15 babies!!

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Hmm...

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I'm guessing if your evening questioning it, she must have done well with her last litter? :shock: Most does couldn't nurse 12!!

Do you have anyone to foster to?

And, while I have your attention:
colors-interesting-steel-and-is-this-sallander-t24203.html
 
Her last litter had two that barely got enough milk. But, I know she can do 10 no problem. I have another doe (first timer) with 8 born 2 days ago. Should I sneak her a couple after they've had colostrum... maybe by tomorrow afternoon?
 
I would if you want them all to live. It's best to foster a few of the bigger ones into the 2 day old nest, to make sure they can compete with the slightly older kits.

Miss M's concentrated goats milk formula has worked wonders for me, if you want to leave them with her and just supplement anyone who doesn't get a full belly.

I hate losing kits, so I go out of my way to get them all to processing age if at all possible.

Others might let nature take it's course, or even dispatch a few to make sure there is enough milk to go around... I don't think there is any wrong approach.
 
It would probably be good to foster a few of them to another doe. I would also keep a close eye on those bellies and maybe give a supplemental feeding (from the doe) to any that don't look fat.
 
DBA":7bd9gdet said:
Wow!!!! What kind of rabbit is it?
Click to expand...
French Angora

-- Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:59 pm --

Thanks Zass, I'll move a few big ones over tomorrow. The other doe is pretty laid back, so I think she'll be OK with it. I'll probably let nature take it's course with the remaining 12 I'll leave with her unless I feel compelled to intervene.

So, Zass. That's interesting about the Steel Chinchilla. So far I haven't had to deal with that mix, BUT.... This litter was a test for Steel in Elderberry, so we'll see!

Sire is my nice REW
A a B B c c D d E E

Elderberry (if not Steel) is
a a B b C chd D d E e

But, if she's Steel, she'd have to be
A a B b C chd D d Es e
....because her last litter with a "Self" produced Agouti Steels

What do you think? It's pretty early to tell, but I think Elderberry is not the Steel. I think I see a bunch of Chestnuts, Chinchillas and a few Selfs... Black and Blues... <br /><br /> -- Sun Mar 08, 2015 7:07 pm -- <br /><br />
Syberchick70":7bd9gdet said:
It would probably be good to foster a few of them to another doe. I would also keep a close eye on those bellies and maybe give a supplemental feeding (from the doe) to any that don't look fat.
Click to expand...
We did supplemental feedings with her last litter. It helped, but boy was she ticked at me. I can't decide if I like this crazy fertility, or if I should cull it out.
 
My steels have a tendency to look a little like agoutis on their first day, and then look like selfs for a little (or a long) while after that... I don't trust myself to ID them accurately until around 6 or 7 days.

I don't trust myself to ever ID "selfs" with steel in the mix.
My friend just bred an agouti to a "self chocolate" out of my lines and got a bunch of steel kits :razz:
she knew there was some risk, we talk genetics all the time.
 
Zass":15o5rgqd said:
My steels have a tendency to look a little like agoutis on their first day, and then look like selfs for a little (or a long) while after that... I don't trust myself to ID them accurately until around 6 or 7 days.

I don't trust myself to ever ID "selfs" with steel in the mix.
My friend just bred an agouti to a "self chocolate" out of my lines and got a bunch of steel kits :razz:
she knew there was some risk, we talk genetics all the time.
Click to expand...

:lol: It's a fun ride with Steels... never a dull litter. I can hardly wait for the week to pass so I can see them better. The other buck (from Elderberry's Steel litter) is the sire of the 2 day old kits with a Tort mom. I THINK I see a Fawn (but it could be a Chocolate Tort... the only Chocolate in the litter of 8 with a Chocolate sire... not sure if mom even carries Chocolate). If it's a Fawn, the Steel is finally revealed. :cool: since both parents are suppose to be Self.
 
Zinnia":2qlyaosi said:
Zass":2qlyaosi said:
My steels have a tendency to look a little like agoutis on their first day, and then look like selfs for a little (or a long) while after that... I don't trust myself to ID them accurately until around 6 or 7 days.

