What happens....

Question
We bred my rabbit to another mini-rex like she is and about 2 weeks into pregnancy, her face started to get way darker.  Is that a pregnancy mask?  Now she is due ANYTIME and we are waiting for the little ones.  When she lies down, her stomach is huge when it pops out. I have felt her stomach and it's hard.  She is already 2 days late.  Will my rabbit have babies?  What does it mean when her stomach is hard?  I need to know fast!

Answer
Dear KareBear

Rabbit gestation is 28-31 days, so if she's only 2 weeks into pregnancy, she is not yet due.  If her abdomen is very large, I worry that she may have babies too large for her to safely deliver, or have too many.  Please find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can give her a good wellness check, and be on call in case she has difficulty during delivery.  The right time to find a good rabbit vet is *before you need one*.

Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html

for information on how to prepare for the birth.  But most importantly, please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

I hope this helps.

Dana