castration

Question

-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
how long should a male be kept apart from a female after he has been castrated? I read on the internet that it was 2 weeks? My female (6 months) is growling and stamping, her nipples have grown larger. I fear that she may be pregnant (or could it be a fake pregnancy?) i have put her in a hutch away from the male, she runs around the garden during the day with the male and they sit washing each other. basically want to know what I should be doing!!! (Didn't want her to have babies!!)

Answer -
At 6 months, it may just be hormones kicking in. That is around when females start to go through hormonal changes (such as becoming more aggressive, body changes, etc.). Of course, if she was allowed access the male at all in the past 35 days, it is always possible that she is pregnant.

As far as the time apart from the female, it is recommended to keep them away from females for 6-8 weeks after the neuter is complete.

ah, they were put back together after 2 weeks so there is every chance that she could be pregnant. What are the chances of her having a successful birth? I've read that they can eat their first litter. Do I need to keep her in a hutch away from the male or can they stay together? does she need anything else in the hutch?

Answer
It is definitely possible that she could be pregnant. It is not as likely, but there is certainly the chance.

Some females do eat their first litter or two by accident. What happens is they do not really know what is going on. Their instinct tells them to clean off the birth sack and afterbirth, but they don't always know the difference without practice.

She should be kept away from the male. Firstly, because she could get aggressive toward him due to the hormones she will have while being pregnant. Also, it is possible for the male to impregnate her a second time, since both uterine horns work in rabbits. She could end up with two seperate litters, which could be dangerous since they will be different ages. It can result in the death or poor health of the mother or one or both litters. Finally, having the male around during the birth is more likely to make her nervous, which will make her more likely to harm or eat the babies. The male may also harm the babies.

At 26 days after she was first put with the male, she will need a nestbox that is about 2 inches wider and longer than she is. You can either make one out of untreated wood or else purchase one. bassequipment.com carries metal nestbox. The box should be filled with hay. Also be sure she has enough hay to eat her fill every day, as if she does not, she will eat all the nesting material.