Cull or keep?

[Tegan]

Here's my conundrum. I have a taken all my rabbits out of the colony and put them in homemade hutches. My rex doe (Grumpy) had a litter in the colony just before I moved her....while still in the colony the nest "exploded" and all kits died. We had growouts in the colony at the time too (we normally did though) and so I don't know if it was the fault of one of the growouts or Grumpy's fault. The new hutches I have Grumpy on one side (who had a litter on Thursday) and the other side is growouts. There is a gap at the top that I didn't think anyone would be able to cross. (WRONG!) They were fine in there for over a month. So, Grumpy has her litter on Thursday and all is fine...Friday one kit is dead. I head out of town on Friday night and have someone to come feed them on Saturday. I did not have her check the kits because Grumpy doesn't know her and I wanted to stress her out as little as possible. Sunday I come home and one of the growouts is on Grumpys side of the hutch (somehow got up and through the hole between the two hutches). All kits are dead in another "nest explosion". Grumpy and the growout are not fighting thankfully (no idea if the growout is a doe or buck....didn't check just moved it back where is belonged.)

So...here I'm left with a doe who's last two litters have died...not sure if she's neglected them or killed them or if it was just circumstance. I'm not planning to breed again until the fall. Would you, keep her and feed her until fall and try breeding again for a possible third strike? Cull her now and replace her with a growout? (Only one mouth to feed.) Keep her and feed her AND a growout to prep for her third strike and then cull depending on who raises the better litter? Cage space is limited, or it wouldn't be an issue.

 

[TMTex]

It sounds like Grumpy freaks out pretty easily. I'd breed her again and keep her separate from everyone as much as possible. She seems like she has good potential, but needs to be left alone until the kits are weaned. The kit deaths look like she's reacting to intrusions and not spontaneously stomping them.

Of course, if she gets a third strike, it's wasted feed for a season. It's you're call, but I'd try once more.

 

[Secuono]

I agree, put her in her own cage, protected from seeing any other rabbits or being able to get close to others.

 

[ladysown]

I'd cull and keep a growout..but I'm not much for feeding unproductive does for that long.

The cull out should be big enough to breed come fall. and saves you time over risking another dead litter.

 

[Tegan]

Yeah, she's had a bunch of successful litters (in the colony), but the last two exploded. So I can't see it being the colony fault...and this one she was in her own cage but had a "visitor" on accident. Hubby says cull her and keep a grow out. I think that's what I'm going to do. She's given me a BUNCH of litters and has been a mostly good mom, but also refuses to raise more then 7. So the next freezer camp day I'll do her too. I'm gonna keep one of the growouts from my flemish/rex litter and breed her back to the rex. I might also keep an eye out for some NZ or Cali blood to put into the herd. I wish that space wasn't so limited.