3rd strike doe has struck out..? HELP.

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
sashakaran

sashakaran

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
Location
California
So... don't know how many of you know of my newbie plight, but today the worst has happened to my Cali doe, Carrol (the bun in my avatar).

I got her from the Jr. Grand National Rodeo rabbit show last October, and hoped and prayed and crossed my fingers hard for a litter. Well a month went by and nothing, then we re-bred, and then palpated 2 weeks later, and nothing, so we re-bred again. Lo and behold she kindled two weeks later (newbie at palpating too apparently...) Yay ecstatic, right? WRONG. She doesn't feed the babies and they all are dead by day 3.

I re-breed her and then palpate 12 days later and wow I can actually feel the grapes! :D Super on top of the world kind of feeling! She kindles exactly at midnight of the 31st day, I was awake and watched her for a bit-- she made a nest, hopped in the box, and everything was going well, so I gave her some privacy. NEVER AGAIN. By the next morning, there were babies all over the cage (it was a pet-style, hard-bottomed cage with a layer of shavings) and all ended up dying (after I spent a few hours doting upon the two that moved after being warmed).

So she was given two days and was re-bred and at this point we had eaten her mate (got new exciting meat stock) so she was bred to Standard Rex and Am Chin bucks. I knew she was pregnant even though I couldn't feel the grapes this time, because she looked and felt much heavier. Well, today when I was doing rabbity chores, I noticed orange on her nose and thankfully realized that it was blood. She did have a fair bit of blood on her resting place, so I looked around, and sure enough I found one cold, dead kit-- IT'S 4 DAYS EARLY!!

I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another with this doe... I can't understand how she ever had a litter before with what I've experienced!!

I tossed a bunch of hay to cover the bottom of the cage and threw in a nest box (she was gonna get it tomorrow morning), but she just started eating the hay right away.. not making a nest or anything. Then she had another kit on the hay (not in the nest box). I stepped in nestled the kit into a makeshift nest and she let me pluck fur from her dewlap.

She is ever so sweet-- but this was supposed to be her 3rd strike...

HELP!! :cry:
 
She may not be done kindling yet.

How does the kit look? Are you sure on your dates, and certain that she is four days early?

I have heard of does passing kits early and still having a live litter on the appropriate day.

Hopefully she will have a successful outcome this time. Otherwise, if you have a doe to replace her, I would.
 
I have never, EVER had any kind of measurable success trying to bring home an already bred doe to a new environment. They have always lost their litters.

Bring them home, give them a few months to acclimate and get used to new surroundings? It's worked like a charm.

I'm suggesting that you may have started a little too soon with her. Give her a while and wait until she starts acting moody, then run the fur on her back. If she "lifts", she's telling you she's ready to become a mama. Try and force the issue, and IMHO you're asking for trouble.
 
Sorry SatinsRule, I realized that what I wrote was confusing. She was NOT already bred, just that she was proven and had babies previously who went on to be champion. She wasn't bred when I got her. I tried to breed her a few weeks after bringing her home.

MamaSheepdog, the kit just doesn't look quite ready. The dead one weighed 1.3 oz, and the second one she had on the hay I put on the wire (I've been going outside every 20 mins) looks the same-- very small and not quite done yet. She hasn't had anymore though. I keep crazy records, just for this purpose, and she was bred on January 13th at 2:30 and 2:40pm by two different bucks. I'm really hoping that she does what you say, and is done laboring for now, and will continue again much closer to Monday/Tuesday.


Also, I just got a reply from the woman who sold her to me and she's willing to exchange Carrol (a pure predigreed Cali) for one of her NZxCal cross does that are about 3.5 months old... She says that she still wants to keep trying with her. I feel bad for the girl! I was gonna eat her...

I dunno, I'm feeling very let down at the moment. I almost just want to give her back the doe, I don't really want another young doe-- I got a young Rex doe in December, and she's just now looking like she might be ready to breed. Maybe I should just stick with the AmChin and Rex that I have already. I'll give her another week and see what happens on the due date, then I guess I'll give her back to her previous owner.
 
What a shame to be having such a hard time...I'm so sorry! Hoping the first two were just aberrations and that she'll have a fine healthy litter for you in a couple days.
 
I am sorry you have had such trouble.

For me 3rd strike means they have to go.
I did have a doe that had one early (I know because I found her getting rid of it), but then had a very nice litter of 10.
 