I don't trust myself to ever ID "selfs" with steel in the mix.
My friend just bred an agouti to a "self chocolate" out of my lines and got a bunch of steel kits :razz:
she knew there was some risk, we talk genetics all the time.
Click to expand...

:lol: It's a fun ride with Steels... never a dull litter. I can hardly wait for the week to pass so I can see them better. The other buck (from Elderberry's Steel litter) is the sire of the 2 day old kits with a Tort mom. I THINK I see a Fawn (but it could be a Chocolate Tort... the only Chocolate in the litter of 8 with a Chocolate sire... not sure if mom even carries Chocolate). If it's a Fawn, the Steel is finally revealed. :cool: since both parents are suppose to be Self.
Click to expand...

Never a dull moment? That's a great attitude! A lot more positive than I was when I discovered that ALL my "self" SF (that I'd spent a year working with to get rabbits that carried both dilute and chocolate for my agouti-fox project) were genetic super steels. :D I bet Dood remembers my fit...

:razz:


At least one RT member has had a steel SF pop out of two pedigreed black self SF... It's almost sad...there is no good way to test breed for issues like that in a breed that only comes in self colors...
 
Can't ya just dye the steels? LOL

WOWZA .... that's a SERIOUS litter. I hope they all make it.... it'd be cool to see updated pics when they're all fuzzy.
 
I would keep the genetics [doe with 15 kits] do you know how hard it is to find good rabbits with that kind of productivity? You could always decide what to do with extra healthy kits when they are born [like plan to breed a few other "normal" producing does at the same time as her], -- but-- if you have does who don't have enough kits it is not easy to fix that. It would be interesting to see if she passes that productivity on to her offspring .
do you harvest the wool? - I have been interested in that aspect of rabbit raising but haven't tried it yet.[and am ignorant in that area]
 
cmfarm":3exb7u1l said:
Wow! Look at that cute pile of wiggly babies. Did she look really big before she had them?
Click to expand...
She was 9.25 lbs. just before kindling. And, she had babies 9 weeks ago, too. She keeps good weight. They get lots of collards, OG rabbit pellets and endless hay. ACV in their water each morning. <br /><br /> -- Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:47 am -- <br /><br />
michaels4gardens":3exb7u1l said:
I would keep the genetics [doe with 15 kits] do you know how hard it is to find good rabbits with that kind of productivity? You could always decide what to do with extra healthy kits when they are born [like plan to breed a few other "normal" producing does at the same time as her], -- but-- if you have does who don't have enough kits it is not easy to fix that. It would be interesting to see if she passes that productivity on to her offspring .
do you harvest the wool? - I have been interested in that aspect of rabbit raising but haven't tried it yet.[and am ignorant in that area]
Click to expand...
Those are really good points you've made. Her dam often has 10-12, her sister's first litter was 12... All my does kindle between 8 (new moms) and 12 normally. 12 is pushing it for being able to nurse them all. But, I've been thinking about the nature of having so many. I rather like to see nature choose the best from a big selection. I will be keeping a couple of these does. It's likely to be inherited.

Yes, I harvest their wool, eat the meat (easy to cull) and use their pelts.

So.... We'll see who grows out nice and if anyone is near WI and wants some super-fertile genetics... let me know. I'd love to see these offspring have a future!
 
WOW!! That's quite incredible. I don't know much about French Angoras but I looked it up and saw that average litter sizes for them are more like 8, sometimes up to 11.
Congratulations!
 
I am very curious , Zinnia, --what are your average 8 week kit weights [for a litter of 9 or 10] ?- it seems to me that your rabbits could / would [or are already ] a excellent dual purpose breed. If the dam is around 9 lbs , that is a good size for meat production rabbits also.
 
michaels4gardens":5q6iy87u said:
I am very curious , Zinnia, --what are your average 8 week kit weights [for a litter of 9 or 10] ?- it seems to me that your rabbits could / would [or are already ] a excellent dual purpose breed. If the dam is around 9 lbs , that is a good size for meat production rabbits also.
Click to expand...
Most are around 2.5# from big litters. But, I get up to 3.5# in smaller litters (8 kits) by 8 weeks. I don't know if that's good or bad....
 

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