FINALLY! Kits after years of none - Update: Losses
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Deer Heart
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Marinea":2m3la9c8 said:
I just placed kits from nest #2 in with mom #1... took the pics below of the babies just before the move... they look real pitiful. They are thrashing like crazy so pics are a bit blurry and haven't stopped making noises since yesterday evening...
They're almost exactly the same size still as when they were born... less than 1/4th the size of what litter #1 is... half the size they were when they were this age... (these are about 5 days old now... sure don't look it aside from the fuzz...)
I hate to even consider doing this to doe #1... but is it possible for her to take on this entire litter in addition to her 5? (which are 9 days old today) I know she only has 8 nipples but it's been 5 days and doe #2 still has no milk, no interest in babies, and has gone off food since kindling. The only thing I can get her to touch right now is calf manna and water... I have no idea what else to do... doe #2 even seems more mellow than usual too. I caught her "dead bunnying" all day to the point she even fooled a fly that kept trying to crawl into her mouth.
-- Mon Sep 07, 2015 10:30 am --
At lassssst... after 5 days. I was topping off everyone's water bottles and switched the nests back for the day. I noticed Mom #2 had finally eaten her normal pellets (I was starting to worry about her too). I turned my back to put water in the bucks' bottle and heard an ungodly choir of screams from doe #2's cage. I look over and she hopped into the nest. Then stayed there. I waited quietly for her to finish of her own accord and rush back (giving her her calf manna and parsley treat). Butterballs! After 5 days, her milk finally came in.
All is well now.Attachments
Glad to hear that they are doing well now. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to do for the best.
Deer Heart
Well-known member
MaggieJ":3mywuon8 said:
Yeah, especially when the doe in question is your favorite and you fear something may be wrong with her too. She wasn't eating much at all, just sucking down water. I was so relieved to see that she finally ate today - the milk was just the icing on the cake! (mom #1 wouldn't even feed the runts this morning, it seems like she avoided the nest as babies went back - still skinny - the thinnest baby even crawled to the outer edges of the nest and was going cold - they were clearly crawling off to die at this point.)
Looking back, I think my intervention wasn't at all needed and may have impeded the situation completely. Aw well, you live and learn. Fingers crossed for the skinniest
-- Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:04 pm --
Welp, smallest baby died today. It was too little too late for them. At least growing pup ate well.
-- Sun Sep 13, 2015 4:34 pm --
Lost another baby today from MDew (nest #2). This one wasn't her fault, apparently a strand of hay bent just right and somehow wrapped around their throat. I thought for sure it was string at first because I had to unwrap it from their neck like one - nope. A long strand of orchard hay. I have never seen nor heard of that happening. I have heard of fibers like string from blankets/towels or "bedding material" made of cotton (sold at pet stores) doing that but this is a first time I've ever heard of it with hay.
-- Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:55 pm --
Another one bit the dust today. It looked like it was covered in pee around its genitals and tail. I'm down to 5 from this litter now.... 9 born, 1 doa, 1 died on day 5, 1 died yesterday, and 1 today. Almost half of MDew's litter has died at this time. <br /><br /> -- Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:12 pm -- <br /><br /> 3 more of MDew's kits died in the last 24 hrs only 2 survivors and one suddenly grew twice as big as the other. It's creepy. I wound up pulling last two as there's signs she's been urinating on her babies. 2 look trampled as well.
Sorry your having such troubles. I wish I had some good advice to give but I don't. I hope it gets better for you soon.
Sali":1ctcmtxo said:
UGH. Sounds familiar
We had two litters in the last few weeks.
Litter 1: 1 DOA and 3 healthy--all of which died within 48 hrs because our doe had no milk
Litter 2: 1 DOA that I had to forcibly remove from the doe and then another 1 DOA 24 hrs later.
Litter 3: these were older kits but have been dropping like flies I think because of a sh*t bale of moldy hay from the feed store. Out of the 7 that I had, I have 1 left alive.
Sooooooo frustrating!!! I feel for you. I've been doing the pacing and the intervening and the fretting and it seems like nothing helps.
Our only small light at the end of the tunnel is that we did have a litter 4 and so far (knock on wood) we have 7 healthy kits and it's day 9.....fingers crossed.
Deer Heart
Well-known member
I may have finally figured out my issues. I contacted the breeder and apparently my rabbits were a LOT yonger than I thought and my maths also contributed. Basically my buck and one or two does only JUST this month turned 6 Months. :| Oops. I was trying to breed them as early as 4 months old without realizing. Could this explain the difficulty with Mountain Dew who was also a younger doe as well as Mellow Yellow who, just last night, had yet another miscarriage (she had this one right in front of me, she was giving birth to several preemie fetuses which were clearly dead. She was due in exactly one more week)
The younger age shouldn't really be the problem. Several breeders on RT have bred does at 4 months of age without any problems (in fact some have reported that they went on to be excellent mothers).
For now, I would just chalk it up to first-time mother woes and try again. If she has similar issues the second time, I would consider it a strike against her.
Sorry you are having a difficult time. I know it's frustrating.
For now, I would just chalk it up to first-time mother woes and try again. If she has similar issues the second time, I would consider it a strike against her.
Sorry you are having a difficult time. I know it's frustrating.
