Bubble-Guts...still a problem.

[grumpy]

It's frustrating :x :x :x :x :x

Still having the age-old issue of youngsters having this problem.
There's only one "thing" that "might" make a difference.
Adding more fiber to their diet.
They've been wormed once and treated for cocci.....twice.

I've had problems in the past with hay bought from one farmer.
Good looking alfalfa...but I always end up losing
one or two excellent does when I use it. Milkweed sprouts? I think.

I don't really like placing hay in on the floor of the cage.
So....I fabricated about 40 outside hay racks to use.
This has been a real issue with the herd for quite a while.
Not a rampant issue..but one that claims a youngster every other day or so.
It doesn't take long to eat away at the profit margin.
Plus....it's a mystery that needs to be solved.

I've bought a very good quality Brome hay to use.
I know it's short on protein...but that may be okay.
It's the fiber I'm after in hopes of settling the digestive
tracts of these youngsters headed for market.

It may be too late for the older youngsters.
Some will come down with it, while their cage-mates are just fine.
It's the 4 to 8 week olds that may benefit more in the long run.

I've lost a couple dozen over the last 5 to 6 weeks.
That's un-acceptable!!

Grumpy.

 

[ladysown]

you talking entropathic illness?

You have to breed it out. I cannot stress this enough.

Don't keep any rabbits that have it.
Does that get kits with it... don't use 'em.
Bucks that regularly throw kits that get 'em.. don't use em.

Seriously.

This was my nemesis for a few years until I got the huge brainstorm.. hmm.. breed for what you want (another rabbit breeder was the inspiration for it). BREED for it. Remove it.

In the meantime what did I have success with?

1. feeding prickly lettuce
2. exercise and lots of it - to the point where I make 'em run around a exercise pen every 20-30 minutes. I MAKE them run. OR if they won't run, they can swim in warm water.
3. keeping rabbits clean and dry and warm
4. IMMEDIATELY isolating anyone showing symptoms. I get the odd one now and again (genetics play a role I am positive) and now I give them two days of prickly lettuce and then if they haven't picked up they get culled and removed. Dogs won't eat 'em.
5. well.. I suppose there really isn't a five. I just mostly learned to cull hard.

 

[grumpy]

It's hap-hazard appearance suggests it's more of an environmental or stress related problem. Youngsters coming off of mother's milk or the stress of moving young fryers into new quarters seems to trigger this problem.

I stopped feeding hay last year because of unexplained sudden deaths of young healthy does. Once I stopped feeding hay from this source, the problem ceased. However, late July or early August of last year, I started having occasional kits coming down with the "scours" for lack of a better word. I felt it was related to a fiber deficiency in their diet.

It's 'one' or possibly 'two' kits that will display the symptoms and expire within 24-36 hours. Yet, their littermates are just fine. Isolated and fed oatmeal with a small amount of hay seems to eliminate the problem. However, they're unthrifty and slow to reach market weight. Even when 'cured' they're easily noticed by their thinner appearance.

Genetically linked is an interesting possibility. But, I've not witnessed a pattern to positively identify this as a possible solution. I usually wean litters and keep them together in grow out pens while making notes of the litters' progress. I've seen no evidence linking particular litters back to a doe that has historically produced litters with this malady. The pattern hasn't presented itself...as of yet.

"IF" this is the case....then the problem I'm experiencing will exponentially grow because of the close breeding within my available bloodlines. As of yet, this hasn't been the case.

I will say, that does who don't produce viable youngsters growing to market weight in good fashion...are eliminated from the herd. I keep only top producing does that provide me with healthy youngsters that grow quickly. If a single youngster in a litter shows signs of this, the entire litter goes to market. None are saved for replacement stock.

Grumpy.

 

[ladysown]

i know that it often appears environmental. I KNOW THIS.
I would have litters that were fine.. Jan, Feb. Mar. Summertime. And only the fall and spring with the weather changes I would lose kits. I blamed it on the weather or stress.

Then I started breeding it out.
NOW.. for instance this year out of over 70 kits... I had TWO. Just two. both I could trace back to someone in their heritage having a sibling or a relative who struggled.

This tells me that genetics plays a huge role in having susceptibility to coming down with it.

It sounds like you are doing what you should be... not keeping anything that shows signs of illness. I frankly wouldn't even keep the kits back.

Have you tried tetracycline in the water? or even apple cider vinegar? That can help as well (I prefer the latter over the former)

I hope you track it down. Do know that seasonal stuff often plays a role. shifting weather patterns can play havoc with rabbits.

 

[skysthelimit]

Sounds like my problem.

And normally I would agree it was genetic, but it was happening across different breeds, in different locations. The only common factor to the equation was me and the dogs, so "we" had to have been transferring a contagion back to all these bunnies. I did try the tetracycline, the Corrid and the ACV, then the scours meds for calves.

Then I gave them fresh grass only. Everythings good.

 

[grumpy]

No antibiotics...thus far. I wouldn't be able to sell them.

We've had some large weather swings in the last couple of weeks.
I wonder if that may or may not be a factor.
I darned near put on my bibbers one morning it was so chilly.

ACV...is something I'm going to look into.
I've gotten the hay-racks built and installed.
Hopefully, the extra fiber will alleviate part of the problem.

Got plenty of fresh air moving in and around the rabbitry.
A lot of the fans run 24/7.
I don't save any kits out of a litter that shows this problem. NONE.
The ones not affected go to the processor.

I've got 29 head going out at six in the morning.
Fat little rascals that averaged a shade over 5 pounds 10 ounces a piece.

grumpy