How does a kindling actually work?

[ramblingrabbit]

So, we were discussing this this morning, following a successful kindling last night, and trying to imagine how a kindling actually happens. We assumed all the bunnies are attached to a placenta. And I was assuming that they all come out one by one, followed by the placenta, but wouldn't that create quite a tangle of cords with, say, ten kits? Would that be just a little like ten people trying to fish through the same hole in the ice?

I imagine this is something that would be very difficult to observe directly or even record on camera, but someone somewhere must have figured out how it works. Right?

BTW my google searches apparently yield only a lot of weird, mostly irrelevant results ranging from disturbingly confused, poorly written accounts of rabbit cannibalism by pet owners to strange pictures or diagrams of rabbit anatomy or pickled fetuses in jars--none of which answer my questions... :shock:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I happened to witness a birth on the wire recently. Each kit is delivered sans umbilical cord, and the placenta is passed afterwards.

I had read somewhere that the umbilical cord breaks free on its own. That is true from my observation, and corroborated by the fact that unlike puppies or kittens, there is not a "stub" attached to the belly button.

If you have ever looked at the "horns" of a rabbit uterus, you will know that it is a long organ. Imagine the kits lined up in a row in a long tube. I imagine the first in line from each horn is born first, with the others following in order.

 

[OwnedByTheBuns]

MSD, my kits always have a tiny bit of umbilical cord left?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Some of mine have a tiny stump of cord, and others do not.

 

[Secuono]

I've never seen a kit with a sack like dogs, cats, horses and other animals are born in. Thinking it's still there, but the doe deals with it right as the kit is being born.
I've seen tiny stumps of cords with mine, too.
One kit comes out, placenta usually follows, then the next kit. But sometimes a kit passes by the previous kit's placenta and both come out after the 2nd kit instead.
But like Mammasheepdog said, they are all lined up and kind of look like mini sausage links.

 

[Cottie]

I imagine it's similar to a pig farrowing, now that I've had the good fortune of watching it happen. :lol:

They shoot out the horns of the uterus, the cords snap as it happens then all the extra goop comes out afterward. My pig delivered one horn, and the goop, then the second.

When I had kits born on the wire, I found several placenta-like items.

On the other hand, we had the misfortune of having to put down an overdue doe. Each kit had a placenta-like item attached to it. I don't know if that's normal or one of the reasons she couldn't kindle.

 

[OwnedByTheBuns]

Well, Secuono, human babies aren't usually born in the amniotic sack either. Usually. I'd imagine with rabbits it comes out with the placenta. Lambs aren't born with it either. Just something to think about. I know almost everything is born in a sack SOMETIMES, just not usually. And yes, I'd imagine if a rabbit as born in a sack the doe would take care of it immediately.

 

[Secuono]

Oh, you're right, totally didn't remember that....

I've butchered a rabbit with retained kits, they are in a sac with the placenta and look like mini sausage links. They do come out pretty quick unless the doe is having troubles.

 

[skysthelimit]

When I pulled kits out of the Mini Rex and Holland, no sack. But there was one, With a recent litter of JW, where the kit was in the box, with the sack still on it. I had to break it for it to breathe. The doe was already out of the nest, probably jumped out when I walked in, but if I had not checked, it would of suffocated. I'm thinking that's rare though.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

So they each have their own placenta, it seems? Interesting.

 

[Pepperoni]

Somewhat graphic photos here so caution: http://placentation.ucsd.edu/rabbitfs.htm

 

[ladysown]

they have their own placenta and such.

I put a doe down that was due to kindle next day as she was in process of dying.... It was not a good scene..BUT I managed to save the kits. Six mini rex... all in a row, all with their own sac and such like. Fostered them off and three got to weaning age.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

So they each have their own placenta, it seems? Interesting.

I don't know if bunnies have blood types like humans, but I do know that in humans the placenta is not just a way for a mother to nourish a fetus, but a way to keep their blood separate. A fetus with a blood type incompatible with the mother would be bad...blood agglutination is a nasty problem. And yes, it's possible for a fetus to have a different and totally incompatible blood type than their mother.

Assuming rabbits have blood types, two kits may have different blood types and thus need a different placenta. Basically every fetus has a placenta...it forms when the zygote burrows into the uterine wall.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

So they each have their own placenta, it seems? Interesting.

I don't know if bunnies have blood types like humans, but I do know that in humans the placenta is not just a way for a mother to nourish a fetus, but a way to keep their blood separate. A fetus with a blood type incompatible with the mother would be bad...blood agglutination is a nasty problem. And yes, it's possible for a fetus to have a different and totally incompatible blood type than their mother.

Assuming rabbits have blood types, two kits may have different blood types and thus need a different placenta. Basically every fetus has a placenta...it forms when the zygote burrows into the uterine wall.

Well, when you put it like that, it seems kind of obvious! :lol:

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

So they each have their own placenta, it seems? Interesting.

I don't know if bunnies have blood types like humans, but I do know that in humans the placenta is not just a way for a mother to nourish a fetus, but a way to keep their blood separate. A fetus with a blood type incompatible with the mother would be bad...blood agglutination is a nasty problem. And yes, it's possible for a fetus to have a different and totally incompatible blood type than their mother.

Assuming rabbits have blood types, two kits may have different blood types and thus need a different placenta. Basically every fetus has a placenta...it forms when the zygote burrows into the uterine wall.

Well, when you put it like that, it seems kind of obvious! :lol:

LOL well not really...I'm only GUESSING. I've only studied this in humans, not animals, so all that is extrapolated from human reproduction.

We even got to do a fun experiment in the lab with synthetic blood...we had a number of synthetic blood samples and chemicals that mimic Rh factoring and anti-A/B, and our assignment was to figure out what blood type each sample was. It was cool, but also showed how nasty agglutination is...the clumping was pretty extreme. :x Can't imagine the ramifications if it happened in a vessel!!