How many can I expect to live Update

[highview72]

I have a nice Cali doe who had her first litter 3 days ago. She had 11 which were all alive at birth but one died after day two and was very skinny. I now have two more that are looking thin, 5 that look decent, and 3 that are bigger and fatter than the rest. I have no other doe with a litter at this time to transfer a few kits. I have been giving her BOSS and oatmeal but it looks like she doesnt have enough milk. How many can I realistically expect to make it? Should I pull the largest 3 out of the nest for tonight in hopes the other will catch up or am I just delaying the inevitable and hurting the growth of the 3 largest?

 

[Bad Habit]

Give her dandelion to increase her milk supply. That could help.

 

[MaggieJ]

There is information in this thread about how you can help the doe produce more milk.
doe-dried-up-with-5-day-old-kits-t17551.html

 

[highview72]

What about holding the 3 largest out of the nest overnight?

 

[Dood]

I've had a doe feed 12 by pulling out the 4 fattest each morning and putting them back in over night then repeating until the litter was eating on their own. As soon as their eyes opened I started putting oatmeal in their nest box to encourage this.

It really took a toll on my doe, she needed 2 months to recover her condition, and I now foster or cull down to 8 (or less) kits.

Just make sure the 3 kits don't get chilled and bringing them into the house might be best.

 

[highview72]

I brought the 3 largest into the house for tonight> Hopefully she will go in this evening and feed the rest of them and the two skinniest can get enough milk to get stronger.<br /><br />__________ Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:49 pm __________<br /><br />Good news for now! I brought in the 3 largest for the night and placed them back in the nest at 5:30 this morning before I left for work. When I got home this afternoon the two smaller kits looked better already with more rounded bellies and all of the others looked fine also. I am going to leave them all together tonight to see what tomorrow brings. Maybe I will have to bring the 3 big ones in every other night to let the others get their share

 

[Cspr]

Good luck!

 

[OwnedByTheBuns]

http://whistlingtreesrabbitry.weebly.co ... reats.html Nursing Doe Treats, if you are interested and what you are doing now doesn't work.

Good luck!

 

[skysthelimit]

Best wishes. My dos raise 9-12 all the time. I am really careful not to breed them back to soon though.

 

[highview72]

Best wishes. My dos raise 9-12 all the time. I am really careful not to breed them back to soon though.

Do you find that with litters of this size there are usually a few who dont get their share? I would think some have to miss a meal here and there just because there arent enough nipples to feed them all. Do they move around enough that they kinda rotate or do they latch on and stay until they are finished or mom leaves?

 

[MaggieJ]

They move around during nursing. They don't have a dedicated nipple as do some other animals. If the milk supply is sufficient, all but the weakest kits should do fine. Sometimes the runt won't make it without help, but an extra feeding or two can work wonders.

 

[skysthelimit]

Best wishes. My dos raise 9-12 all the time. I am really careful not to breed them back to soon though.

Do you find that with litters of this size there are usually a few who dont get their share? I would think some have to miss a meal here and there just because there arent enough nipples to feed them all. Do they move around enough that they kinda rotate or do they latch on and stay until they are finished or mom leaves?

I've never had any miss a meal. But the litter grows even more slowly because of the size. By the time they are 4 weeks and eating on their own, they do catch up.<br /><br />__________ Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:38 pm __________<br /><br />

They move around during nursing. They don't have a dedicated nipple as do some other animals. If the milk supply is sufficient, all but the weakest kits should do fine. Sometimes the runt won't make it without help, but an extra feeding or two can work wonders.

i always find this so amazing, and how quickly the whole thing happens, though I do have some does that seem to nurse for some time.

 

[highview72]

Just a little update.... Thanks to all who offered advise!
Yesterday was two weeks since kindling and gladly all ten are doing well. I fed the doe lots of dandelion greens and oats along with free feeding the 17% pellets. One of the two small kits started catching up within a few days so I stopped pulling any of the kits overnight and let fate take its course. The other runt looked very small and thin compared to the rest but as I checked twice every day he/she was always still there cuddled up with the rest of her siblings. By Wednesday of this past week I started to notice it was starting to fill out nicely and by yesterday looks just as healthy as the rest although smaller and was the last to open its eyes. Now here is a different question.....the two runts both look off colored. They have a gray/brownish tint to their fur. Could this be something to do with their slower start? Will this color come out as they get older? Both parents are purebred and pedigreed from a very good show breeder..

 

[MaggieJ]

They may have got chilled, resulting in what I thinkis called "smut". It should moult out when they lose their baby coat.