Handling kits?

[quintex]

My Polish doe kindled today and I was wondering: 1) how much handling is appropriate and 2) can I take the nest box out of the cage entirely when I need to check on them?

She had 1 black and 2 broken blacks. Also, I need to learn how to palpate because when I palpated at around 12-13 days I couldn't feel anything :bash:.

 

[MaggieJ]

You can certainly remove the nest box to do a thorough kit check. Just give the doe a nice treat like a slice of apple or a few dandelion leaves if she is upset about it. Most people seem to check the kits daily - a thorough check and count at the beginning and then a more casual check daily, just to make sure all is well. Brief daily handling will not harm the kits, except perhaps in the coldest winter weather when you might want to minimize how often you open the nest. And even that may not apply to you, living as you do in Texas.

 

[akane]

I check them all and the nest to remove any dead kits as soon as I find them. Then I just pull out a random kit or 2 every day to see if they are getting fed. You can remove the whole box if you need to or to check all the kits over. Most of my rabbits are in colonies so removing the whole nest is usually not possible. Some does I do have to block with my leg or a feed scoop because they are protective of their kits but I've never had one so stressed by it that anything bad happened.

 

[ladysown]

i check everyone daily, twice a day for the first week. then once a day thereafter every day until they are five weeks old. I have a whole thing that I do to help ensure calm, easily handled kits. Doesn't work for every rabbit, but works for 90% of them.

 

[BoxerMom]

I check my kits two or three times a day and weigh then once a day for the first week. After that I still check on them several times a day, but then I only weigh them once a week. For the first few weeks it is a lot easier to take the whole nestbox out, as I have devil does who try to kill me when I stick my hands in to get the kits.

 

[quintex]

Thanks! This being my first litter I'm having keep myself from checking TOO much.

I removed the nestbox to count and it's actually 6 -- 2 blacks and 4 broken blacks.