HELP!! Doe stopped producing milk!

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HansenHomestead

HansenHomestead

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Okay I had a doe kindle a litter of kits 10 days ago. First few days went fine. Now it seems as though she is not producing milk anymore. We lost 1 already, but I think that was due to her stepping on it when it crawled out of the nest. Half of the kits still look pretty fat, and healthy, but the other half are looking a lot thinner than I would like. I just tried to flip feed the kits, and they would hop from one nipple to the other as if they were not getting any milk. I do not have another doe to foster to right now. I have one doe that is about 25 days pregnant. I also do not have any goats milk (or a way to of getting any quickly.) Is there anything else I can do/give them?
 
How many kits? Has this doe successfully raised a litter that size before?
We've had success dividing the litter, putting the less fed or smaller kits back in for a feeding while leaving the bigger kits out. Then putting them all in after the one separate feeding. The next day we'd do another divided feeding if needed. After a couple times, the kits evened out and we could leave them all together. But that would only work if she is producing a reasonable amount of milk. We had one doe that didn't and that was very hard--we culled her when she lost 7 of 11 from her second litter.
 
She had 8, and this is her first litter. The first few days she did a great job with everything. Built a great nest, kindled right in her nest. Now she is still wanting to take care of them, but it seems she doesn't have any/very little milk to give.
 
There are plants that are supposed to help milk production, both in humans and other mammals. A few that I know can be fed safely to rabbits are red raspberry leaves, alfalfa, fennel, parsley, and stinging nettle (nettle must be thoroughly dried or it will sting)

There are many others that I am less familiar with. You can find information by googling herbs to increase breast milk.

If nothing seems to help, you might be able to save the stronger ones by culling the weaklings. It wouldn't be my first choice, but better to save a few than lose them all.

If you can get the ingredients for the improved formula and supplement, that would likely help.
 
And also make sure you aren't feeding anything that might decrease milk, such a mint-family plants... throwing it out there, just in case :)

How many kits in the litter?
 
Black oil sunflower seeds really seem to help my does. I think it's the added fat and protein. Milk thistle and dandelion are also supposed to help milk production. If you have trouble finding the herbs fresh, you may try finding a nursing tea. Sometimes grocery stores sell it and you could probably just sprinkle some dried over her food.
 
If they react in any way like humans try oatmeal. I knew fenugreek was good for upping milk production (in humans, not sure about rabbits), but unbeknownst to me oatmeal had the same effect. It was miserable...
 

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