Compulsive Post-Partum Hair Pulling

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SoDak Thriver

SoDak Thriver

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Hello!

One of my working does had a very small litter of 3, with 2 surviving, this morning at around 3am. She started pulling hair for them last night and has pulled more hair for them than I've ever seen in a nest. She continues to pull and has cleared her dewlap and front hocks and is moving up to the shoulders.

This is her second litter and her first was also only 3 kits, all surviving, different buck.

Possibilities on my mind include: there are more kits in there and she's still feeling the instinct to pull. Or since she still new at this, it's a compulsion that will pass. Your thoughts, please!
 
Eh, I've had some just keep pulling over the next couple weeks...regardless of how cold or ugly they get. Episodes seem to be triggered by dawn or dusk, or whenever they feel too much pressure buildup in their lil bunny boobs. If they're that kind of doe, I shelve the kits, because sometimes she'll continue to dig, but even if she doesn't, it lowers the risk of kits getting drug out if she's jumping in and out to stash fur. I think the tendency to pull excessively may be genetic, because my meaties didn't really do that very often....but my angora do. :?
 
I have an Angora with three day old kits. She had a difficult delivery. She had a stillborn kit on the wire about 6pm , then built a nest and pulled hair. Then about 9 pm she had three live kits in about 30 minutes. she kept pulling hair. about midnight she had a stillborn kit. about 3am she had a stillborn kit, about 4am she had a stillborn kit, about 6am she had a stillborn kit and about 9am she had a stillborn kit. She pulled all the fur off her belly, both front legs, chest and as far as she could reach to one side. I actually have checked her over a few times now to make sure she's ok. And she's stopped pulling wool. Finally.... poor thing.

So i think the bad delivery stressed her into some level of crazy.
 
Same thing here. My first timer pulled fur as soon as I put the box in(day 28), on the day she kindled(day 33, rough birth), and the day after she kindled. I was a bit worried, as she kept jumping on the box to stuff fur on top of the kits, but she stopped after that and has been fine.
 
I'm going to take the advice to shelve the kits next time. One kit got pulled out into the cold overnight, and there's a huge bed of fur covering it, but it wasn't enough to keep from killing it. Last year's state fair reserve champ is going to look pretty ratty this year if all that fur on the hocks and shoulders comes in black like the dewlap (We raise Californians).

I really appreciate everyone weighing in. I'll have a better plan next time! Thank you.
 

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