FINALLY! Kits after years of none - Update: Losses

[Deer Heart]

I used to breed Rex's years and years ago. About 4 years ago, I had to sell them all (and eat what didn't sell) after becoming unemployed for nearly 2 years and not having enough money to feed them and myself anymore. I became employed again, but was too upset about the loss of my buns to do it right away again. I finally got over that after a year when the feed store had gorgeous meat mutts for sale $5 ea. Figured it couldn't hurt... except they were terrible mothers. They refused the buck and when he finally serviced them, they had babies on the wire and then rejected them after I got them warmed up and in the next box (one went as far as urinating all over her litter, when I got home they were saturated and sticky). I tried re-breedings for weeks off and on but they refused service time and time again to the point one of them would scream like she was dying the second I put her in with the buck. I culled them all and started over with my NZW. An adventure which was much better documented here... buck wouldn't breed... then became heat sterile... and finally...

I HAVE WIGGLERS!

:bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:​

After 5 years, I finally have kits in the nestbox where they belong with full tummies!

 

[MaggieJ]

:congratulations:

That's a long time to wait, but I'll bet you're smiling from ear to ear today!

 

[Deer Heart]

Oh you betcha! I got a better picture while I was counting um (5 little fuzz butts)

She did not cover them in fur, but it is also 85 out today so I'm assuming that's OK.

 

[MaggieJ]

What are your overnight temperatures going to be? If they will drop significantly, it might be a good idea to put a light covering of fur over the kits. The doe may do this herself . . . depending on her maternal instincts.

 

[rtower]

Congratulations Sali!

Those are fat, healthy kits.

Looks like your back in business. :clap: :clap2: :clap:

Randy

 

[Deer Heart]

What are your overnight temperatures going to be? If they will drop significantly, it might be a good idea to put a light covering of fur over the kits. The doe may do this herself . . . depending on her maternal instincts.

It should get to 74 at the lowest... but mostly hanging at around 77. Should I cover them with that? (the weather here does not cool off until late October)

 

[MaggieJ]

Sorry... I really can't advise you, A hot night here is around 70 degrees and I would cover them at that temperature. . . but really hot nights are outside my experience.

 

[imajpm]

I'd give them a light covering with an air hole in the middle, if the doe doesn't My nights can be 40 degrees while the day is 90 and my does *knocks on wood* all cover them up at night, then leave them uncovered during the day. Moderate days they have them just covered at the edges so that seems to be what they need lol. I usually check anyway to make sure. Congratulations on your pretty pink kits!

 

[macksmom98]

That's so exciting! Congrats

 

[alforddm]

Congratulations!

 

[Easy Ears]

She did not cover them in fur, but it is also 85 out today so I'm assuming that's OK.

lol, opposite of my DT doe. Last year it was around 90F if I remember correctly...(really hot) anyway, I unburied the kits to keep them cooler so that there was no fur on top of them. I come back to check on them about an hour or so later and fresh fur had been plucked and layered on top of them. :lol: My DT doe is such a good momma, but I had to break it to her that the kits weren't going to catch a chill. Hope my HL doe does as well...first time with her, and expecting kits in 2 weeks!

 

[3girls&1man]

Its a great feeling to go out and FINALLY see kits. I waited and had many heated talks with the buns lol.... Now they are on time everytime. Congrats

 

[Deer Heart]

Thank you all so much for the well wishes <3 the babies decided to spread out in the box but all are getting milk and look great so I left it. (updated picture is below of at least 2, the other 3 were under fluff.)

I have a problem though! While this one went well, I had another doe drop 9 last night but her delivery was far less smooth. She had 1 DOA and clearly had difficulty and had to pull babies out (one is missing half an ear and the other has a scab on it's right rump). (picture of this is provided below as well). She had the babies in the right location but has not fed a single one since last night. She just keeps stepping on them (If I approach the cage she paces at the door - which is normal for her - right over them) and didn't pull any fur at all and still hasn't. I'm not sure what to do. The doe I bred the same day as her for foster purposes failed to become pregnant and as you know my only other doe has much older kits at this point. The babies are very loud.

 

[TF3]

That is amazing! Congrats!

 

[Miss M]

Thank you all so much for the well wishes <3 the babies decided to spread out in the box but all are getting milk and look great so I left it. (updated picture is below of at least 2, the other 3 were under fluff.)

I have a problem though! While this one went well, I had another doe drop 9 last night but her delivery was far less smooth. She had 1 DOA and clearly had difficulty and had to pull babies out (one is missing half an ear and the other has a scab on it's right rump). (picture of this is provided below as well). She had the babies in the right location but has not fed a single one since last night. She just keeps stepping on them (If I approach the cage she paces at the door - which is normal for her - right over them) and didn't pull any fur at all and still hasn't. I'm not sure what to do. The doe I bred the same day as her for foster purposes failed to become pregnant and as you know my only other doe has much older kits at this point. The babies are very loud.

