HELP! Doe had a kit 4 days early... We're in trouble.

[Mini Lop Mama]

My Mini Lop doe just had a single kit in the nesting box, first litter she's ever had. No nest. Thing was barely alive and I tried to revive it... No such luck. The doe is 8 months old and should be ready! She has A LOT more kits in her, I gently palpated her. Any ideas what I should do? Please help! Thank you so, so much!

 

[ladysown]

leave her be. Seriously. Sometimes things happen.
I've, over the past almost 20 years breeding rabbits, have seen does kindle over three days, pop out some early dead kits (what I thought was a miscarriage) and then go on to have a healthy litter of five (mini rex), have one stuck kit and go on to have three live the next day. Once I had a doe have 15 babies, and three days later pop out three more (meat rabbit, raised them all!). I've had a doe go blind (for whatever reason can't recall) and raise up her six kits just fine.

All that to say, just because she's popped out one doesn't mean all hope is lost. Watch, wait, BE PATIENT, and trust her to do her job.. and be there to help if something goes awry. At four days early you don't want to give her anything to encourage labour.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

leave her be. Seriously. Sometimes things happen.
I've, over the past almost 20 years breeding rabbits, have seen does kindle over three days, pop out some early dead kits (what I thought was a miscarriage) and then go on to have a healthy litter of five (mini rex), have one stuck kit and go on to have three live the next day. Once I had a doe have 15 babies, and three days later pop out three more (meat rabbit, raised them all!). I've had a doe go blind (for whatever reason can't recall) and raise up her six kits just fine.

All that to say, just because she's popped out one doesn't mean all hope is lost. Watch, wait, BE PATIENT, and trust her to do her job.. and be there to help if something goes awry. At four days early you don't want to give her anything to encourage labour.

But even if she hasn't pulled a nest? The kit was barely alive and I lost it while trying to revive the thing.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

leave her be. Seriously. Sometimes things happen.
I've, over the past almost 20 years breeding rabbits, have seen does kindle over three days, pop out some early dead kits (what I thought was a miscarriage) and then go on to have a healthy litter of five (mini rex), have one stuck kit and go on to have three live the next day. Once I had a doe have 15 babies, and three days later pop out three more (meat rabbit, raised them all!). I've had a doe go blind (for whatever reason can't recall) and raise up her six kits just fine.

All that to say, just because she's popped out one doesn't mean all hope is lost. Watch, wait, BE PATIENT, and trust her to do her job.. and be there to help if something goes awry. At four days early you don't want to give her anything to encourage labour.

But even if she hasn't pulled a nest? The kit was barely alive and I lost it while trying to revive the thing.

I've had a couple does kindle before, but definitely still learning, thank you so much @ladysown!!

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

She just had a second healthy kit. I'm going to shelve them or they will freeze tonight.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Usually (With small breeds at least) their first litters just don't make it
Usually being deformed and/or the Doe just not knowing whay she's doing

 

[Spitzfire]

But even if she hasn't pulled a nest? The kit was barely alive and I lost it while trying to revive the thing.

You can buy nesting material from pet shop to make a nest for mom. I find that if I do this then my one doe that doesn’t like to kindle until after babes are born and then not much, will take over and kindle properly and make a great nest.

 

[ladysown]

But even if she hasn't pulled a nest? The kit was barely alive and I lost it while trying to revive the thing.

she may not have made a nest for several reasons
1. she knew the kit wouldn't make it
2. she was early so those nesting hormones hadn't kicked in
3. first litter and a bit clueless
4. not her first litter and not interested in raising this litter (had that happen, very annoying)
5. who knows what goes on in a doe's mind sometimes.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

she may not have made a nest for several reasons
1. she knew the kit wouldn't make it
2. she was early so those nesting hormones hadn't kicked in
3. first litter and a bit clueless
4. not her first litter and not interested in raising this litter (had that happen, very annoying)
5. who knows what goes on in a doe's mind sometimes.

Thank you for your help everyone!

She had NINE kits. 5 were still born, the rest all died slowly after showing promising signs. One left...

 

[Spitzfire]

Thank you for your help everyone!

She had NINE kits. 5 were still born, the rest all died slowly after showing promising signs. One left...

So sorry to hear.

 

[ladysown]

sorry for your loss. If she had them all early there was probably a reason for them to fail.

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

sorry for your loss. If she had them all early there was probably a reason for them to fail.

Why do you think she went into labor so early?

 

[ladysown]

my guess, a genetic failure in the litter, trauma to the doe (that you may or may not have witnessed),

of if you want to consider other reasons: Premature Birth - Causes & Prevention

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

my guess, a genetic failure in the litter, trauma to the doe (that you may or may not have witnessed),

of if you want to consider other reasons: Premature Birth - Causes & Prevention

She was bred to her half brother... Might that have had something to do with it?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

She was bred to her half brother... Might that have had something to do with it?

I've bred a pair of half siblings before for a few litters and the only thing that's happened is a rabbit with Wry Neck, but that could have been from an ear infection

 

[ladysown]

hard to say, might be... if genetics are at play, you'd have to test that breeding again to have a better idea.