Hey guys I've been lurking for a few days now and this seems like a great and knowledgeable community so I decided to join! So my uncle has been raising meat rabbits longer than I've been alive and back in October he gave me 3 Californian does to get me started on my own. Well 2 of them gave birth back in April to 10 and 4 kits with losing only 1 from the litter of 10. First time mommas did good in my opinion. Now the 3rd doe had 6 but had them on the cage floor instead of the nest box and none survived. She was rebred and day 32 was yesterday and she must not have taken the 2nd time. So after all this rambling on I just wanted to know how many chances do you give a doe before culling her?
Californian Doe Second Failure
- Thread starter JawnBrown
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MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Hi Jawn!
:welcomewagon:
The best place you could have found, in my opinion!
We have a great group of rabbit lovers here!
We have a saying here that "they aren't dead until they are warm and dead." Sometimes you can revive cold, seemingly dead kits by warming them up. I put towels in the dryer to heat up and then make a hollow for the kits and place them in there, covering with a flap of towel. Making sure the dryer is OFF I then close the door to keep the heat in. I have saved a lot of kits that way.
It is not uncommon for them to go longer than 32 days, so leave the nestbox with her for at least several more days. We have had rabbits go as long as about 40 days here. I think the record was 42.
Most people follow the three strikes rule. Sometimes first timers don't get everything right or done in the correct order. I had a doe give birth to her second litter yesterday (12!) and she didn't pull fur, so I had to pull it from her.
It's a personal choice though- and some breeders that have more rabbits to choose from will be more strict in their culling practices... sometimes even sending them to the stew pot if they botch it their first time.
:welcomewagon:
JawnBrown":36v0w7m0 said:
The best place you could have found, in my opinion!
We have a great group of rabbit lovers here!JawnBrown":36v0w7m0 said:
We have a saying here that "they aren't dead until they are warm and dead." Sometimes you can revive cold, seemingly dead kits by warming them up. I put towels in the dryer to heat up and then make a hollow for the kits and place them in there, covering with a flap of towel. Making sure the dryer is OFF I then close the door to keep the heat in. I have saved a lot of kits that way.
JawnBrown":36v0w7m0 said:
It is not uncommon for them to go longer than 32 days, so leave the nestbox with her for at least several more days. We have had rabbits go as long as about 40 days here. I think the record was 42.
JawnBrown":36v0w7m0 said:
Most people follow the three strikes rule. Sometimes first timers don't get everything right or done in the correct order. I had a doe give birth to her second litter yesterday (12!) and she didn't pull fur, so I had to pull it from her.
It's a personal choice though- and some breeders that have more rabbits to choose from will be more strict in their culling practices... sometimes even sending them to the stew pot if they botch it their first time.
The towel/dryer idea is brilliant! I had one that I thought was dead and tried with warm water - I am thinking I didn't give it enough time. There is a wild rabbit running around with the same coloring around the same size as the others in the littler - my oldest (7 years old) is convinced it's the same one .
I am wondering the same thing since I have one that is on strike 2 or 3... I might try one more time... maybe.
.I am wondering the same thing since I have one that is on strike 2 or 3... I might try one more time... maybe.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
heritage":5cls4dw7 said:
Thank you! I have my moments.
heritage":5cls4dw7 said:
Some people will put them in a ziploc bag and float them in the water. I haven't ever tried that method since I am worried about making the water too hot or having it cool off too quickly.
With the dryer method, as long as you have several towels in there they retain the heat long enough to revive the kits, and once they are warm their combined body heat keeps them all nice and toasty.
I think three strikes is perfect for inexperienced breeders, as it leaves some wiggle room for operator error, or just to troubleshoot what might be triggering a doe's mistakes.
Changing up housing arrangements or even the style of nestbox being used might make a difference for her.
For example, one breeder had a rooster threatening their rabbits :shock: , another had a doe who just didn't like the standard nestbox size or shape.
:shrug:
If the other does are just making you happier, and you would rather have a roast than try again, well, don't feel bad, and don't let anyone ever tell you it was wrong.
You have the right to cull your meat herd whenever you like, for any reason.
Changing up housing arrangements or even the style of nestbox being used might make a difference for her.
For example, one breeder had a rooster threatening their rabbits :shock: , another had a doe who just didn't like the standard nestbox size or shape.
:shrug:
If the other does are just making you happier, and you would rather have a roast than try again, well, don't feel bad, and don't let anyone ever tell you it was wrong.
You have the right to cull your meat herd whenever you like, for any reason.
Thank you all for the replies and insight. I was actually visiting my grandfather in Alabama when the kits were born so they were in my uncles care and I'm sure he did everything he could to save them. I've left the nest box in and I was planning to take it out Saturday and then attempting to breed her to a New Zealand buck I picked up about a month ago. I'll be sure to give updates!
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I had a similar problem with one of my Cali does and did the changing of housing arrangements. I had the buck close to her cage and had read where that could be a problem. I bred her again and moved the buck away and viola. Really don't know if that was the problem but she had her second litter this morning. No problems.
grumpy
Well-known member
Welcome:
Let's take a look from a different angle. Two of your young does had kits
with no problems. The third one, a big problem. She kindled on the wire,
then she missed what should have been an easy breed-back. That's TWO.!!
strikes right there. I'm sure you'll "want" to try her again....Right?
Why? Instinctively....she's shown you her penchant for possible difficulties
further down the road. Yet, you've got a dandy young doe that kindled a
perfect litter of 10 with only one loss last month. Are all nine of the kits,
bucks? Being youngsters, I'll bet you've not sexed them yet. Right?
Your answer to your problem is in that litter of nine youngsters. Keep one
or two young does for replacements. Looking to the future, you'll be
time well spent if you stay with the positives, and eliminate the negatives.
Some rabbits just AIN'T meant to be pro-created. That doe you've had
troubles with 'may' be ONE of 'em.
Let's say you do get a litter out of "Troubles"..LOL...good name don't ya think?
Let's say.....5 or 6 kits, and she raises them "fairly" good and you sell a few.
What have you just sold to someone else? Think about it.
Grumpy.
Let's take a look from a different angle. Two of your young does had kits
with no problems. The third one, a big problem. She kindled on the wire,
then she missed what should have been an easy breed-back. That's TWO.!!
strikes right there. I'm sure you'll "want" to try her again....Right?
Why? Instinctively....she's shown you her penchant for possible difficulties
further down the road. Yet, you've got a dandy young doe that kindled a
perfect litter of 10 with only one loss last month. Are all nine of the kits,
bucks? Being youngsters, I'll bet you've not sexed them yet. Right?
Your answer to your problem is in that litter of nine youngsters. Keep one
or two young does for replacements.
Looking to the future, you'll be time well spent if you stay with the positives, and eliminate the negatives.
Some rabbits just AIN'T meant to be pro-created. That doe you've had
troubles with 'may' be ONE of 'em.
Let's say you do get a litter out of "Troubles"..LOL...good name don't ya think?
Let's say.....5 or 6 kits, and she raises them "fairly" good and you sell a few.
What have you just sold to someone else? Think about it.
Grumpy.
grumpy":350cf7nq said:
Thanks for the reply Grumpy and yes I've planned on keeping a couple does for myself out of this fine doe.
grumpy":350cf7nq said:
That's a great perspective and I agree. She did end up kindling late on her 33rd day to 7 healthy kits. Been checking them the last couple of days and their bellies look close to bursting! But all these piggies are headed to market, as you said I couldn't sell these to some as breeding stock but in freezer bags.... :mrgreen:
