The pregnancy of a rabbit is the most exciting period of time for her owner, especially for the one whose pet is going to become a mother for the first time. Rabbit owners, as a rule, are concerned about such questions: "How many rabbits will be in the litter?", "Will everything go well or will there be problems?" But first of all, every rabbit breeder should know how to determine the pregnancy of a rabbit.
Instructions
Step 1
You can find out that the rabbit is pregnant with the help of the male. Place him next to the female 5-15 days after the intended mating and observe the behavior of the rabbit. A pregnant female will chase the rabbit around the cage, growl at him, try to bite, flatly refusing his courtship. But such a rabbit pregnancy test is not always reliable. Sometimes it also happens that the fertilized female allows the male to re-cover.
Step 2
The most reliable way to determine if a rabbit is pregnant is by palpation. But do it no earlier than 10 days after the intended fertilization. Lay the female on a horizontal surface with her head facing you. With your left hand, support the rabbit by the sacrum, with the tips of the fingers of your right hand, gently probe the embryos. They are located, as a rule, in the form of a chain on the sides of the back of the female's abdomen.
Step 3
If the rabbit is pregnant, her uterus is greatly enlarged and filled with fluid. And embryos are shaped like small nuts. Palpate very gently. Do not press or pinch your toddler between your fingers.
Step 4
During pregnancy, a rabbit, as a rule, consumes a much larger amount of food than before mating with a male. This is explained by the fact that rabbits develop and grow in her womb. One to two weeks before the birth of the rabbits, the rabbit's appetite returns to the same level as before her pregnancy.
Step 5
To find out that the rabbit is pregnant, you can also by the appearance of a bad habit - to throw out the usual food from your feeder in search of something tastier. Although ill-mannered fastidious females can do this all the time, without being pregnant.
Step 6
Many rabbits during pregnancy, preparing for the birth of rabbits, build a nest for them from the fluff plucked from their own tummy.