If you do decide to get another doe from her, I would ask to wait for another purebred. The crosses are really meant to be eaten, not bred, since the next generation loses that hybrid vigor which gives better growth rates.
 
Oh shucks, I wish I saw your post MamaSheepdog. Well I switched her out with the cross NZ/Cal, she's a cute thing, and 3.5 months, so we're waiting anyway to breed... the breeder did say though that she is raising the pure Cals for the Fair in the summer and will have some culls she might be ok with giving (selling?) to me-- so that's an option too.
 
sashakaran":361ji3r4 said:
Oh shucks, I wish I saw your post MamaSheepdog. Well I switched her out with the cross NZ/Cal, she's a cute thing, and 3.5 months, so we're waiting anyway to breed... the breeder did say though that she is raising the pure Cals for the Fair in the summer and will have some culls she might be ok with giving (selling?) to me-- so that's an option too.
Click to expand...

If you cross her with your Rex or AmChin, you will retain the hybrid vigor...:)
 
Buying stock that is "breeding-age" is a common mistake. It is almost never successful. You need to ask yourself the question, "Why? Is this person selling this "breeding-age" rabbit, that has been productive for the person selling it?"

I've got 42 does in my breeding stock. I wouldn't consider selling a single one of them........UNLESS........I was unscrupulous and wanted to get rid of a doe that is a problem.

Sad to say, but people "LIE". My does that don't measure up to my standards get sold.....to a snake-guy! Not to someone who's wanting to get started in raising rabbits.

Never.....buy older stock. Buy juniors that can age out in the environment they're going to produce in. Better still...get to know your seller, if at all possible. Otherwise, you're buying a pig-in-a-poke.

I always tell folks up front that want to buy one of my breeding does, "Sure! But I guarantee you.....it will be the worst one I have!" I smile at the shocked look they have on their faces and explain to them what I've just written. Then, they begin to understand what I'm trying to tell them and what would be the best thing for them to do.

Patience is absolutely necessary when someone begins to raise rabbits. Don't be in such an all-fired hurry!! Take your time, learn your rabbits. Let them learn about you. Both of you will be the better for it.

grumpy
 
its so true, I bought 2 breeding age does because I was impatient to start, it took 3 months to get them to breed! By that time my juniors from the original stock I had purchased had come of age. What a waste of time. And my original stock is much better when it comes to being reliable during kindling! (nest, pulling fur, milking etc.)
 
Curious, Grumpy, what age would you say is too old? 5months, 8 months? I have an oppurtunity to buy a 1yr old buck. Not sure if bucks vs does matter with age,but would like your opinion if it's worth it!
 
Bought my does and buck at breeding age (6-7 months).. and still no kits. :( But that's probably nothing to do with the seller giving me bad rabbits, they were going to become food but she doesn't like to kill them, so she postponed... a few months. Or perhaps she takes care of the pelts and that's why she waited.. I just noticed she didn't enjoy that part much. And then I called and was interested in the breed.. and they needed to go (in some way) since she ran out of space.. so..

I was thinking something though.. how about buying a bred doe? I've seen that in advertisements.. of course it still wouldn't be their best doe, but could it be a way to get a cheap breeding stock to start with? Keeping some of her kits if it's an older doe without much breeding time left? And get a good buck?
 
I was thinking something though.. how about buying a bred doe? I've seen that in advertisements.. of course it still wouldn't be their best doe, but could it be a way to get a cheap breeding stock to start with? Keeping some of her kits if it's an older doe without much breeding time left? And get a good buck?
Click to expand...

I have wondered that myself.
 
Reids Rabbits":1ewbdcka said:
Curious, Grumpy, what age would you say is too old? 5months, 8 months? I have an oppurtunity to buy a 1yr old buck. Not sure if bucks vs does matter with age,but would like your opinion if it's worth it!
Click to expand...

There are "signs" of a doe's age. However, they are small and almost imperceptible to someone who's beginning with rabbits.

Whenever I buy new stock to try, I always buy weanlings 8-10, maybe 12 weeks old. "Junior" may be a small doe that hasn't developed the way the breeder wanted. Possibly a cross that has reduced the genetic size but not the outward appearance. Buck or doe, I always like to get the youngsters and let them grow into production on my place.

I'd pay more for youngsters out of top does in a rabbitry and would be willing to wait to get them. Again, it pays big dividends getting to know your breeder. After all, you're paying for his/her expertise and character: good or bad.

grumpy.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top