Ugh!!!

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SR's Rabbitry

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So I bought about 15 mixed meat rabbit does about 2 months ago. Well I bred them and they are starting to have babies but they are all eating them, could this mean that is why the guy was selling them cause they eat there babies? Will they stop? All my other does pure newzealands and pure cali's are fine when they have babies. It's so frusterateing. I am trying to get a nice load of meat rabbits by October and at this rate it does not look good for me:-(
Any advice besides replace the does?
 
Wow so sorry to hear that, I have never experienced that but maybe someone else can help. Hope things get better for you.
 
I have never heard of something that universal either. That seems very odd. I would first suspect some kind of stress or nutritional issue, or a genetic issue that caused the kits to be non-viable.

Unless they are just first timers that might be younger than you thought? In that case I would give them another chance. That is the only case where I would give them another chance.

If the are fully grown and have had litters before though, I don't know of a solution but to cull them. If you have other rabbits producing fine and these are being treated the same way I would say that is exactly why he was selling them. You could spend a lot of time and money trying to find/fix the problem and they are just meat mutts--you can get/make more.
 
Are the does delivering live babies and killing them and eating them or are they eating kits that may have been still-born or have died shortly after birth? Those are two totally different behaviours. A true cannibalistic doe is rare, but most does will try to clean up the nest by eating dead kits, the same as they will eat the placental material and embryonic sacs. Occasionally a doe may kill kits if she has been badly frightened. It seems contradictory, but it apparently does happen and does not reflect on her general mothering skills.

How many does have kindled? How many of those have eaten their kits? What kind of a set-up do you have for them and is it the same facility as your other rabbits are in or something different. More detail might give us some clues as to what is really going on. I'd also like to know what you feed your rabbits. There is a school of thought that associates cannibalism with dietary deficiencies.
 
Thanks everyone!

All my rabbits are in the same barn. I have them all in individual cages with constant fresh food and water, the temp is about 80s and last few weeks it's been cooler. 2 have not ate there babies, The rest have.
Thanks everyone for the help!!!
 
So 13 out of 15 have eaten their babies? Were the babies for sure alive at any point, or did they eat them immediately after kindling? Have the rabbits kindled before? Are they older than one year old? how old? Are they (to your knowledge) related?
 
I'm wondering if perhaps you have a rat problem. It would not be the first time that does have been blamed for eating their kits only to have the owner find out later it was rats.

Rats can get through anything larger than one inch wire. They can also enter through J-feeders. Once they get bold enough to attack kits, they just keep coming back for more.

Do the babies disappear without a trace or do you find "parts"?
 
I lost a litter and a half to rats I didn't even know I had. We went through every type of trap possible and were catching nothing so didn't know they were a problem until they started actually chewing through the wire in the corners of the colony pen, getting brave enough to be seen in the daylight, and we actually found rabbits with bite marks. The surviving young rabbits were also quite panicky and would scream whenever you reached in to their nest. While I would much prefer to use traps our rats are too resistant and we finally put out poison in a bait station that requires a key so nothing else can get to it. I usually put a brick on top as well so it can't be knocked around even though the bait is also on rods in the box so it can't fall out.
 
A tip I have used since I was a teenager is to have a small perhaps 8x8 or 12x12 piece of sheetrock (gypsum board) in the cage for 2 weeks before they kindle. if it truly is a nutritional deficiency, which is not uncommon, they will rip the paper off it and nibble it just like they do any other footy board.

I have had does cannibalize 2-3 kits per litter and this stopped it.
 
I was curious about what nutrient might be found in gypsum, so I googled it. The Wikipedia article cites, among many others, this use for gypsum:

"A tofu (soy bean curd) coagulant, making it ultimately a major source of dietary calcium, especially in Asian cultures which traditionally use few dairy products."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum

Would rabbits fed a balanced pellet be short of calcium? I did not find any other dietary references. Please understand, SaratogaNZW, that I am not disputing your success using gypsum board. Just trying to understand the chemistry behind it.
 
Gypsum neutralizes acid pH, There could be a reason for acidic kits/mothers If the doe is 'acidic' (acidosis) the kits will not nurse..
 
Well I find blood on the feet of the does. I know I don't have rats, cause all my other does are good. Just these new ones i bought eat their kits.
Thank you all again<br /><br />__________ Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:54 pm __________<br /><br />O and the rabbits were suppose to be proven does! And they are all over year old but not by far. And sometimes I find one live baby but it is to far gone to save.
 
I would be interested in knowing about the cages you are using. Are they the same as you use for your other does or perhaps a different design, different size wire mesh. Do any of them have open J-feeders?

You seem convinced that these does are cannibalistic and it may prove to be so, but I have never heard of this happening to a number of does as you are experiencing. I am of the opinion that it is either rats or possibly a dietary problem that is resulting in this behaviour.
 
My cages are all the same 24x24x18 open feeders on all all cages are same hight. No rats, no rat poo anywhere, or holes. All my feed is kept in metal barrels with lid. Constantly clean barn.
Thanks<br /><br />__________ Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:02 pm __________<br /><br />I think they are just canabalstic out of there minds. I think I will give them another chance and if they keep it up I will have some meat for stew!
 
You could try the gypsum board suggested by Saratoga NZW. It won't harm them and it may make a difference. I've heard that tip suggested before, just never had the need to try it out. Sometimes just a small adjustment makes a big difference and perhaps these does came to you with a deficiency that your other rabbits do not have. Good luck :clover: for the next round... hope things go better.
 

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