another died.

I think I might just be having bad luck with rabbits or maybe choose ones that aren't good and the breeders are happy to get them off their hands -while they cross their fingers behind their backs that everythings ok.

A few months ago I bought a brother/sister pair and the doe died within 4 days of bringing her home.

A few weeks ago I bought 2 does different litters from the same breeder and woke up this morning to one stiff as a board. They were housed together. I separated them, cleaned the area the cage was in and put the still alive doe in a different cage.

She had had no outside time yet as I was still separating them from the other 2 I have and they needed to be dewormed. Same cage, same food, same water, same everything. Last night she was fine. She was always alert, active, greeted us at the door but she was a little on the small side and even over these few weeks had never really gotten any bigger.

We thought maybe she was just a runt and needed extra time. I paid $85 for her so I am NOT HAPPY.
I get that things happen but I just don't see what seeing as the other doe is fine this morning. Maybe they fought? they were in the same cage but never had any issues I'd seen. They were born on mothers day so maybe just 2 months old now. She voided her bowels and was completely stiff so I'm not sure how long the other doe was with her after she died.

What should I look for with the remaining doe? What steps should I take/

That really sucks. I really don't know what to suggest.

A few general suggestions for bringing in new rabbits (you are probably already doing these):
- keep changes to a minimum, since the move is already a major stressor.
- get some of the same kind of food as they have been eating.
- keep them in a quiet place, isolated from your other rabbits.
- give them a water crock as well as a bottle until you are certain they are using the bottle.
- if you have any doubts about a rabbit you are thinking of buying, DON'T buy it.

Talk to the breeder. Perhaps together you can figure out what happened. In this last case, I'm inclined to think there was a hidden health issue, since the rabbit did not grow normally.

the only thing I can think is that I did buy a new hay bale. It was a timothy/alfalfa mix instead of straight timothy I was buying before.

The other doe is noticably bigger in size since we got her. This one hadn't grown really at all. I shoudl have weighed her so I could know for sure. I did find a black widow in the yard a week or so ago so maybe a spider bite?

Even dead her eyes and nose are clean and clear. I hadn't seen any sniffles or any problems. I did witness her drinking from the bottle which is what she had before. She was eating fine as well I saw her eating pellets and hay regularly. She voided her bowels so I'm not sure if she had wool block though I'm thinking not since there wasn't much evidence of wool in the feces voided.

perhaps she had something "organic" wrong with her - a small heart or malformed kidney or some such - when one rabbit grows and is fine on the same food as another that is not thriving it can certainly be an internal issue.

I'm sorry for your losses

I emailed the breeder just to see if there had been other issues with the other babies she's sold. I've had her since the 5th so I think I'm out of any grace period of replacement. Though, I too am thinking this is an organic issue. Even her fur (angora) wasn't growing at the rate the white was.

Perhaps I'm being jaded but thinking back on when I got her the breeder was really pushing her on me and telling me how other people wanted to buy her for twice what I was offering (so about $150) and how she saved her for me because she had promised me this doe. So, I was kinda made to feel like she was doing me a favor selling her to me. At the time her back was nearly bald almost like she had been shorn but the rest was longer but she was housed with many other rabbits and the breeder said they fought a bit and had just been groomed. That hair never grew back though. But I'm being a little depressed and disappointed right now so I might just be tainting my experience.

I've only been doing this for about 8 months. In that time I've bought 5 rabbits and two have died. Is that excessive? Until I know a lot more about rabbits I just have been doing my best but I think that's obviously not good enough.

I am sorry to hear about your doe, but may I ask what you mean when you say the dead doe voided her bowels? Did she have manure that was stuck to her that you could see or did she have runny bowel movements that you saw when she died? I ask because if mine voided normally before they passed, I would have never known because the droppings would have fallen through the wire.

Also, do you have them inside? Why do you say they need to be dewormed? What were they eating and how were they housed? Were both of the rabbits that died from the same breeder or different ones? Just trying to get some more information.

Another thing to consider is that if they were just 2 months old now and you have had them for almost a month already, then it sounds like they were way too young to have gone home with you in the first place. When I raised them, I wouldn't sell any of my English Angoras until they were fully-weaned and at least 8 weeks old.

Lauren

yes, she had feces stuck to her legs and back side and there were large clumps of it in the cage. it looked like everything in her entire gut came out. Her stomach is even a little indented. I don't know when she died but she was stiff as a board this morning. Last night at feeding hubby said she was perfectly fine.

I have them outside raised up in hutches that are covered on three sides and the top (not fully, they have good ventilation). I was told that all bunnies needed to be dewormed after birth, that they were born with them like puppies.

This was from a different breeder, than the first that passed. Different stock entirely from a different area in the state. They were born on mother's day so what is that May 9th? I brought them home July 5th. so they were 2.5 months old now. JUST turned 8 weeks when I brought them home.

Ask questions please. I am trying to be through with what I tell you guys because I know the more info the better.

It does sound like the breeder over-persuaded you. Never be afraid to say: "She's really nice, but not what I'm looking for." Even "Oh, I think you should sell her to that other person then, since she's worth so much. Besides, I like this one over here better." It sounds to me like you had doubts all along, but were too polite to speak up for yourself.

In view of the additional information, it sounds like an intestinal problem of some kind. I've never heard of routine worming of young rabbits. In fact, I think it would be detrimental to use a chemical wormer on them unless there was clear evidence of worms. Pumpkin seeds are a safe alternative and a nutritious food as well.

I wouldn't be happy either. Let the breeder know there is a problem, ask to replace the dead ones with healthy rabbits, or give your money back.

I agree with Maggie that it sounds like an intestinal issue, but I am also concerned if the angoras are being kept outside in July in Florida. Even covered and shaded, it is dangerous weather this time of year and I wonder if heat stress might have caused the demise of your buns, even if the symptoms looked gut-related. I am from S. Florida originally and the combination of heat + humidity (in my opinion) is just too much for a wool breed during the summer. Actually, I will only sell my last pair of angoras to someone that will keep them in air-conditioning because I am worried about that myself.

I also would not recommend worming baby rabbits unless you know you have a parasite problem- that is strange that someone told you it was routine unless their adults had parasite problems or something?

Anyhow, I am glad to hear they were 8 weeks when you bought them, I had misunderstood their age. Did the breeder say anything about the kits size and/or had you contacted them prior to this to tell them the kit wasn't growing properly? Does the breeder have written policies for that matter? I would check there first and have an open discussion with the breeder if you can.

How are the other kits?

Best of luck,

Lauren

It sounds more like a case of "bad luck" or (possibly) being taken advantage of by a breeder. $85 id s lot of money for an 8 week old rabbit unless it is quite special in some way. This doe sound like she may have been "special" in a not so good way. It always hard to know if the breeder had any idea, so I have no suggestions for you there. I would say...... youngsters from different litters, especially does, usually do OK being housed together, but not always. Sometimes one doe will dominate the other to such an extent that the other doe is plagued enough that she will not eat or drink or rest easily. This can cause the one to become unthrifty in a rather rapid manner.