Doe isn't producing enough milk

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Easy Ears

Easy Ears

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This is my Holland's second litter. First litter went smoothly all 3 kits had plenty of milk and she ate like a pig.
This litter she had 5. Lost one due to I think not enough milk in the first 48 hours. I've noticed she is eating hay ravenously but not her pellets. Just a few nibbles here and there. No mold or anything wrong with the feed that I can see. I've been giving her tums to help with milk production for the kits but she only eats a couple a day. The poor kits haven't had all they can eat and it breaks my heart not to see full tummies. Today I force nursed four times and tried two times yesterday. Just not enough milk in her. I decided to do formula using this recipe that has worked well for me in the past....for the mother in fact.
Miss M's recipe:
1/2 Cup canned evaporated goat's milk, undiluted
1/2 Tablespoon corn syrup
1 Egg yolk

But I only have plain goats milk. I am currently isolated for the time being and won't be able to get ahold of evaporated goats milk until Tuesday at the earliest. I do NOT want to lose another kit. Each one is extremely precious to me. Is there some way I could evaporate the milk myself to make it the most beneficial for them?
 
you can try giving your doe a big handful of BOSS on top of her feed. the oil in the seeds pumps up their milk production but it only works if she'll eat them. most of my rabbits think they're the most amazing treat (second only to dandelions, which also help boost milk production if you have any poking up already,) so i never have a problem getting them to eat them.
 
Shazza is right. I have used dandelion leaves and they work excellently! A couple of those for a few days should do the trick.
For the BOSS, my rabbits prefer them to anything else. They always pick them out of their pellets when they get them.
 
Kitchen oatmeal (like Quaker Old-Fashioned/Large Flake Oats, but the brand doesn't matter) is also a good supplement, especially as she isn't eating pellets very well. Most rabbits love oatmeal and it should help.

I do wonder why she isn't eating the pellets. I suppose you could try adding a touch of blackstrap molasses to them as an enticement. Blackstrap is full of nutrients but it also adds sugar, so only use a tiny amount, about 1/2 teaspoon to the day's pellets. Warming it first will make it easier to mix it in.
 
I tried mixing BOSS in her feed for a few weeks and this really helped. Until she learned if she dug out all her food she could pick out the BOSS easier. :| Today she had a pasty diarrhea. She has just been eating way too many seeds. I tried taking her off the seeds a few days ago because I noticed her poo getting a bit mushy, but she wouldn't eat her pellets and wasn't producing hardly any milk. I also tried adding Blackstrap to her pellets before giving her BOSS again but she won't touch it. Trying oatmeal now... I'll keep you updated. She is eating hey and drinking water well. :) At least that is something.
 

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