Common causes of kit loss?

[CaffeinatedBunnies]

I've been seeing comments here and there by the more experienced RT folks relating how they have been able to improve kit survival dramatically with time and practice. In the hopes of getting a head start on the learning curve I'm curious what the more common causes of kit loss are? I've seen cold mentioned several times but are there others that come to mind?

Happy Saturday!
-CB

 

[Marinea]

First time doe mother. That's a big one- kits born on the wire, kits over cleaned, kits not fed.

 

[HansenHomestead]

The only reason I had lost kits with my first time does was the fact that they accidentally stepped on them when entering the nest to feed. I honestly really lucked out, and had no issues with my first timers.

 

[ladysown]

what have i done to minimize kit loss?

1. bred against poor mothers. My philosophy is.... if EVERYONE else in the rabbitry is doing their job and one doe isn't... I don't keep her around... poor mothers beget poor mothers unless a fluke happens. Anytime I've extended goodwill it's bit me in the butt.

2. tracked breedings. if a certain buck throws unthrifty kits I don't keep him. It's easy enough to tell if you keep good records. if a doe throws unthrifty kits regardless of the buck used, she doesn't stay in my rabbitry.

3. breed against poor health.

4. giving does nestboxes when they ask for them...even if it's a full week and a half before their due date. I also take them away when they ask for it. Early askers tend to kindle early.

5. tipping nestboxes early. Once their eyes are open, regardless of the weather, I tip the box. This minimizes my losses due to young explorers leaving the nestbox and not being able to get back in. In the winter I'll stuff the front of the box full of straw

common kits losses
- kits dragged out of boxes
- poor mothers -- this is maybe for me once a year
- dead kits due to prolonged labour
- doe eating all the bedding the night she's due so kits have nothing beyond a bit of fur to keep them warm. Sometimes this is doe failure, sometimes this was lack of owner double checking before going to bed.
- winter losses due to smaller than expected litters from a larger breed doe.
- nestbox eye that doesn't correct itself over three days.

 

[Ramjet]

Kits dragged out of the nest box is the #1 killer here .... Nothing else comes close. In fact I've lost only three rabbits to something else ... ever.

One to heat issues after weaning , One I had to put down because of malocclusion and the other due to bloating , both were well over 16 weeks.

knock on wood.

 

[Zass]

Lots of good advice here.
I've never actually lost a litter to a first time doe. Breed only good mothers to get more good mothers.
The more fuss a doe needs to keep a litter alive, the less you should consider keeping any kits out of her for future brood stock.
Bucks can still pass on genetics that affect does, so don't think you can bypass poor mothering lines by keeping only bucks from them.

I have lost a few kits to being pulled out of the box in winter. To prevent that (and give me more time with babies) I bring my boxes inside for the first two weeks during winter months.

Some have lost babies to nestboxes being too large and comfy. If a doe sleeps in the box, she can smother the babies, or else just physically prevent then from huddling up and keeping warm. They can't cuddle her for warmth...They need each other.

Later, keep in mind that weanlings and younger kits can be infinity more sensitive than adults when it comes to new feeds.
Never switch feeds on weanlings if at all possible.
Do not suddenly decide that they are not growing fast enough at 6 weeks and start giving them richer food. I have seen more than one breeder do this, and then lose babies, or cost themselves weeks of growth after a round of diahrea.

If you are raising for meat it's almost always best to finish them on what they start on.

 

[Rainey]

All our losses have been in the first few days--sometimes a doa or a kit that just doesn't seem to thrive even when the doe seems to have milk, everyone else doing fine. We had one doe we'd kept to breed and she lost her first litter--kindled on the wire last "spring" when winter just wouldn't quit. Then her second litter, 11 kits, she lost 7. She was culled then.
But I haven't been concerned about does that lose one or 2 if the remaining litter is at least 7. Do other people cull for that? One other first timer lost 2 out of her first litter of 6 but after that kindled 13 and raised 12, kindled 11 and raised 9. And the other that we're keeping to breed another season kindled 9 raised 7, kindled 9 raised 8 and kindled 7 and raised them all. When experienced folks on here speak of breeding for health and good mothering, do you expect no losses or are some losses to be expected or should we be working toward no doa kits, no losses in the nest box?

 

[ladysown]

culling for poor mothering means

1. lost litter (kindled on wire, peed on kits, dug out box etc)
2. losing more than half the litter without there being external factors at play
3. no milk or won't feed kits
4. overcleaning TWO litters of kits
5. kits not thriving for more than one litter USING A DIFFERENT BUCK even though she has milk
6. Does that needs to be fussed with. I have one doe right now, out of a doe who would kindle on the wire (after building a great nest), exactly like her mother. I'm keeping her until spring when she'll be removed from my herd. New owner will be advised that she kindles well in SOLID BOTTOMED cages. I know three people who are already interested in her who exclusively use solid bottomed cages with their does. For now she uses my guinea pig cages for kindling and when the litter is two weeks old I transfer the lot into a wire bottomed cage littered with straw for one week. She does well with that. Her kits are gorgeous little beasties and ALL go into pet homes.

 

[Dakota]

@ladysown
Wow, I need to see how #5 works for me, sounds like it could save me some trouble!

My own experences have led me to put the nestbox in five days before the due date and I make a nest with cardboard nesting supplies on the bottom and hay on top. This has made a diffrence in how many kits my moms end up keeping. Sometimes because it stops them from eating the nesting materials, other times the cardboard mixed with the fur makes a stronger "wall" to the nest so kits don't spread out and get cold, and sometimes my does don't cover the kits too well and the packed nestbox has helped to keep the kits warm (out of direct wind and such).

Another tip I would mention is that if your doe is in a cage besides your buck, put the nestbox on the other side of the cage if possible. I had a doe who got very territorial of her nest and ended up squashing her litter because she hopped in so often to defend her kits from him.

I also lost 4 kits recently to a rat attack so if you think it may help you out, maybe place down a few rat traps? I'm sure its not a precation everyone needs to take but I'll suggest it anyways.

If I think of more I'll come back c:

 

[michaels4gardens]

I might add -- not keeping the does cage very clean, if I am not very careful to keep the pee corners, free of built up poop and hay, the incidence of Coccidiosis, and other enteritis, will be greatly increased.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Something I strongly suggest to my buyers - and I believe it's implied in most of the responses - is that you have to keep good records. Can't make good breeding and culling decisions based on guesses or feelings.

Once you've got the facts, then make your decisions based on facts. Then, if you make a conscious decision to keep an under-performer because he or she is a "favorite".... well, it's yours to do.

We've been able to improve our group of brood does to the point that just about our only losses are those kits that hang on and get drug out of the nest box. We keep an eye out for that the first two or three days after kindling. If you catch one out on the wire in time, it can usually just be put back in the box with the rest of the litter and get warmed back up. Seems that if they get past the first two or three days without being drug out then it's not likely to happen after that.

But to circle back around and emphasize what the other folks have said, most of your kits' survival depends on the quality of your does.

Best of luck to you!