Fast Facts about Gestation and birth of Rabbits

Picture of Dwarf Rabbits

• A female rabbit is called a doe. A male rabbit is called a buck.
• When referring to the parents of a rabbit, the mother is called the dam, and the father is called the sire.
• When you mate two rabbits together, this is called breeding.
• When you check to see if the doe is pregnant or when you breed her again before she is due to give birth, this is called testing.
• When you put a box in the hutch that is lined with hay, this is called nesting.
• When the doe gives birth, this is called kindling.
• The period of time between breeding and kindling is called the gestation period.
• She gives birth to a bunch of bunnies called kits. This bunch of bunnies is called a litter.
• When you take the young rabbits away from the mother, this is called weaning.

Baby Cottontail Rabbits (click here for pictures of more cute rabbits)

• The average gestation period for rabbits is 31 days; however it can vary from 29 - 35 days.
  
• Does should be pregnancy checked 14 days after mating. If not pregnant, they can be re-bred immediately. If a doe exhibits kindling (or birthing) tendency 18 to 22 days after mating it is a good sign of false pregnancy. Ovulation in domestic rabbits is induced by the act of mating. If egg cells are not fertilized, false pregnancy occurs.
• Shortly before kindling, the doe will line the nest box with fur plucked from her body. Clean and disinfected nest boxes should be placed with the doe three days before she is due to kindle or when fur pulling is observed. Remove the nest box when rabbits are two weeks old.
• rabbits should be removed. Excess young can be transferred to a foster mother.
• Bunnies should be weighed at 21 days to judge the doe's milk production and the offspring growth potential. Each bunny should weigh approximately 385 grams.
• The young can be weaned at 4 weeks, but they may remain with the doe until 8 weeks. Shipping weight should be at least 4 lb.