Since I have most of my does in colony settings, I've been noticing something interesting. If a virgin doe watches a doe with kits, she seems to learn.
Now..I have a doe who has had one litter of kits that she had on the wire, no preparation, and she lost them. She watched the older doe have and nurse her kits, and was always around watching..checking in. The next time she had kits, NO PROBLEMS.
In the Angora colony, I had 2 does pregnant, and the third didn't settle. She watched, became "auntie vienna" and learned nest building and defending. When she DID have kits, there were no problems whatsoever.
My current theory is that while nest building and mothering is pretty basic and "lizard brain", the does who are able to watch kindlings, motherings, nursings...learn by seeing.
What do you think? My thought is that if someone has a doe who has had problems kindling, or doesn't understand the nursing thing...perhaps putting them in with, or next to a doe who is experienced would work?
Now..I have a doe who has had one litter of kits that she had on the wire, no preparation, and she lost them. She watched the older doe have and nurse her kits, and was always around watching..checking in. The next time she had kits, NO PROBLEMS.
In the Angora colony, I had 2 does pregnant, and the third didn't settle. She watched, became "auntie vienna" and learned nest building and defending. When she DID have kits, there were no problems whatsoever.
My current theory is that while nest building and mothering is pretty basic and "lizard brain", the does who are able to watch kindlings, motherings, nursings...learn by seeing.
What do you think? My thought is that if someone has a doe who has had problems kindling, or doesn't understand the nursing thing...perhaps putting them in with, or next to a doe who is experienced would work?
