Help out of 5 kits only 1 still living

[3girls&1man]

I had a Holland lop have 5 kits on 06/09 4 were living when I found them all over the cage. No hair was pulled. I panicked put them all in the nest. Took the one that wasn't breathing and got it in a warm towel. No luck. Well then Tuesday went out there which was the next day. Everyone was ok still no hair and they were all over the cage again nest box on its side. So I fixed it put everyone back. Wednesday went out there they were everywhere the nest box on its side but had hair. One little kit was dead had a bit of a bloody nose? Yesterday everyone was good more hair. Well this morning went out and nest box on it side one dead kit no food in its tummy. Another dead kit with a bloody nose. One lone ranger left with a plump belly and good and warm. So I gathered nest box and baby and brought it in. The Doe I got from a breeder who said she had only been breed 2 times. And after looking at her pedi with age that it says that would be about right. So should I get rid of her or try one more time. I bred her and another at the same time incase I needed to foster but lone and behold the other doe didn't take. I have 2 other does that have a litter of 9 and a litter of 4 but they are 4 weeks old and im scared they would crush the poor kit. Any advice

 

[jimmywalt]

Wow. Sounds like shes not a good mom at all. I wouldn't breed her again!

Sounds like your best bet, and only bet, is to try to stick the baby in with one of the other litters.

Maybe put the newborn in there and watch how it plays out for the next hour..... but keep a close eye on the baby.

Good luck!

 

[Miss M]

If she was bred twice before, and this is her third litter, then I wouldn't worry about giving her two more strikes with you. I think she's had it, except for milk. The fact that you found the one warm and fed tells me you may be able to have her raise this kit.

I would remove the baby and the nest box, and bring the nest inside and put it on a fire-proof surface, half on a heating pad turned on low. I would take the nest out twice a day for the baby to be fed, keeping it in the box half on the heating pad until it is about two weeks old.

If this does not work, I would remove the kits of the litter of 4, and put them in a box or something with the newborn, and hopefully they will snuggle with it. Twice a day, I'd take the baby out to the doe in a nest box by itself, and see if she will feed it. After, you can put her 4 in with her so they can eat. Then take them back out.

Hopefully, the kits will keep the newborn warm, and the doe will feed it. If they won't snuggle with the baby, you'll have to put a nest box half on a heating pad on low for it, still keeping the litter away from their mother except after the baby has been fed. If she won't feed the baby, you can try to supplement.

That's all I can figure. <br /><br /> -- Fri Jun 13, 2014 2:35 pm -- <br /><br /> I had two sister does sharing a cage, with litters two weeks apart. I basically did the above, keeping both litters inside and taking the younger litter out first. Then I removed them and put the older litter in, and left them in until about 5:00pm, and then removed them to make sure they didn't get dinner before the younger litter. Both litters spent the nights inside, but at least the older babies got some bounce-around-the-cage time in the late morning and afternoon.

 

[BusterHill]

sounds like to me if the nest boz wes secured to the side wall it couldnt have tipped over and the kits wouldnt have wandered around... I started with the nest box on the side and every time id check id have to hunt one down, i turned it up and secured it to the side wall until they were 2 weeks old, when they were about 3 weeks i moved them into the colony with mom where it would be safer to wander