Rabbits, like most rodents, have a short gestation period. Rabbits are approximately 31 – 33 days pregnant. How long a rabbit is pregnant can differ slightly depending on the rabbit breed.
Rabbit Breeds Gestation Period
Right below, you will find a table with the most popular rabbit breeds with different gestation periods:
| BREED | DAYS |
|---|---|
| Holland Lop | 31-32 |
| Dutch Rabbit | 30-31 |
| Lionhead | 31-33 |
| French Lop | 28-31 |
| Mini Rex | 31 |
| Flemish Giant | 33 |
| Brush Rabbit | 27 |
| Mini Satin | 28-36 |
What Age Can Rabbit Become Pregnant?
Another curious topic about rabbits is at what age they start to mate.
- Smaller rabbit breeds can mate when they are approximately 3-4 months old.
- Medium-weight breeds are 4-5 months old.
- Large breeds are 6-8 months old.
When female rabbits reach 75% of their potential adult body weight, they are large enough to become pregnant.
How to Tell if Your Rabbit is Pregnant
Rabbits show symptoms of pregnancy with these behaviors;
- During breeding, female rabbits exhibit behavioral differences such as loss of appetite, moodiness, aggression, and rubbing their chins on the water bottle or other surfaces.
- During this period, the female rabbit starts to prepare a nest. They pluck their fur in the abdomen and chest area, and with the coat, they prepare a nesting environment for their offspring.
- You can tell if your rabbit is pregnant if you spot a significant swelling of the rabbit’s nipples.
- Because pregnant rabbits have enlarged abdomens, so they will lie with their bellies more to the side and stretch when lying down.
- Change in urinary color, frequency, and incontinence.
- The slow movement of the rabbit is another sign of pregnancy.
Do Rabbits Give Birth to All Babies at Once?
Impressive enough, the rabbit can give birth to even 15 rabbit babies at once. Fifteen kittens are rare but not impossible for these effective mass reproducers. The physiological structure of their genital organs allows rabbits to produce 6-7 liters a year. A litter’s average number of offspring is around seven bunnies/kittens.
How Can You Prevent Rabbits From Having More Litter?
Rabbits can become pregnant again some hours after the birth of the last litter. If unprepared for another litter or lack space, consider talking to a vet.
The best way to prevent more litter is by neutering your rabbit. Or, of course, split the female doe from the male bucks.
As mentioned above, because of their fantastic reproduction efficiency, there is not much time from a rabbit’s birth until they start mating. Just keep in mind neutering the rabbits will affect their hormones and energy levels.
Summary
Rabbits’ pregnancies generally last approximately 31 – 33 days, and they usually start mating when they are around 3-5 months old. You can tell if they are pregnant if you see symptoms like aggression, nest preparation, plucking fur, or if the doe has swollen nipples. Then, when the time comes for labor, you can expect to welcome an average of 6 rabbits into this world.
