Hi, this is my first post and I would really appreciate some input form some more experienced rabbit breeders. I recently got my first pair or New Zealands to start raising a few meat rabbits for my personal use. The doe was already pregnant when I bought her. When I brought her home, she hardly ever seemed to eat or drink. She did nibble a bit on her hay, but never touched her pellets (the same pellets her breeder had fed her, and the buck ate them happily).
Anyway, she somehow stayed alive and did have 5 kits, and what I had feared came true: within one week she must have eaten 2 babies since they were just gone, and the other 3 had died. She does seem to have just a bit more appetite since the day she gave birth. She likes fresh green grass, nibbles on carrots, and at least seemed to try some of the pellets on occasion, but still nothing like the buck or like what I've read and heared they "should" be eating to be able to nurse a litter.
My question is if anyone has experience with a rabbit that just doesn't seem to eat enough, but otherwise seems fine. At first I thought it was just stress, but her appetite just doesn't seem to improve much. I'm debating whether or not to keep her and try breeding her again and give her another chance now that she's settled in her new home. If she doesn't start eating more then I'm just afraid I'll lose her next litter as well. The alternative is that I'll make her into my first rabbit stew...
Anyway, she somehow stayed alive and did have 5 kits, and what I had feared came true: within one week she must have eaten 2 babies since they were just gone, and the other 3 had died. She does seem to have just a bit more appetite since the day she gave birth. She likes fresh green grass, nibbles on carrots, and at least seemed to try some of the pellets on occasion, but still nothing like the buck or like what I've read and heared they "should" be eating to be able to nurse a litter.
My question is if anyone has experience with a rabbit that just doesn't seem to eat enough, but otherwise seems fine. At first I thought it was just stress, but her appetite just doesn't seem to improve much. I'm debating whether or not to keep her and try breeding her again and give her another chance now that she's settled in her new home. If she doesn't start eating more then I'm just afraid I'll lose her next litter as well. The alternative is that I'll make her into my first rabbit stew...