First time panicked momma

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Landofozrabbitry

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So I got home to find my californian doe had kindled out of box no nest very little fur, six healthy kits. Was about 40 degrees im sure i got to them in time though. Momma is jumping on them or just running over them. Once while I was grabbing them up and I'm sure there was more. Was wondering if anyone had suggestions for getting her safely acclimated to her kits?
 
Yeah, just keep the babies out of the nest box till she settles down a bit and starts figuring out what to do. One of the things you can do is gently pull fur from her chest and belly and start lining her nest. That might trigger what she should do and she'll pull for the nest. The important part is to keep the babies safe while her instincts kick in. Babies don't have to eat right away, sometimes mom's milk doesn't come in for over 24 hours, so don't panic about them not eating yet either. <br /><br /> -- Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:59 pm -- <br /><br /> Is she trying to nest in a different corner than what the box is in? Sometimes folks will just stuff a cage full of straw and let the doe pick where to "nest" if she's ignoring the box. Then after she's built her nest, they'll move the nest box to that corner and transfer kits and nest into it.
 
I have them on a pad for the past hour. Figured I'd try bringing them to her around dawn see what she does. Don't want to make any mistakes and lose one needlessly. <br /><br /> -- Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:05 pm -- <br /><br /> I put a bunch in this morning because I knew it was day 31, there was a lot of hay around. I have spare fur, plus
the little bit she pulled
 
I actually took two NB kits with me out of state when we were gone for a quick 24 hr trip... doe had started kindling, but was having trouble. Found one on the wire, another was in with the nesting material being tossed around as she dug and re arranged. Once she was done (a couple DOA in the box, then 4 live ones on the wire), she finally settled down and took care of them from then on out.
 
Ah, too old. Ok. Well, give the doe about a day after kindling to figure out what to do. If she doesn't you can always keep the nest you make with the babies in the house and take the box to her to feed once a day. That is best case scenario. Babies don't have to be in the cage with mom and they only feed once a day anyway.

Other scenario is she ignores her kits and doesn't figure out she's a mom and needs to nurse them. Two options--hand feed the kits (there is a formula recipe on RT) for several weeks, or you could dispatch them and rebreed the doe and try again. Many breeders on RT don't expect a first time mom to succeed with a litter, it's just too new to them. Many times, those breeders are pleasantly suprised.

So I'd just wait out the doe and if she seems done making a nest, make the nest for her, line it with lots of fur, and take her babies out to her tomorrow and see what happens.
 
I like to take my babies out twice a day to feed. I have a bunch of rat issues here so we always bring the babies in as soon as they are born anyway. My does all seem to accept this just fine. My guess is that her milk will come in and she'll want to feed them. I had a first time mom that was scared and I held her down so she couldn't scratch the babies and they nursed and from there on out she nursed just fine.
 
Guess I wait till morning. :bunnyhop: :gnight: <br /><br /> -- Sat Dec 05, 2015 6:49 am -- <br /><br /> Ugh......she destroyed the nest I made in the box and replaced it with a large pile of berries.
 
Maybe try English Spot's suggestion of stuffing her cage with straw or hay., and seeing if she makes a nest of her choosing. Also, you could try covering half her cage with a cloth or something to make it dark, and when you bring the kits out to feed you can put them in that area. When her milk comes in she may feel the need to nurse. I hope she comes around....
 
I've had good success with putting the doe in the nest and holding her to let the kits nurse. This was with does that made a nest and then hadn't nursed after 48 hrs though. In both cases, after a couple of tries, they figured out what to do and went on to raise the litter themselves.
 
I don't think her milk is in yet. Kits will try one then immediately look for another they are around 19 hours old I'd say maybe less so I'll try again in awhile. I have no idea of their nursing habits or how kits behave whike nursing since my other does are secretive and seasoned pros.
 
If there is quiet surroundings you will here "milk flowing" suckling sounds and the kits will hold on one tit for some time. But they do move around from tit to tit a lot. It is also possible that she has milk but is in stress so she is holding milk up. Have you felt her?
 
When I have assisted my runty kits with nursing I have seen milk around their mouth. It's super cute and let's you know it's there and they are at least pulling it out:)
 
Nika":35ry2d3b said:
If there is quiet surroundings you will here "milk flowing" suckling sounds and the kits will hold on one tit for some time. But they do move around from tit to tit a lot. It is also possible that she has milk but is in stress so she is holding milk up. Have you felt her?
Click to expand...
I don't know that I could feel the difference and know by touch if her milk was in. <br /><br /> -- Sat Dec 05, 2015 5:30 pm -- <br /><br /> I'm thinking she fed them today, but not 100 percent. If I posted pics of 24 hour old kits would it be obvious? I looked at the sticky thread. Still unsure.
 

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