Rabbit Gestation Calculator: Find Out Your Bunny’s Due Date
Whether you’ve bred your rabbit on purpose or it happened accidentally, you’ve only got a few weeks to prepare yourself for potentially 17 rabbits, including mom and dad. But, when will your rabbit actually give birth? Use our rabbit gestation calculator to find out.
The form below calculates your rabbit’s due date based on the date she was bred. This takes into account the average rabbit gestation period of 28 to 34 days.
How to Use Our Rabbit Gestation Calculator
Our rabbit gestation calculator is extremely easy to use. All you need to do is plug in the date your doe was last exposed to a male. You’ll get three dates that estimate when your rabbit can give birth.
- The first will be the average, which is 31 days from when your rabbit mated.
- The next number will be the earliest your rabbit will potentially go into labor. This is 28 days from exposure.
- Lastly, you’ll get the latest potential date for your rabbit to give birth, which is 34 days from the breeding date.
How Long Does a Rabbit Pregnancy Last?
In the wild, rabbits can breed from spring to fall, producing up to 35 or more offspring in a year. This is for two reasons. First, a rabbit isn’t pregnant for long compared to other animals. Second, they can get pregnant again almost immediately after having kits.
Domestic rabbits breed all year round and can produce even more than their wild cousins, with a larger litter average.
A rabbit’s pregnancy usually lasts a month. The average is 31 days, to be exact. The earliest your rabbit should be going into labor is 28 days. The longest a rabbit pregnancy should be is 34 days.
What to Do if Your Rabbit Goes Over Their Due Date?
If your rabbit hasn’t given birth after 34 days, then she will need veterinary assistance right away. There could be complications, which will need an experienced rabbit vet to induce your rabbit or perform a C-section. This is very rare, but it’s worth mentioning.
You can learn more about rabbit pregnancy here.
Stages of Rabbit Pregnancy
Because rabbit pregnancy doesn’t last so long, Everything develops so quickly, right out of the blue, sometimes. To help you keep track of how things are going, here are the stages of rabbit pregnancy.
Stage 1
During the first stage, you won’t actually see much. Your rabbit may start getting moodier and hungrier. It’s okay to feed her more, so she has enough to feed her kits too. You can start adding some Alfalfa hay to her diet so she gets extra protein. Physically, there may be some swelling around the abdomen.
Stage 2
After 10 days, you’ll start seeing real signs of pregnancy, mainly her growing belly. If you’re able to touch her, you’ll be able to feel the small, marble-sized sacks of the kits. You should stop picking your rabbit up at this stage, as she’ll be more fragile, and you definitely don’t want to drop her.
Stage 3
The third stage is the last stage before birth. At this time, your rabbit will start to make preparations for her babies. She’ll pull out tufts of hair and create a bed for the new babies, which is a sign that labor is coming soon.
Stage 4
The last stage of your rabbit’s pregnancy is when she gives birth. Labor usually happens in the early hours of the morning, and only lasts around 30 minutes. It’s best to give your rabbit peace and quiet at this time.
What You Need to Know About Rabbit Labor
Rabbits don’t require assistance unless there are complications. Here are some of the things you need to know about rabbit labor.
Your Bunny Needs Space
When she does go into labor, it’s best to give her space and leave the room. If you hear vocalizations, then it’s time to check on her. Your pregnant rabbit should be kept away from male rabbits during the pregnancy and until the babies are weaned.
Litter Size
Depending on the litter size, your rabbit will most likely only be in labor for a half hour. If it’s your bunny’s first time, she may only have a small litter of 3-4. However, rabbits can have up to 15 babies in one litter, depending on the breed. So, prepare for that many to be proactive.
Afterbirth & Stillborns
After your rabbit gives birth, you’ll also find the afterbirth, otherwise known as the placenta. You should leave it, as your rabbit will need to consume it for her and the baby’s health. You may also have to remove stillborns from the nest after the mother has cleaned and left it. This is not uncommon in rabbits and may happen more than once in a doe’s lifetime.
This is very interesting and educative.
The information is absolutely amazing.
Thanks for the easy to understand information. The gestation calculator is great I’ve got bunnies due any day and I calculated close to day of kindle. Your calculator helped to ease my mind. Thanks again.
I’m glad it was helpful to you! Thank you for your nice comment 🙂
I find this really helpful but I can’t seem to find any sign of my rabbit been pregnant and I crossed it 21st of august, today is 21st of September but I can’t really say I noticed anything relating to pregnancy.
That’s nice. But, what can i do if my rabbit does those not allow buck to mate her or to crossbred her. What is the next step?