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Shara

Shara

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She is dead. She had a uterine prolapse while deliveriong, and there are eight newborns in the nest!

Can I get Spooky to feed these guys you think? I will weanm the kits she has on her...and what should I feed her to get her enough calories?
 
all you can do is try. I would definately try, but given her previous behavior I wouldn't expect too much. Feed her fat and protein and calories--I would use BOSS because I have it, but I have heard others say calf manna, and undoubtedly you have oatmeal...the point is to get rich food into her so that she can maintain weight while making milk. If she hasn't dried up, and she accepts the kits, it wont be much greater drain on her than a normal litter...
 
Oh, no, Shara! Just saw this... I'm so sorry.

Certainly try to get Spooky to feed them... It's their best chance. I'd remove her own litter and wait a few hours, then try putting in the new nest box. She will know the difference, but she may feed them anyway. Better chance of it, I think, if her milk is putting a bit of pressure on her teats.

You will want to feed Spooky up if she takes them on, but that can wait until you catch your breath. You could start with some kitchen oatmeal (like Quaker Old Fashioned) if you have it.

Between you, Paula and Eco2pia, this has been a tough week in the North West.
 
Ugh. And thats what I get for making plans. Thanks guys. Since I offed her,it would be appropriate to consume her, right? I don't want to sound morbid, but I'd hate to waste her...She kindled all the kits, but must have had issues once they were born, her uterus full of placenta was hanging out. :( So is this because she was bred early? I mean, its happened to me before, when I bred a doe back at two weeks when I was a younger kid.

Is this a genbetic thing? Whats up? I will quit the early breed back if thats what the problem is...oph, and guess what? My buck escaped when I found her. :( I caught him again, and fixed the cage issue that allowed him out.
 
With Spooky's previous history with Maple's kits, I'd put some vanilla on her nose first, for sure!

Maybe discard Maple's nest, split Spooky's between the two litters, and fill in with fresh hay. Anything to help those kits not smell like Maple.

So sorry you lost Maple, Shara! It sure has been quite a week on here for lost does! :(
 
I wouldn't dump the whole nest, but anything that has 'scent' especially wet litter/hay. but I have had good success by mixing the hair, and pulling the dirty litter from the foster moms box and putting that down as the top layer,

++ on using something like vanilla, or Mentholatum/vicks vapor rub,
you can even mix the older kits in with the new ones (help keep them warm too) to get some of the scent on them, newborns are pretty much scent free.
 
Oh my gosh, Shara! I'm sorry to hear this! I think everyone here has given you great advice. I wish I had something to offer. I would definitely use her old nest material as a layer.

I can tell you that the prolapse wasn't because of genetics or early breedback. Her dam was on a 2 week breedback until I lost her in December and the breeder that I got her from was on a 2 week breeding schedule. I wish I did know what would cause one.
 
figures. And she was totally healthy, too, if a smidge on the tubby side. lungs looked awesome, liver looked awesome...but she prolapsed. My heart is broken. I am pretty sure her litter will die. There are brokens in this litter, too, which is what I want more of, :( . Ah phooey.

Well, rabbit for dinner next week...
 
Yeah, but, you got the babies, so, you can keep working the line.
and in the end thats what count's
guess you will have to save some for breeding stock
 
As long as you have milk,
that said, I very poor luck with hand feeding, I was told I lost them, because I downed them and that you have to just sit and wait for them to lick the drop out, and it has to be slow, but fast when they suck...

I got to the point where I pull the box during the day, and if the milk doe won't foster, I just bring her in and flip her and put the kits on manually while I watch TV, then she goes out again with the box and gets them, I probably could leave her nest box in, but I didn't want to have to check to see if she was full.
 
Just as a note, the only reason I suggested something as drastic as discarding Maple's nest, was that Spooky has killed Maple's kits before. If not for that, I never would have suggested that. :)
 
Spooky is puttin gup with being in the box, but these guys are little tiny things and weak...Hopefully that changes...I will continue trying, but I am not too hopeful. I think they may have been born too small, or perhaps the lack of colostrum...

ut then Spook is not known for having great milk production...she just happens to be the doe with a litter (Luna became very ill with diareah all over, and I pulled her litter and put it on Spooky, so she has three sets of kits on her right now). I feel like a total failure, even though I know this isn't my fault. :( Spooky is out of condition...I can never seem to keep her in condition when she is nursing. :(
 
Shara, this is not your fault. Animals are just like us in the sense that they're all different (if that doesn't sound like a total contradiction). You can't always know what is going to happen and when.

Those kits still have a fighting chance. And rabbits actually don't produce colostrum, so don't worry about that. I would get a small bag of calf manna to boost Spooky's milk production. There was one point I had to switch feed last fall because does were losing condition. Between the new feed and the calf manna, I had nursing does actually gain condition.

Wishing you the best of luck with this and some relaxing time!
 
Is she on free feed, consider giving her bread (pretty high in protein) and calf manna, along with BOSS, or ask around and find out who has a doe who can foster.
 

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