c - Agriculture Research Extension Network (ARENET)

What other features serve as supporting evidence of pregnancy?
In addition to palpa ltion of the fetu ses, farmers rrlust use other factors to
confirm with certai: nty that the doc : is pregnant. The factors that can be
used include:
Refusal of the doe to accept the buck if taken to the hutch of the buck.
However, it is important to note that in some instances pregnant does
can often accept bucks.
e By around 28 days, the mammary gland!; will have developed
significantly and this can be regarded as final confirmation of
pregnancy.
At 29 days, the doe will begin to remove fir fiom her abdomen to
make a nest for the young ones.
7.4.5 Pregnancy:
Pregnancy lasts for 30-32 days and therefore does should be well fed and
conforted. Heat stress and noise should.be avoided to avoid disturbance of
the pregnancy. Five days to kindling, the hutch must be cleaned and a
kindling nest provided. The kindling box should be provided with dry
grass or a suitable soft bedding to enable newly born babies keep warm
and avoid losses due to chilling.
At 29 days, the doe plucks off her fbr and makes a nest. In addition to the
rabbit providing the f3r to protect the young ones against cold, the
shedding of the fbr will help to expose the teats in preparation for
suckling.
Plenty of water must be provided to avoid dehydration. This is because
dehydration can lead to the doe eating one or more of her young at birth or
thereafter.
7.4.6 What happens if a doe has a false pregnancy
The cause of this is mounting of a doe by a doe or the simple presence of a
buck in the hutch of a doe. No fertilization takes place but this situation
will trigger hormonal changes usually associated with pregnancy. False
pregnancies usually last 17-1 9days after which the doe will pluck her hrs
just like in the normal pregnancy. Some does have this as a habit and
farmers must make sure that such does and culled.
This is the act of the doe giving birth. Kindling ust~ally
occurs at night anti
once the process is over, the doe will pluck more fbr to keep her young