A thought on poor/bad mommas.

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Anntann

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Since I have most of my does in colony settings, I've been noticing something interesting. If a virgin doe watches a doe with kits, she seems to learn.

Now..I have a doe who has had one litter of kits that she had on the wire, no preparation, and she lost them. She watched the older doe have and nurse her kits, and was always around watching..checking in. The next time she had kits, NO PROBLEMS.

In the Angora colony, I had 2 does pregnant, and the third didn't settle. She watched, became "auntie vienna" and learned nest building and defending. When she DID have kits, there were no problems whatsoever.

My current theory is that while nest building and mothering is pretty basic and "lizard brain", the does who are able to watch kindlings, motherings, nursings...learn by seeing.

What do you think? My thought is that if someone has a doe who has had problems kindling, or doesn't understand the nursing thing...perhaps putting them in with, or next to a doe who is experienced would work?
 
I tend to agree with you, Ann. Rabbits are very interested in and attentive to what their neighbour bunnies are doing. It could be that seeing good nurturing stimulates some part of their instinctual behaviour.
 
All I know is if I put a kit I want to keep and am hoping it's a doe and mom is kind of an iffy mom, putting it in with a good mom will help ensure it's survival AND if it is a doe, that it seems to encourage good mothering abilities in it. Not sure why, just know it happens.
 

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