7 live, 1 dead... how to judge the doe

My second doe, Lizzy kindled early this morning. This was her first time and she's a bit old for a first timer, about 1.5 yrs. When I checked in this morning there was one kit dead on the wire and seven in the box wiggling. The dead kit looked as if it may have been stretched. I don't have any experience with that but it was stiff and in a long pose. I'd imagine a live kit born on the wire would have been curled up.

My question has to deal with figuring out how to judge the doe. Minus points for a kit on the wire? Plus points if she removed the dead kit from the nest box. Will does do that? She ate poorly for the last week, she didn't make a very good nest, so she had better be a good mom. Meanwhile, how should I judge her for this kindling?

having one or two DOAs or kits that die in the first couple of days is normal. i wouldn't put it against the doe. it's a game of numbers, and the more babies produced the more likely it is that one had something wrong with it, or that one will get stretched or something. i would judge her at this point at how well she mothers them - does she get milk in quick? keep her kits fat? keep them clean? is she laid-back when you are in the nest, or does she get stressed/aggressive? does she keep her condition while she is nursing kits? all of these are far more important than losing a kit or two a litter of 8+!

i wouldn't judge her too hard on her nest - first time moms usually don't get it all right. her next nest should be much better. even if she fails a bit at mothering this time i wouldn't cull her immediately. a doe's second litter is more of an indication of how she'll be overall. getting milk in late is pretty normal, and kits can go something like 48 hours without a meal and be just fine. it's a survival mechanism, just in case she loses the litter for some reason, she's less likely to develop mastitis. as long as her kits are nice and fat after a couple days, i would consider it a success. this is also why it's a good idea to breed an experienced doe alongside a new doe, so that if all goes wrong, the experienced doe can foster some of the new doe's litter and you don't lose everyone.

also, they usually will not remove kits from the nest. sometimes they'll eat dead ones, but usually i just find them in the nest (or outside of it,) and remove it myself.

What it sounds like to me: she started giving birth in the nestbox. The last kit was stuck during birth, so she left the nestbox, and finally gave birth to a kit, a bit stretched out and DOA from the difficult birth, on the wire. Since she was older and this was her first litter, it's not too surprising that one got stuck. And usually problems like that happen less after the first litter. I wouldn't judge her too harshly. Rabbit births, if there aren't any problems, are usually very quick. And it's rare for them to carry dead offspring; if one dies in birth or in the nest, the mother will clean it up by just eating it.

It sounds to me like she is doing great for her first time. I had a doe that I know was pregnant for her first litter, then when the day came there was no nest, and no babies at all. I can't say for sure what happened to that litter, but it didn't go well to say the least. One thing you could try to help her with her milk production is feed her dandelion leaves. I feed them to any of my does who seem to be struggling a bit with producing milk, and I generally have nice fat babies for the rest of the time. Dandelion in a natural milk inducer (did I say that right?). I causes the milk to flow better. I generally only have to give it to first or second time mother's, but it is also a nice treat for any rabbit in general

i wouldn't knock a doe for a single dead kit. She has a bunch live in the box, that's a woot woot!!!


NOW..... if she consistently would give you more dead than live kits... that's a knock against the doe.

Thanks for the feedback, everybody. We will have to see how she mothers them. My other doe, older, with her first litter (of 5) 2 weeks old has pretty much done everything perfect so I do have a comparison. I'm already thinking to hold back one of her doelings assuming they don't grow out with problems.

As soon as Lizzy kindled, I started to feed borage to help bring her into milk. Dandelions look pretty scraggly locally this time of year. I worry about her condition with her being off feed for the last week or so.

an easy way to put condition on a doe is to feed her black oil sunflower seeds while she's nursing. they're full of fat, so not really a supplement to give all the time, but i like to give my girls a handful every day for the first week or so after they kindle, just to make sure

shazza":14mymyt5 said:

an easy way to put condition on a doe is to feed her black oil sunflower seeds while she's nursing. they're full of fat, so not really a supplement to give all the time, but i like to give my girls a handful every day for the first week or so after they kindle, just to make sure

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I do similar. I'll give my does about 6 seeds as I feel the need while they nurse

I have a special mix of boss, rolled oats, whole oats, cheeks (show conditioning feed) and flax.
I call it super food.
Lactating does get 1-3 tbsp. of it on top of their feed daily.

Does are very happy for mornings and feed!