One to cull... ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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ladysown

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So.. in the past two weeks I've had cause to be VERY angry at two rabbits.

one.. an experienced doe dug out her litter one night and they all froze. Dug it out!!!!! She was in a digging frenzy... dug out all her feed, dumped her water and dug out the kits. ANGRY. She's an experienced doe. Means one strike against her.

Two.. I'd heard of does doing this but NEVER experienced it.
Doe decided to feed her litter and then ATE one of the kits. I know it was alive as there was milk and fresh blood in the bottom of her cage.
And the tonight I put the box in long enough to her to feed them, turned around and she'd grabbed a kit immediately after feeding them. THAT ONE I saved.

The doe is on my CULL list. NOT dealing with that horror again. Squeaking baby....

First doe to nip me in a VERY long time. She won't have opportunity beyond four weeks rearing kits (less if I can get a doe to foster the litter when I have does kindle next weekend). My oh my... I've never been so upset and angry at a rabbit.....
 
Oh my... :cry: My heart is breaking for you..I have heard of murderous does, but to have one basically do it in front of you... :evil: :cry: So relieved that you saved the one she wanted for a snack..
Ya she would be on my short list too.. :hang:
 
Must be something wrong with her mentally. That is certainly not normal. :( sorry for your losses.
 
Sorry to hear as I know how difficult it can be to make the decision to cull a doe.
I had to cull a first time doe a while back for the same reason, as soon as her babies moved she would literately attack & scratch at them (she had killed 2 kits but I saved the other 3 although they did have some minor bite marks on them). Normally I would give a first time doe another chance but this Doe seemed SO intent on killing her babies so wasn't worth the risk, the rest of the kits were fostered & the doe culled the next day.
 
That sounds awful!

I'm culling two for being overly hormonal on their second litters. They showed some signs of it on the first go, and on the second their behavior has become much worse.

No killed kits, but I'm not interested in having rabbits that lunge and try to bite at me when I fill their water crocks.
Other people can justify it as protective all they want....and those people can wear gloves when they feed their rabbits...
 
I am riding in Zass's boat on this one.
I have never warn gloves when handling Rabbits.
I happen to have three Does for sale,
there is nothing wrong with them.
If anyone is interested and in the upstate N.Y. area.
I am just making room. They would make a good addition to anyone's herd.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
Zass":ijnqr76o said:
That sounds awful!

I'm culling two for being overly hormonal on their second litters. They showed some signs of it on the first go, and on the second their behavior has become much worse.

No killed kits, but I'm not interested in having rabbits that lunge and try to bite at me when I fill their water crocks.
Other people can justify it as protective all they want....and those people can wear gloves when they feed their rabbits...

I don't blame you. I was nervous when I found babies with our doe. I was afraid she would attack me. Instead, she was a doll baby, even seemed to want me to check out the babies. If that's a generic trait, it's definitely a good one to breed for (possibly with the exception of colony rabbits).
 
Syberchick70":kpbuxj9x said:
I don't blame you. I was nervous when I found babies with our doe. I was afraid she would attack me. Instead, she was a doll baby, even seemed to want me to check out the babies. If that's a generic trait, it's definitely a good one to breed for.

Yeah, those of us who have nice does who are good mothers quickly become spoiled. ;)

Ottersatin's does sound so tempting!! I know they would be good meat mommas and throw kits with very nice pelts... but satin is so far away from all of my breeding projects, and I'm already overstocked... :( Any way to get a grant for a larger rabbitry???
 
it's such a odd case for me.

I actively have bred against hormonal aggressive behaviour in rabbits and to not only get that in this litter but also to have the "let's eat a kit" aspect. They are three days old now and she's still being a nut job. I tolerate day one "AH, my babies don't take them" ears up trying to follow the box as i remove it and the immediate check that you didn't do anything. But the go after you stuff... never have, never will.

When one's goal is to be breed as bomb proof a rabbit as you can for the pet folk, then you can't tolerate idiot behaviour.
 
Wow.... that had to be an awful thing to see. I'm glad you caught her in time to save the kit. Hopefully you can get them fostered.
 
That is really strange to have this happen out of the blue, like that.

Think there was anything that could have frightened them really badly? Like a predator?

Not trying to defend their behavior, just to maybe explain it.
 
Nope just an overly aggressive momma rabbit who went a bit ape.

Today I've been trusting her a bit with the kits, went from seven to five.
She didn't attack my hand or the nestbox yesterday and today she actually CAME to the front of the cage acting like herself again.

So far, after four hours she's been good. Though the last time I checked on her she honked at me so we're being mindful. I will not be leaving them in with her overnight since normally if I have a rabbit get a bit head nutty it's during the night.
 
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