My does are confusing me

The new litter...I was sure it was Minnow's. But Mrs Howell is the one tending it. She's very funny about the way she tends, too. She kicks up a bunch of bedding from the bottom of the colony, picks out pieces that don't make the cut and tosses them aside, then pushed the bedding through the hole into the nest box. Quite frankly, she's got it packed so tight I don't even know how she gets in. :shock:

But she must, because I lifted the front up just enough to reach my hand in and feel the kits. Squirmy and warm and squishy.

But how on earth are these hers? Maybe she just gestates faster? It has only been 24 days since I (thought) she was successfully bred. The kits would have been born on day 19. So her first rebreeding (which appeared ENTIRELY unsuccessful) must have taken, but that would have left her at day 29 when she kindled.

Where are Minnow's kits? She looks fatter. She's also gone into hiding. I can't get to her without ripping the colony apart, which I can't do without disturbing Mrs Howell's nest. I barely ever see her out. When I do, Mrs Howell is lovingly grooming her. No fighting.

Or are these Minnow's kits, and Mrs Howell is still pregnant, but she's just taken up the job of being mama to all? :x

If I put the food within 2 feet of the nest, Mrs Howell flings it off the ledge. I caught her doing that yesterday. I put it down, she picked up several mouthfuls of food, stored it in her nest, nibbled a little more, then picked up the dish in her mouth and pushed it to the floor.

She did it to the water once, too, so now that's far far away from the nest.

What on earth is going on with my girls?!

Welcome to the mysterious and little understood world of rabbit behaviour.

I would think if Mrs Howell is tending the nest they are her babies, BUT I had a hen once who took it upon herself to do the housekeeping for a duck who was sitting on a nest full of eggs, and she took care of the ducklings after they were hatched, so I think it is quite feasible for a rabbit to be caring for another rabbits kits.

After I posted this I couldn't hold back any more. I had to make sure the kits were still alive. I'd checked on them last night, and they were good. Hadn't looked and counted, though. So I took off the box. Bedding fell out. I took was seemed to be the newest clump and moved it so I could put the box back down.

5 kits. Getting BIG. Nice a fat. One looks...silver? I hope we didn't make a major tactical error that will leave them all dead, because they're so healthy looking.

Replaced the box, as cleanly as I could without losing too much more nesting material. Then we got out of the colony and watched. 15 minutes of rabbit watching.

First Mrs Howell came over. She wasn't happy. She starting packing the box full again.

Then Minnow came out. She was upset that her corner was disturbed (where oldest daughter sat). She kicked around bedding until there was bare floor, before joining Mrs Howell by the nest box. They seemed to be conversing, "Look at the mess they left!"

More bedding kicking. More digging. More angrily reorganizing the entrance to the nest and packing it even tighter.

Is the entrance supposed to be packed so full she can't get in? I bet she's doing it on purpose, and moves the bedding when she needs access. Maybe that's the whole point and I'm just too slow to get it...Stupid humans.

They built these little mounds around the base of the ledge. There's almost no bedding anywhere on the floor of the colony anymore. We sat and watched them do a total makeover. When Minnow (who has to be pregnant, she's getting fatter by the day) was done, she laid in her corner and groomed herself. Mrs Howell still wasn't done when we left. She'd eat, then fuss over the nest some more, then eat, then fuss over the way the bedding was organized.

I need a rabbit cam. Just too weird.

:lol:

We had two cats once that were sisters. One got pregnant and had a nice litter of kittens. She didn't stay with the kittens much, though. Her sister did that. Stayed and babysat all the time, groomed them, tried to nurse them, everything. :roll: If you watched the two cats, you'd have sworn the sister was the kittens' mother.

Does will move bedding to access the kits, so that's probably why she feels free to stuff the nest. The way they handled you "messing" with the nest is hilarious.

