# Where are the babies?



## Sabine (Aug 29, 2015)

One of my mature Netherland Dwarf does was due to have her litter yesterday.
She felt quite heavily pregnant and I was sure I could clearly feel babies in her tummy. 
I put her into a new hutch a few days before her due date and she spent two or three days just digging the bedding all over the place making a big mess and I was getting concerned that there was no clean spot left for the nest.
I kept adding new straw so that at least she'd have clean nesting material.
The evening before her due date she suddenly started gathering straw and hay and made a decent nest in the enclosed part of the hutch (the usual place)
I was delighted that she eventually started nesting and when I came down the next morning I expected to find a litter but to my surprise all the bedding had been kicked all over the place again and the nest was destroyed.
There was no evidence of pulled fur and certainly no babies.
I also palpated her and could still feel "something" inside her but oddly it didn't feel alive.
I decided to take her out quickly to fix up the hutch and I added all clean bedding. I thought maybe she would start afresh.
This morning I checked the hutch and it looked all neat: no digging, no nesting and she even used the litter tray for most of it.
She still feels big but strangely smaller than before.
I have had fake pregnancies before but they usually only lasted a bit over two weeks. I have no idea what happened here? Was this a false pregnancy that went to term and she somehow showed all the physical symptoms? Or did the babies die close to term and rather than expelling she is re-absorbing them? Is that possible?
She seems in good enough form and is eating, peeing and pooing perfectly well.
Any thought what may have happened her? Thanks.


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## ladysown (Aug 29, 2015)

several thoughts pop into my mind

1. kits born dead.. cleaned them up.
2. nest destroyed... any possibility of a predator?
3. kits crawled out of nest and are dead and buried under the straw bedding
4. false pregnancy...though they usually don't destroy the nest.
5. something scared her badly and she destroyed the nest.


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## majorv (Aug 29, 2015)

Have you looked under the hutch for any signs of kits or remains?


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## Sabine (Aug 29, 2015)

I could find absolutely no remains anywhere. No blood or fur or anything neither in the hutch or out.
Can they really clean up that thoroughly?
She had a dead baby the last time as well but that was just left uncovered by the nest.
I don't think predators can get into the shed. I have never seen any evidence. I assumed the initial digging was due to the fact that I separated her from the other rabbits she usually lives with and that she was a bit upset because of the new environment. But when she started tidying up and building a pretty nice nest I thought the instinct was kicking in. I just can't imagine what would have made her dig everything up again.


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## majorv (Aug 29, 2015)

Well, I had a doe build a nest then eat all the hay. I gave her more, she made a nest and then messed it all up. She ended up having the kits on the wire. It was frustrating because they were alive, but didn't make it because they got too cold. If she goes several days past due date you could get her checked by a vet.


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## ladysown (Aug 29, 2015)

some does if you move them from one place to another will get a bit "off" in their heads.

I've had them TOTALLY destroy nests. usually it is possible to find remnants of the nest, but sometimes they just do an awesome job of clearing everything up.


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## Sabine (Aug 30, 2015)

Maybe this is what happened. Still odd there was no fur at least. I find even when the babies are born dead the doe will pluck fur and line the nest to some extend. Is it common for the to eat the fur too?
I have taken her out of her solitary hutch and re-bonded her with her companions (Her mum and a neutered buck) I have decided to retire her as she is about four years old now and all season she only gave birth to one singleton.
It's a shame as she used to have lovely litters.


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## majorv (Aug 30, 2015)

Does who are nearing the end of their breeding lives can have miscarriages, have stillborns or just 'miss'. I can usually find evidence if they had anything, but that doesn't mean you will. She may not have pulled fur.


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## Sabine (Sep 2, 2015)

Today is five days past her due date (I am pretty certain of the date) and I found a dead baby in the middle of the hutch floor. She was already back with her companions and I didn't expect anything to happen that late. She had been hiding away all morning. As soon as I removed the baby she hopped out and started munching on the veg I had put in.


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