# How long in labour?



## skits (Aug 31, 2011)

About a month ago we received a beautiful 1 year old female rabbit. I'm guessing she is a dutch mix or a dutch. We had decided we wanted more rabbits in our family so we decided tobreed her with my dwarf rabbit Calvin before we neutered him. Mainly we bred them because the shelters are not allowing us to adopt (because we have a boa snake), and I didn't want to get any from petstores. And I thought it would be nice experience to have rabbits from birth, watch them grow and bond with them from the start. 

The doe (Susie) was bred on the 29th, we put in her nesting box a few days ago but she decided not to make a nest until the last minute. :rollseyesShe has been laying on her stomach in the box now for the past 3 hours or so, she has made somewhat of a nest now. She got up when I went to see her, but layed right back down afterwards soI'm guessing her babies will come anytime now. 

How long does labour usually take before her first baby? And is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable?


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## mistyjr (Aug 31, 2011)

They usually have babies around day 31, sometimes longer then 35 days,


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## Babybunnies_x (Aug 31, 2011)

I read that bunnies will postpone their irthing process until they are fully comfortable and ready.

For my beanie I had to cover her cage with a blanket before she would give birth.


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## hillrise (Aug 31, 2011)

Most of the does I've had will actually act frantic more than anything right before giving birth. They'll hop in the nest and dig, hop out, pull some fur, hop in and out.

You actually DON'T want to see her staying in the nest. If she does that after the kits are born, she might squish them. You only want her to go in there to feed them once (MAYBE twice) a day for about 5-10 minutes, and that's it.

How much bigger than her is the nest box? You might want to put a smaller one in there.

And, yes, some does will postpone having their babies until they feel it's safe. Most often, they have them during the night.


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## mistyjr (Aug 31, 2011)

*hillrise wrote: *


> Most of the does I've had will actually act frantic more than anything right before giving birth. They'll hop in the nest and dig, hop out, pull some fur, hop in and out.



Yup, Mine do the same thing and before i can tell they are ready, They will carry their hay in their mouths, I even watched 3 girls of mine giving birth! It was cool!:biggrin:


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## skits (Sep 1, 2011)

She was out of her box today and hopping around so I guess it won't be tonight. Her box is about twice her size, is that too big? She also hasn't pulled any fur out yet, she just dug herselfa hole in her box and that was it for the day. Maybe she's just starting to build her nest and she's expecting in the next couple days.


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## jeanluc_pippen_merry (Sep 1, 2011)

So exciting!!! inkbouce:


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## CCWelch (Sep 1, 2011)

I have a doe that will build her nest, even pull hair 7 days before then tear it apart and do it all over again about 3 times before she kindles, I resorted to not giving her a nest box until 3 days before now she builds a nest a day until the babies are born.


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