Over Protective Mommas

What do you do with them? keep them? work with them? get irritated by them? laugh at them and call them silly?

I've one meat doe right now who came from a downright NASTY momma (gave me my worst ever bite). Now this doe for her first litter was a good momma. Didn't worry about me fiddling with her kits other than the odd growl. I was very pleased. Nasty momma didn't rub off on her daughter. woot woot!

This time around I can't check the kits without first grabbing her as fast as I can, removing her, removing the nest box, putting her back in, and then checking the kits. Then putting the nest box in she jumps into it and looks for my fingers..... She worries the whole time I'm out in the tent...jumping in and out of the nest box, sitting in front of the door with a watchful look, and just not settling ... I gave her a huge one to give her a place to jump in without landing on the kits. and she'll attack her greens/hay when I put it in until she realizes it is food.

When she's not on kits she's a nice kit doe, easy to handle and work with as long as you don't rush her and I just don't rush her. Each animal is different and requires different handling practices.

I contemplate making her stew, but she does a great job raising out her kits and she had 11 (8 of which survived birthing). But do I need a doe who is that nutty? Just what do folks do?

Just not sure how to balance this one out.

How long does she stay crazy after kindling? I once had an attack doe... downright dangerous until the kits eyes opened. By two weeks she was always back to normal. I put up with it :grit: because she had large litters and raised nearly every one, but eventually other factors led me to cull that whole line. The decision was certainly easier because of her behaviour after kindling!

her first litter she growled until the kits were about three weeks old and out and about. Bossy with her kits but not a bad mom. Her kits now are about 6 days old so not sure how long it will last.

I almost think it is what you are raising the kits for. I have a doe like that, and she isn't ok with me until the kits are out of the box and she is tired of them. By that time, the kits want nothing to do with me. They are going to the meat truck or the wildlife refuge, so I put up with it (I need the numbers and she's an awesome mom that produces fast growers). If I were using her kits for anything else (show, breeding, pet) I wouldn't tolerate it and would cull. It's not something I would want passed on.

Since she is letting you in once their eyes are open, and you can get them to mellow out and handle them, it might be ok. Since her mom was the same way, I would say the attitude is genetic though, and I wouldn't sell or keep any for breeding purposes, unless there was something in her lines I couldn't do without.