Important Fostering Question

[Bad Habit]

one of my does, a new, first time momma, is off her feed, and I am worried I am going to lose her. She has all sorts of food to tempt her(a small dish of pellets, a small dish of oats, a large pile of hay, and water in 2 forms of delivery). I've given her nutridrops to try and encourage her eating, tums in case she's low on calcium, papaya enzymes in case she has a blockage. She does not feel bloated, though I will try giving her symenthecone in a little while(don't want to bloat her with too much liquid). She has been off her feed for 24-36hrs. Constantly has hay available, 2oz pellets every 8-12hrs. In the house. Any suggestions to get her back on her feed? Her kits are about 1wk old, and she is taking good care of them.

If I lose this doe, I do not have a foster momma for the kits - my other doe bred at the same time kindled early, and none of the kits were viable.

My only other doe with milk is a 3yr old doe with 5wk old kits. This doe is a phenomenal mother, has fostered before, but never at such a large age difference. If nothing else, can I force this doe to nurse these kits until they are old enough to wean? If I changed out all the bedding and pulled some of the doe's belly fur, could I maybe convince the doe to take on these kits as her own?

 

[Homer]

Is she pooping? If not I'd squirt mineral oil down her throat every 6 hours until she does! I use 1cc every 6 hours for a 16-18 pound Flemish Giant when that happens to one of mine. You didn't mention a weight so you might want to reduce that accordingly.

If you just need to stimulate her appetite see if she'll eat some sprigs of parsley. That works pretty good. <br /><br /> -- Sun Jan 24, 2016 9:26 am -- <br /><br />

If I lose this doe, I do not have a foster momma for the kits

If you do lose her try the "updated hand feeding formula" I worked on. The thread and recipe are here; http://rabbittalk.com/updated-hand-feeding-formula-t27372.html Mine are weaned now and PSF Angoras will wean her 8 next week. We still have a 100% survival rate on the little guys.

 

[Bad Habit]

I may have found a foster. A friend is going to check her doe shortly and once she kindles, will run the kits up there to be mixed in. There will be a 4-5 day difference in the ages, but my friend is sure that it will be okay, she's fostered large breeds onto this small breed doe with no issues.

She is not pooping, however her poops from before she stopped eating were fine in shape and size, nothing to indicate a blockage. I would assume she is not pooping because she hasn't been taking anything in. <br /><br /> -- Sun Jan 24, 2016 12:58 pm -- <br /><br /> I only have vegetable oil. The doe is a 3lb lionhead, so I am going to give her about 1/2 a cc.

 

[Homer]

she's fostered large breeds onto this small breed doe with no issues.

Two of my Flemish were raise by a ND! They are about 25% larger than the ones I had to hand feed. :lol: No doubt, if you can foster them it is better than having to hand feed.

 

[Bad Habit]

Alaska seems to be feeding them, at least letting milk down when I put her in with the babies, I think. There might not be much there, but I intend to put Alaska in with them 4-5 times a day, in hopes that she will start producing more milk. When put into the nest with the ability to jump out, she does not jump out, but I am unsure if that is just her behaviour/training or if she really doesn't mind the little strangers nudging around her belly. Removing her older kits in a bit, and then tomorrow after school I hope to put the nest in with her and see how she reacts. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:03 pm -- <br /><br /> Well, Georgie is still alive, but I wouldn't call it well... she's teeth grinding, still hasn't eaten. I'm going to put her in with her kits to see if they can get some milk off her(she's still got milk), because Alaska doesn't seem to be making much.

Georgie has been getting 1cc nutridrops, 1cc symenthecone and 1/2cc vegetable oil about every 6hrs. I'm probably not going to give her any more nutridrops because my supply is running low and I would rather have it for emergencies with buns that stand a better chance.

My friend's doe kindled 3, so I may still run the babies up there. Alaska is making more milk, but not enough. 2 of the kits definitely got fed, the other two didn't get anywhere near enough.

 

[Homer]

Glad your making a little headway. That teeth grinding is Georgie telling you she is in pain.

If your friends bun only had three kits I'd take all four over if she'll take them.

 

[the reluctant farmer]

Well, Georgie is still alive, but I wouldn't call it well... she's teeth grinding, still hasn't eaten.

Sorry to hear it, Bad Habit. Do you have any willow branches around for her to try to nibble? She probably won't , but it might help her pain.

 

[Bad Habit]

I've offered her everything I can think of, she won't eat anything. Debating just culling her, I don't want her to suffer.

Delivered the kits to their foster momma today. They had been steadily losing weight and Alaska didn't seem to be producing much milk. Their mom stopped producing milk as well. The foster momma seemed okay with them, we flipped her and forced her to nurse, and put her in with just the lions to get them a feed. The girl I dropped them off to will update me in the morning, let me know how they're doing.

 

[ladysown]

change in weather can mess up does that are on litters. it's hard when it happens.. usually within the first week after birth...that's the hardest time for them.

with the teeth grinding, lack of eating... I'd be culling her to end her suffering.

hopefully the fostering works out well.

 

[Bad Habit]

Foster's going well. Lost one kit, but since I figured on losing 2, that's no big deal in the long run. The 3 that remained were fat and well fed this morning.

Georgie seems to have started pooping again! Big long poops, and she doesn't seem so teeth grindy. I guess something I was shoving down her throat actually helped - I don't know if it was the vegetable oil, the nutridrops or the symenthecone... But there were poops in her cage this morning.

I kindle my does out inside, so I don't know if the weather would make much difference... the house temp fluxuates between 16c and 18c.