You could give her some parsley to help stimulate milk production.

You might be able to remove some fur from the other doe's nest and give it to these babies, if there's some that's pretty clean.

If there's no other place the nest box can fit in her cage, you may need to keep it inside for a little while, taking it out to her twice a day, until they're bigger and a little better able to handle being stepped on.

:clover:

 

[Deer Heart]

Thank you all so much for the well wishes <3 the babies decided to spread out in the box but all are getting milk and look great so I left it. (updated picture is below of at least 2, the other 3 were under fluff.)

I have a problem though! While this one went well, I had another doe drop 9 last night but her delivery was far less smooth. She had 1 DOA and clearly had difficulty and had to pull babies out (one is missing half an ear and the other has a scab on it's right rump). (picture of this is provided below as well). She had the babies in the right location but has not fed a single one since last night. She just keeps stepping on them (If I approach the cage she paces at the door - which is normal for her - right over them) and didn't pull any fur at all and still hasn't. I'm not sure what to do. The doe I bred the same day as her for foster purposes failed to become pregnant and as you know my only other doe has much older kits at this point. The babies are very loud.

You could give her some parsley to help stimulate milk production.

You might be able to remove some fur from the other doe's nest and give it to these babies, if there's some that's pretty clean.

If there's no other place the nest box can fit in her cage, you may need to keep it inside for a little while, taking it out to her twice a day, until they're bigger and a little better able to handle being stepped on.

:clover:

As of this morning she still has not fed a single baby or pulled any fur at all. I tried giving Calf Manna to give her a boost but she seems completely disinterested in her babies. I moved the nest box back a little so shes not stomping them but the babies look quite thin (they look about as big around as their heads.) I know they say it can take 48 hrs but it looks terrible after just 24 :|

 

[BlueHaven]

My does milk did not come in for three days. I did give her some parsley on day two, so I don't know if that's what helped. But by day three they were still alive, and by day four I knew they were going to be ok. It took that long. Can you put a towel on your lap, and put the babies down in there (between your thighs) and hold her over them and see if they will suck? That or flip her over and put a baby or two ( you will need help) on her teats that way?

 

[Deer Heart]

My does milk did not come in for three days. I did give her some parsley on day two, so I don't know if that's what helped. But by day three they were still alive, and by day four I knew they were going to be ok. It took that long. Can you put a towel on your lap, and put the babies down in there (between your thighs) and hold her over them and see if they will suck? That or flip her over and put a baby or two ( you will need help) on her teats that way?

Instead, I placed her in the nestbox (I could clearly see babies latching onto her) and stroked her gently on the forehead, she looked under herself a few times and even seemed to be grooming one or two.... but unfortunately 100% empty tummies even after 15 min of this. Not a drop of milk and after removing nestbox for a better look at babies, mother apparently lifted to pee all down one corner of the nestbox (it was dripping urine). Baby with the half missing ear had all the blood cleaned up at some point (before I held her to feed). I think her milk is just really late. How long is too long? Babies are covered in light fuzz now and although they were very noisy yesterday well into the night they are completely silent today and are simply just trying to escape the nestbox (nuzzling hay, digging, even starting to climb wire).


I'm double worried because it rained very violently today while I was at work (it made Erika look like a joke.... horizontal rain, even bent the chainlink duck pen inwards) and although my cages are covered, nest box #1 was soaked (really skilled horizontal rain... all rainy season this has never happened... ofc now that there's babies it magically gravitates over a foot into pen). Bunnies were nice and warm - but wet! So warm and sticky. I had to pull the materials from nest#1 and give fresh hay - so now none of my nests have pulled fur whatsoever.

 

[Marinea]

For the fur, I have used dryer lint with good results.

As to the milk, in your position I would likely remove both does' nest boxes and try alternating at least one day's feedings between the two litters with the doe that has milk. I would keep trying to check milk production on the other doe as well. Also, parsley.

 

[Deer Heart]

For the fur, I have used dryer lint with good results.

As to the milk, in your position I would likely remove both does' nest boxes and try alternating at least one day's feedings between the two litters with the doe that has milk. I would keep trying to check milk production on the other doe as well. Also, parsley.

How much parsley? People keep saying it and I already gave her about a tablespoon in a dish (she didn't eat much that I could tell though)

Guess I need to run a load of laundry then, that sounds like it should work. Anything else in case that is not enough for both litters, or should they be fine? Neither litter seems cold to me (babies are very warm to the touch in both nests)

hmm, that seems like it might work @ rotating nests but nest #1 is afixed permanently to the bottom of the cage (it is a burrow type wire nest) the only reason nest #2 isn't is because I have to flip the cage fronts so feeder isn't in front of it and with move that's really just OCD nitpicking talking that can wait till after my move.