Ella kindled, but....

Rabbit Talk  Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ColdBrook

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Location
Pennyslvania
Five are big healthy looking live black kits. One large black kit is dead and two (maybe three?) tiny pink popples came out too. One was whole, one was not. What do you think went wrong? I'm pretty shaken up. Ella pulled TONS of fur and she's up there panting, bloody and looking utterly exhausted. What can I do to help her recover? I'm not sure if she has delivered them all or is just taking a break after these 8 but I'd say she's likely done. She had 8 the last litter too. She was bred to my silver fox buck, Sullivan. This is his first litter for me.
 
You may have kits of different ages, the large dead one may have been stuck for a while. Offer her some gatorade, some calcium rich food, and of course, dispose of the dead kits. If you have some raspberry canes/leaves. let her have asmall amount, to help expell anything that may be left behind.
Let her rest--she needs it.
 
Thanks Frosted. I took her up a Tums, made sure she has lots of fresh water, disposed of the dead kits and am keeping an eye on the ones that made it. They seem to be doing great. I don't like the way Ella's still laying there panting hours later but she did just deliver a load of babies, so I'm sure she has every reason to be exhausted. This weather is not the best...today 80, tomorrow severe storms and temps dropping. A high of 60 tonight but a high in the 30s tomorrow night and 20s the next night.

I'm not sure why she would have kits of different ages as my rabbits are cage kept and she was only in with the buck one evening, and the next morning, then not anywhere near him or his cage since. I'm wondering what all these little black babies will look like in 2 weeks. She's a REW NZ doe and he's a Silver Fox.
 
Sometimes the fetuses will stop developing for one reason or another. Some animals will abort them, but others just deliver at the same time.

I don't like the sound of this "panting hours later"... it could be the heat, but maybe not. Why don't you giver her some Gatorade or other electrolytic solution, and see if that is helpful.

When my (now sold) goats deliver their kids, I give them warm water with molassess mixed in, and they suck it down blindingly fast. She might enjoy something like that too.

What a terrible swing in the weather you are about to have! :x Enjoy today while you can!

I hope Ella feels better soon.
 
MSD, Thanks so much for the tips. I do believe I have another goat due to deliver within the next few days so I'll keep the water and molasses tip in mind, too. I'll see if I can get Ella to drink some Gatorade or water with molasses and hopefully it will revive her a bit, along with the temps lowering as the sun gets blown out of the sky by the crazy wind we're having!<br /><br />__________ Fri Apr 19, 2013 11:47 am __________<br /><br />Ella and the Fortunate Five are doing great today. They all look like their Daddy, I think...wonder if they'll get the Silver Fox silvering or not since they're half NZ? Since she only has five instead of her usual 8 to raise, should I breed her a little earlier than I might otherwise, do you think, or is five still a big enough litter it will take a lot out of her to nurse them? I don't want to stress her out.

It looks like we're soon to have more popples, too. Ella's daughter, Chloe, has pulled half her fur out I think, and is frantically building herself a beautiful nest today! I'm hoping for some colors from this kindling. A red doe would be nice but my custom orders never seem to work right!

Poppy has been running around with mouthfuls of hay over the last week so it looks like all three of them took this time. Wish me luck as Poppy and Chloe are first timers, but they are out of Ella, who successfully raised her first litter of 8 with no problems at all so I'm hoping Ella passed along her good mama traits.

The only one who apparently didn't take was Summer, my silver fox doe. She's not shown any sign at all that she's bred and just lazes around her cage thinking she's Cleopatra and should be catered to constantly, but not touched or she'll go all frantic and ballistic!

Aren't rabbits fun?!
 
Glad to hear she feels better today! Congratulations! I hope Chloe and Poppy do great and give you nice healthy popples! :)
 
it sounds like she had a rough time whatever your normal time to breed back, I might give her an extra couple of days unless she "bounces back". Make sure she is in condition.
 
Back
Top