Last night I checked the babies, all seemed fine, but a few hours later, I found a dead kit in the nest. It was still sloppy with a puffy belly, not at all like the few kits I've had that died of milk deprivation. :? It sounded airy when I tapped on it. I didn't feel like messing with dead ones right then, so I just gave it to the dog.
Then I found a chilled kit lost in the nest this morning. I warmed it up and put it back, and after a while I flipped the doe so the skinny chilled one could eat, but he was too weak. I checked the nest right after she fed her litter, and I noticed his belly was puffy with the hollow airy sound. I tapped a couple other kits bellies to see if theirs sounded the same, but nope. Couple hours later, the kit died, so I pulled it open to have a look, and just as I'd thought, it's stomach is all full of air.
I've not had tiny baby kits die like this before (or any, for that matter), and two at once is making me wonder what's up. :/ There's been no change of feed for the mammas and I'm using the same nesting materials I usually use. The only thing unusual lately is a whole lot of smoke from all the fires.
Then I found a chilled kit lost in the nest this morning. I warmed it up and put it back, and after a while I flipped the doe so the skinny chilled one could eat, but he was too weak. I checked the nest right after she fed her litter, and I noticed his belly was puffy with the hollow airy sound. I tapped a couple other kits bellies to see if theirs sounded the same, but nope. Couple hours later, the kit died, so I pulled it open to have a look, and just as I'd thought, it's stomach is all full of air.
I've not had tiny baby kits die like this before (or any, for that matter), and two at once is making me wonder what's up. :/ There's been no change of feed for the mammas and I'm using the same nesting materials I usually use. The only thing unusual lately is a whole lot of smoke from all the fires.
