Last night upon arriving home, the kids told me that Whitey has started to tear off some hair from her chest, a sure sign of nesting, in preparation for childbirth. And I was suddenly taken aback because I have seen that her tummy is still way too small to be pregnant. I began counting back to May 10 and indeed today is 30 days after they mated. Still, I watched her closely and I saw her exhibiting the same signs like the last time when she gave birth – digging the floors of her cage as if she wants to bury something and tearing off hair and carrying them in her mouth to a corner of her cage. I helped her make a nest of shredded newspaper. Then, I monitored her progress at 1 am and then again at 3am and finally at 5am but she still hasn’t given birth. So I thought for a time it may be a false pregnancy!
Then today, just as we were leaving for AFPOVAI at 10 am, I saw that Whitey had finally given birth to only three kits (so that’s why her tummy is too small!) But the sad thing is the other two babies died, I am just not sure why??? Maybe she stepped over them because one was so bloodied and seemed squished but maybe they were not really properly formed so that’s why they were too small. I would have wanted to properly nourish her first after her first childbirth that is why I didn’t want her to get pregnant yet. I guess her body just wasn’t ready to nourish another litter of bunnies just yet - so now we know! Next time we better wait a few months when she’s ready before letting her mate again.
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