Miss M":i2katp5v said:

:lol:

We had two cats once that were sisters. One got pregnant and had a nice litter of kittens. She didn't stay with the kittens much, though. Her sister did that. Stayed and babysat all the time, groomed them, tried to nurse them, everything. :roll: If you watched the two cats, you'd have sworn the sister was the kittens' mother.

Does will move bedding to access the kits, so that's probably why she feels free to stuff the nest. The way they handled you "messing" with the nest is hilarious.

Click to expand...

um I once had a cat take it's sisters kits...and nurse them...she vanished after they were born and one died before we let her sibling take them...the sibling was a male >.>

if the one does milk came in early she could be helping to nurse a litter that isn't hers...but nursing can stimulate contractions and cause early labor...so odds are they are probably hers..but they may end up sharing the nest when the other gives birth...I have heard of does doing that before

With my last litter I had a maiden doe that started producing a little milk and "helping" mother the kits. Pretty amazing!

VERYYYY Interesting opcorn: , you are a great Bunny Momma

I want to go look again.

They're so cute.

Maybe...maybe not...maybe...aw shucks, more bunny watching. opcorn:<br /><br />__________ Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:58 pm __________<br /><br />I've got five.
3 broken blacks
1 black
And what's this?



They were born on 6/13. Today is day 5. Still looking nice and chubby! And aside from some sniffing and pushing, Mrs Howell didn't take my intrusion as badly. She came out and watched me while I looked. I think she was barely tolerating my presence.

Blue? But looks almost lilac?

They are adorable and look great! :bouncy:

Ooooh fingers crossed that she keeps taking care of them!

If she's been doing such a great job for 5 days, chances are she'll keep doing so, right?

RIGHT!!!!!!

Sorry. After losing the first two litters, I'm really anxious/excited that this one may produce.

nice litter, who's babies are these?

My first time doe made her mistakes on the first couple days, after that it all went well. So, I think you can at least take a breath and relax, a little bit.

I have a new litter and am so nervous. It is amazing how nerve racking it is when dealing with a new Mom.

Sending good thoughts your kits continue to do great!

Ivory":mtizu5bs said:

nice litter, who's babies are these?

Click to expand...

Jury's still out. General consensus is they are probably Mrs Howell's. Minnow still looks decidedly plump, although maybe she's just getting fat.

If they are Mrs Howell's, she had quite a fast turnaround from her litter last month.

__________ Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:16 pm __________

minnow is getting ready to kindle. I felt the pork sausage like rolls on her sides just like we removed from our culled pregnant doe. She attacked the nest and was ripping it apart. We intervened when she and mrs howell began to tussle with growls and flying fur. Uggghhhh

__________ Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:02 pm __________

One of them went in and cleaned up the nest. We'd repacked it after checking all the kits. They're now happily snoozing with a totally redecorated living area.

Mrs Howell has taken up residence directly in front of the nest. She only moved when I came in, but sat at the sidelines waiting for me to leave. If Minnow goes near it, Mrs Howell gets feisty.

I put in a new box on the other side of the colony, where Minnow likes to sleep, packed full of dried grass. She's also got a large pile of fresh dried grass right next to it. So far she's been sleeping on it.

On the plus side, I've finally figured out why they reorganized the bedding. There's an entrance on each end, and the rest of the ledge is blocked by bedding. I do believe they wanted an "underground" burrow.<br /><br />__________ Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:44 pm __________<br /><br />Just as I suspected...Minnow was about to kindle!

After separating and shuffling and generally confusing them (except for Mrs Howell on WHERE her babies were), we threw in arm loads of hay. Minnow stuffed it all into a different nesting box - not the easily accessible one I gave her of course - and 4 hours later we have 5 more popples!

She did a pretty bad job nest building. The sides fell out when I lifted the box, and the kits all rolled away. I tried to help her out a little by smooshing it in closer. I'll be throwing more dried grass in there and hopefully she'll reinforce on her own.

Wow, congratulations!!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you are such a good keeper, good continued luck with the babies