carrying bedding material (and hay is best for this particularpurpose) about in her mouth and forming a hollow mass fromit. This she will line with fur plucked from her breast andbelly. If the doe starts to make her nest outside the nestbox,then it can be transferred therein and she will usually continueto snake it there. Occasionally a doe is found that will refuseto make a nest in the box, or alternatively will make two orthree.

Some does do not line their nests satisfactorily. During coldweather the youngsters in these poorly lined nests are easilychilled, and some additional lining can be provided if some oldnest linings, particularly those from does which have lost theirlitters early, are cleaned, sterilized and kept for further use.The doe should not be unduly interfered with from thistime onwards. She need not, indeed should not, be coddled.It is quite wrong to suppose that the least noise or disturbancewill affect her. There are some does which abort theiryoung, or scatter them at birth, or eat them, and it is sometimessaid that this is due to disturbance. If the disturbance is dueto rats or dogs, or cats, this may be true, but otherwise reason-able disturbance, although avoided if possible, should usuallydo little harm.

When the baby rabbits are born the doe will usually placethem in the nest, but if they are seen outside, they shouldimmediately be placed in it.

The litter of young rabbits should be examined within 24hours of birth. The attention of the doe can be distracted byoffering some tit-bit whilst the nest box is removed, or preferablyshe can be taken from the hutch whilst the litter is beingexamined. However the young rabbits should not be fre-quently handled and many, particularly of the marked breeds,have been ruined by constant handling whilst in the nest. Itshould be the rule that the litter be periodically examined tosee that they are progressing satisfactorily, but 'young rabbitsshould not be removed from the nest for display.