2 problem deliveries in 3 months!! advice please!

[rabbitlady]

One of our proven doe(doe 2) delivered today but the delivery was terrible. She had 6 altogether but only 2 made it. But what was so bad is that the other 4 were squashed and all twisted up and one had even ruptured in the middle. Ive never seen or heard of such a thing until recently. But also, she almost couldn't deliver the last kit, we actually had to help the baby move down the birth canal. It was born dead. It looked liked maybe she stepped all over the other kits after they were born, she had them in the nest and she was in with them keeping them warm. But only one was alive. The other that is still alive was outside the nestbox and we had to warm him up to bring him around. But weve brought the live kits inside and have them in a nest box. Im leary about putting them out with mom, for fear she may trample them like the others. We have two other doe due so hopefully they will deliver tonight so we can get these guys in with them. They have adopted other kits before.
But about 2 months ago we lost a doe during delivery. She would lay across her nest box opening like her stomach hurt and that started a few days before delivery, well this doe ( doe 2 was doing the same thing the other day) And last month one of our very best doe, who had never lost a kit , had one kit in her litter that looked like it had ruptured in the middle. Has any one ever heard of any of this? Ive read I don't know how many books and have never heard anything like it.

 

[ottersatin]

What are the Rabbits being fed?
Dams do not stay in the Nestbox to keep their babies warm,
they are not like Cats or Dogs. There has to be some
genetic or illness reason behind your lose.
It could possibly be a feed problem.
Perhaps the feed is tainted, how old is the feed you are using.
Are you giving too many treats?
I have never heard of nor seen what you are describing,
but I am certain that there is a solution.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[ladysown]

If she was having trouble kindling, kits might have become squished by the doe which would explain why they were all flat.

As to why she would have a deformed kit. I'd look into your feed. Particularly if more than one doe is having the problem.

Where they both bred to the same buck as that might play a factor as well.

 

[rabbitlady]

Ok, went out this morning and she had delivered 3 more, all dead and two were squashed;. They are eating the same feed I have been feeding for the past year, I just bought the bag last week. We feet rabbit chow complete advantage. It mesures up well according to the tag. Yes she was bred to the same buck as the other doe that had simular problems that died, but not the doe that had only one that appeared ruptured. (she was bred to our most successful buck) I don't give any treats except a carrort piece to the doe when she delivers and one for the next few days after that. I know the dams don't stay in the nestbox with the kits but I thought that may have been what she was attempting to do. She had made her nest in the back of the nest box like normal with the fur and all but then the kits were all in the midddle of the nestbox. There weren't any in her cup. Same thing this morning with the last 3. We had taken the other hay out because it was so nasty and put fresh in. She went and made a cup in the back of the box and lined it with hair but the kits were in the middle of the box, and she was laying on top of them again and it isn't even cold outside today.( we use a permanent box that sections off a part of the cage that is 18" from front to back and 11" side to side. This has always worked well for us.) As far as the deformed kits, let me clear that up. They didn't look like they were born that way, they looked like their bones had been broken to make them that way.
Neither of the other doe delivered last night so I need some feeding advice. I have a milk replacer that says it's good for rabbits, I used it last night but cant tell if the kits are actually getting anything from the bottle. They are warm and responsive. Do I just feed them 2x per day and How much should I try to get them to eat?

 

[curlysue]

I think she had trouble delivering,They get stretched out etc from the doe pulling on the kit.This is fairly common in the breeds i raise.

 

[avdpas77]

Rabbitlady,

It would help, perhaps if we got some more information from you. First, you said it was a "proven" doe. Have you, yourself had this doe kindle for you without a problem in the past? What breed is the animals of which you are speaking? What are you feeding to the rabbits, and how much of each item?

 

[rabbitlady]

The doe has kindle for us several times, this was her 5th litter. She is a cross breed, We were told she was a newzeland red and when we got her we were just starting and didn't know much about what they should look like, We now believe she is across of a flemish giant and mostlikely many other breeds. Her first litter was bad, she lost all of them but delivered them all successfully. She had 14 with that litter and we thought that after that many she just wasn't up to taking care of them. the other litters have gone well, she usually delivers about 10 and two or three will not make it. but she takes very good care of the ones that make it and they are all very healthy. I stated earlier the feed we give is purina complete natural advantage rabbit chow. they are feed a measured feeder cup full a day about 4oz (i would have to reweigh to make sure) with a steady supply of water. but the other doe that had problems was a pure newzealand white and that was her 3rd litter with an average litter size of 9 and have lost only 4 kits total between the two litters.

 

[avdpas77]

Well,
I am sort of stumped. I have never had such problems myself, and I don't know what might cause them except maybe the rabbits being too fat. Do they seem heavier than they did in the past? I am sorry, I wish I could help, but I don't have any ideas at all. Hopefully someone else on here will, if not, I would post over at HT, an maybe somone over there would have an idea.