doe keeps uncovering kits

[CochinBrahmaLover]

So Dolly's kits are 8 days old now. She kept uncovering them to groom them (I assume) but they lost a lot of fur (in the nest) and staying uncovered concerned me. But I'd just cover them back up, and as they got fur, I got less worried.

Well, I shouldn't have I came home late today, and saw Molly had pulled fur, so I wanted to leave that area (Molly and Dolly are near each other) alone. Well I checked real quick and saw the kits separated from each other, and uncovered, again. One was alive but I'm afraid the other is dead.

What do I do? It's a week old, holland lop, single kit. It can't be left in he nest box alone, can it? There's not a lot of fur left. I could pluck more from the doe,but she's pretty bald now. And the other doe is having her own litter. I've got 2 bucks, can I pluck fur from them? Ones a silver fox so he's got a lot of fur....

Is it normal for a doe to groom the kits so much and uncover them? Do you think it's just because she's a first timer?

 

[grumpy]

A doe doesn't have the wherewithal, nor instincts', to cover or uncover a
litter. The youngster's are doing that themselves. A doe cleans/licks the
birthing fluids and blood from a newborn litter. Beyond that, she cares less
about their overall condition.

Some does "EAT" their young....I beg to differ..."a little"...LOL.
It's my belief that when a doe cleans a youngster after its birth, they
sometimes get carried away and continue ""cleaning"". When, in actuality,
they are consuming the youngster alive. This may or may not become a
pattern.

grumpy.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I've seen her sitting by the nestbox either grooming them or eating the fur out of the nest. Why she'd eat the fur out of the nest, no idea.

But I've seen her hop over and stick her face in the nest box, uncovering them, and then leave them uncovered.

All of the babies were healthy looking, no signs of being bit or over grooming.

 

[Prisma]

Kits have to wriggle around and cover themselves back up, mom's don't cover their kids back up. A single kit, even with fur, cannot hold its own body temp even in a good nest in my experience. I'd either bring the kit in and then take it out to mom once a day for feeding or bring her in (if she's comfortable enough to do that that is). I stick with bringing the kid in and out if I have to do this, even with a heated barn I still worry about exposure with the singletons.

 

[Miss M]

I have a doe that I've seen uncover, nurse, and then recover her kits. I think it's unusual, though.

I have another doe that I've seen eat fur from her nest.

But the kits could be uncovering themselves and wandering.

You can use fur from bucks.

With only one baby left in a nest, you need to bring it's nest inside and find ways to keep it warm. You can put it partially on a heating pad on the low setting (most recent ones don't stay on, though), or you can use a heated water bottle (or uncooked rice) in a sock, that sort of thing.

 

[Zass]

I've have does who will pull extra fur to cover them back up if necessary. I even had one pull hair to make a "blanket" over fully furred out kits who were sleeping in a pile outside the nestbox. :lol:

 

[Easy Ears]

A doe doesn't have the wherewithal, nor instincts', to cover or uncover a
litter. The youngster's are doing that themselves.

Kits have to wriggle around and cover themselves back up, mom's don't cover their kids back up.

Sorry...but I don't think so. :| Sorry Rebel, and grumpy, don't mean to be rude, but I agree with Zass on this one.
My doe has pulled fur to recover her babies in the nest box. It was really hot outside, so I kept uncovering them during the day, (I took them inside when it got REALLY hot. ) but my doe would just pull new fur and spread it over them like a little blanket. I think some does are just smarter than others.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

my other doe kindled today. 4 kits. 3 dead, out of the nest. Can I put the older kit (1 week) with the smaller kit (1 day)? The other doe made a WONDERFUL nest. Lots of fur! Not sure why only one kit was in the nest they're both first timers. The other kit is doing very well in the nest, however I am concerned that it won't do so well forever.

Both does are indoors. I've already moved the week old kit under a heat lamp, and just holding the doe for him to nurse.