I have chickens instead of rabbits... >:-<

[OneAcreFarm]

So, two of my BEST DOES both suddenly decided they needed to "hatch" :chicken: their kits after kindling.... :evil:

Two WHOLE litters suffocated.... :evil:

At least the kitties are not going hungry...

 

[Secuono]

What? Oh no! Did they get cold or suddenly become sick of wire flooring?
My cat sleeps in an old rabbit nest, fur and hay from a few months ago in the house. If I gave her a kit, I wonder if she would run away in fear or curl up with it? Luckily, she doesn't leave the dog yard, so no risk of her getting into nests with live kits in them.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

What? Oh no! Did they get cold or suddenly become sick of wire flooring?
My cat sleeps in an old rabbit nest, fur and hay from a few months ago in the house. If I gave her a kit, I wonder if she would run away in fear or curl up with it? Luckily, she doesn't leave the dog yard, so no risk of her getting into nests with live kits in them.

I have absolutely NO CLUE! Once I took the dead kits out, they stayed out of the nestboxes....daft beasts!

 

[Secuono]

That is weird. So they weren't feeding them, just hanging out in the nests?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

That is weird. So they weren't feeding them, just hanging out in the nests?

They did look fed, but I mean they were in the box for HOURS....totally not normal.

 

[Miss M]

They did look fed, but I mean they were in the box for HOURS....totally not normal.

That is so strange! I'm so sorry you lost the litters! Poor babies.

 

[Bad Habit]

Maybe the does thought there was a threat, and were trying to protect the babies? A strange dog or cat, or some other predator?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Maybe the does thought there was a threat, and were trying to protect the babies? A strange dog or cat, or some other predator?

Possible, but not that I could see....I was out there so many times. I feel bad, I should have taken the boxes in...I knew is seemed odd...

 

[Mickey328]

I'm so sorry! Were they new mummies? Maybe they just thought they were so wonderful they couldn't bear to leave them? What a shame!

 

[MaggieJ]

Oh, wow, That is terrible.

What I find really strange is that both does did the same clueless thing. I'm inclined to think there had to be a reason for it, though you may never know what it is.

I lost most of a litter last summer when a clueless doe buried her kits under huge amounts of bedding. There had been one chilly night followed by a very hot day. I'm reminding myself to watch that kind of thing next summer.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I'm so sorry! Were they new mummies? Maybe they just thought they were so wonderful they couldn't bear to leave them? What a shame!

Nope, both proven does several times over, sisters even!

 

[skysthelimit]

Oh no.