as someone who actively breeds against nestbox eye I can definitively say
1. give doe one more chance... bred to a different buck. If litter has any with nestbox eye, don't bother with her.
2. DO NOT keep any kit who gets nestbox eye at all.. even a mild case. Just don't do it.. you'll just breed it into your herd.
I used to get entire litters with bad eyes WITH cleaning boxes out.
NOW.. i get the odd case WITHOUT cleaning boxes out.
WHY?
I don't keep kits with bad eyes. and I cull does who do it twice. If the whole litter is bad except for one, I keep none of them and breed the doe to a different buck.
I have two does currently.. both first time moms. Both from the same lines.
One .. the kits are great, the other... the kits are weak and half of them have nasty eyes. Guess which doe stays? The other I doubt I'll even give her a second chance. Same sized litters. Same sized does. Different bucks used but since both bucks produce similar kits I don't really consider that a factor. Though if I do keep her I'll be switching the buck used.
Bad eyes can turn okay with four times a day care...without medication. Just open them, clean off the eye, and at the most I put a damp fruit based tea bag over it for a couple minutes and then let mom have at 'em. She'll clean that eye better than I would.
1. give doe one more chance... bred to a different buck. If litter has any with nestbox eye, don't bother with her.
2. DO NOT keep any kit who gets nestbox eye at all.. even a mild case. Just don't do it.. you'll just breed it into your herd.
I used to get entire litters with bad eyes WITH cleaning boxes out.
NOW.. i get the odd case WITHOUT cleaning boxes out.
WHY?
I don't keep kits with bad eyes. and I cull does who do it twice. If the whole litter is bad except for one, I keep none of them and breed the doe to a different buck.
I have two does currently.. both first time moms. Both from the same lines.
One .. the kits are great, the other... the kits are weak and half of them have nasty eyes. Guess which doe stays? The other I doubt I'll even give her a second chance. Same sized litters. Same sized does. Different bucks used but since both bucks produce similar kits I don't really consider that a factor. Though if I do keep her I'll be switching the buck used.
Bad eyes can turn okay with four times a day care...without medication. Just open them, clean off the eye, and at the most I put a damp fruit based tea bag over it for a couple minutes and then let mom have at 'em. She'll clean that eye better than I would.
