Bad timing!

[ColdBrook]

It's bitterly cold here in western PA (-15 last night with the wind chill) and it's a full time job keeping water from turning to ice before the bunnies can drink it, but so far, everybunny is doing very well.

My doe is bred, due on Tuesday with her 3rd litter.

My mother in law just had surgery and needs 24/7 care or is not allowed to go home from the hospital. Her sons both died (I was married to one of them) and her daughters are out of state and out of the country so she doesn't have anyone to stay with her unless I do. It's 45 minutes drive away and she cannot be left alone at all for 2-3 weeks so my toddler son and I will move in with her (I work from home and can just take my computer along) leaving my older son (age 21) and hubby here at the farm to take care of things. Son Cody works day shift, hubby works evening shift. There will be noone here to keep checking on the rabbits, just someone here for evening feed and morning feed.

So, what do I do? Tell my guys to bring the kits in their nestbox inside at night and return them for the day, leaving them from morning feeding 7 AM to evening feeding 5 PM? Will the back and forth from warm to cold stress new kits out terribly? Do I bring the doe in to kindle in the house? Do I take the doe with me to MIL's house? What would be my best bet to save any kits she may have with temps being as low as they are right now?

 

[-HRanchito]

Yikes. It certainly is bad timing. I hope your MIL recovers quickly! I brought my does in this time around b/c I just didn't want to be worrying about frozen kits. My family has been very supportive, despite rabbity smells. I wonder the same things about stress, though.

I think it might depend on the doe...was she a good mother the last times? Did she pull lots of fur and make nests? Were the litters big enough for warmth?

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Can your MIL just come to your house for a week or so until you figure out the rabbit situation?

 

[SarahMelisse]

Coffeenut does bring up a valid point. Rabbits aside, wouldn't it be easier on your family and toddler?

I bring my kits in at night because of freezing temps around here for their first week or two until they have good fur and eyes open. They seem to do just fine going from warm to cold as long as you make sure they have plenty of fur in the nest. I've had no problems.

 

[ColdBrook]

Even if she would agree to going anywhere but home, it would be too hard to get down into the farmhouse here as we're set back away from the road, don't have 4 wheel drive and have a 30 yard walk down through the orchard to get to the house, so she'd not be able to get in and out without a Wheelchair on skis!

Last time, Ella pulled fur, had a nice nest and was a good mom but those were September babies, not January ones!

 

[JueLee]

Hello ColdBrook,

I'd say take the doe with you. You need the peace of mind about her, so you can focus on your MIL. And your MIL might enjoy something to cuddle (if it's allowed).

With a week to go, the doe should easily adjust to the new environment in time to kindle. By the time you move back home, the kits will be just about to come out of the nest box, old enough that the stress of the move shouldn't phase either them or the doe.

 

[MaggieJ]

Maybe I missed something, but why not just move the doe into your own house where your older son and hubby can take care of her without worrying about frozen kits? If that is impossible, then I agree to take the doe with you.

 

[ColdBrook]

Thanks all. I moved her into my house in a spare room. But now, my MIL is back in the hospital and forced to go to rehab or here when released. On her way into the house from the hospital release, she fell and broke her shoulder. The opposite side of the replaced knee...so now she cannot use a cane or walker. Poor lady is having a tough time. When she got inside her home she found the furnace had quit when she was in the hospital and pipes were frozen and broken.

Ella is adjusting well to being in the house it seems. She's still eating and drinking well. I put the nest box in today but she's just using it as a litter box so far!

 

[-HRanchito]

Is there a rehab facility near where you live? We had a similar situation with my FIL falling 3 times in 6 months. He had to stay in a rehab center, and he hated it, but they taught him all the important stuff about moving around -- what he can/can't do. He's living with us now, but hasn't had a fall for a year and a half.