Rabbit Gestation Period: How Long Is a Rabbit Pregnant?

How long is a rabbit pregnant?

A rabbit carries her kit for an average of 31 days, or about 1 month. Counting from the breeding date, kindling is normal anywhere from day 28 to day 33.

Key checkpoints across the 31-day rabbit gestation, measured in days from breeding:

Estimate your rabbit's kindling date

Enter the breeding date for an estimated kindling date at 31 days.

Open the full Rabbit gestation calculator

Rabbit gestation stages, month by month

Signs a rabbit is pregnant

• Refusing further mating attempts from the buck
• Palpable embryos on gentle abdominal palpation from about day 14
• Steady weight gain from around day 18
• Increased appetite and water intake

Signs of approaching kindling

• Nest building with hay and bedding in the final few days
• Fur pulling from the dewlap and chest, usually within 24 hours of kindling
• Contact your vet if labour stalls, if the animal strains without progress, or if there is abnormal discharge before kindling begins.

What affects rabbit gestation length

• Rabbits are induced ovulators, so ovulation follows mating by about 10 to 13 hours and the mating date is a good anchor for the due date.
• A doe can experience a false pregnancy lasting about 17 days after an infertile mating, during which she may pull fur and build a nest.
• Does often kindle at night or early in the morning and the whole birth usually takes less than 30 minutes.
• Rabbit milk is very concentrated, so does normally nurse only once or twice a day for a few minutes.

Rabbit gestation chart

Every fifth breeding date across the year with the matching kindling date, calculated at 31 days. Find the row closest to the date the rabbit was served; because normal gestation spans 28 to 33 days, plan for a window of a few days either side. Filter by month, or print the chart for the barn wall or breeding record: navigation, buttons and adverts are hidden on paper.

Sources for rabbit gestation figures

Figures on this page are drawn from American Rabbit Breeders Association guidance and standard rabbit husbandry references, and checked against the references below. Averages describe healthy animals under normal management; individual animals vary, and nothing here replaces advice from your vet.

• American Rabbit Breeders Association
• Merck Veterinary Manual — reproduction and pregnancy chapters by species