Improving a does condition? (Update-She kindled tonight)

[TerriG]

I noticed one of our does seems to be losing condition. I left her kits in with her waaaaay past our normal 5 weeks, and she appears to have a good size litter due tomorrow. What can I do to help her fatten up a bit again. We run a 4 week breed-back schedule. She is a doe I plan on replacing (her kits are prone to enteritis), but I don't have a replacement yet. She is eating fine and everything, I can just feel her backbone more than normal.

 

[3mina]

BOSS and a touch of flax?

 

[TerriG]

... and she just kindled 10 tonight! This is her 3rd litter with us. She came to us pg and kindled 1 kit. Her second litter was 6 kits. Now this one appears to be 10. I couldn't get a for sure count. She had just finished kindling when we went out to do night chores. I did take a couple of looks. At first I thought it was 7 or 8. Then when I checked again before coming in, I counted 2 pint kits and 8 dark ones. There were 2 that were hiding that I found when I took a closer look. I'll know more in the next few days.

We feed free-choice pellets and hay. We've never had a large litter (Finally!). Do I need to give her anything extra to help with calories?

 

[Tegan]

BOSS (Black oil sunflower seed) wouldn't hurt!

 

[jollysrabbits]

Most of my does produce large litters, if you can give rolled oats (no quick oats) it works really well. just a teaspoon a day will do and it helps quite a bit. Boss( black oil sunflower seeds) works well also. my flemish averages 10-12 kits and she comes into condition nicely. just remember to stop feeding it when she no longer needs it.

 

[rittert3]

I make a mix, a batch= 12 cups rolled oats 4 cups BOSS 2 2/3 cups Flax Seed and 2 2/3 cups show bloom ( a pellet that contains brewers yeast and whey protein) that I add a tbsp of to the daily pellets as needed. It's more of a show conditioner but you could easily alter it and cut out the flax and showbloom, the BOSS and oats are probably more likely to do your doe more good. I also use Sheep nutri-drench from time to time, you just have to break down the dosing for your does weight and it gives a nutrient rush if you run into problems. hope this helps.

 

[Dood]

Can you foster some of her kits to another doe? If she were my doe I would 'thin' the litter so she only had to feed 6 kits rather than have stunted kits that take 16 weeks to grow out, or chance loosing the doe and all the kits. Making all that fatty protein rich milk is even more draining than pregnancy. You could also get a small bag of higher protein pellets at the pet store.

 

[TerriG]

Can you foster some of her kits to another doe? If she were my doe I would 'thin' the litter so she only had to feed 6 kits rather than have stunted kits that take 16 weeks to grow out, or chance loosing the doe and all the kits. Making all that fatty protein rich milk is even more draining than pregnancy. You could also get a small bag of higher protein pellets at the pet store.

I have another doe due today, but she is a first-time doe, so I will have to play that by feel. We have already been talking about fostering.

I know nursing is harder on them than pg. That is why I am kicking myself for leaving her in with her previous litter so long. I know she had weaned them, but not sure when. They will be 10 weeks on 12/31. Life just got away from me and we didn't get her moved back to her doe cage when we had planned. We just moved her back over the weekend.

We feed 16% pellets. I have the oats on hand and even have them in the rabbitry since we had a kit we had to pull off pellets for a few days. I will try giving her some oats. I have also been looking at BOSS, but the only place I have seen it is at IFA and it is a HUGE bag (like the size of our pellet bags). I would like to get something about half that size, since it is just another thing I have to store in limited space.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Can you foster some of her kits to another doe? If she were my doe I would 'thin' the litter so she only had to feed 6 kits rather than have stunted kits that take 16 weeks to grow out, or chance loosing the doe and all the kits. Making all that fatty protein rich milk is even more draining than pregnancy. You could also get a small bag of higher protein pellets at the pet store.

I have another doe due today, but she is a first-time doe, so I will have to play that by feel. We have already been talking about fostering.

I know nursing is harder on them than pg. That is why I am kicking myself for leaving her in with her previous litter so long. I know she had weaned them, but not sure when. They will be 10 weeks on 12/31. Life just got away from me and we didn't get her moved back to her doe cage when we had planned. We just moved her back over the weekend.

We feed 16% pellets. I have the oats on hand and even have them in the rabbitry since we had a kit we had to pull off pellets for a few days. I will try giving her some oats. I have also been looking at BOSS, but the only place I have seen it is at IFA and it is a HUGE bag (like the size of our pellet bags). I would like to get something about half that size, since it is just another thing I have to store in limited space.

You can get them at Walmart or Tractor Supply as well, check the bird feed aisle.

 

[TerriG]

I will check Walmart. Thanks OAF.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I've seen BOSS at hardware stores and even grocery stores. It is used to feed wild birds, so many places carry it.

 

[jollysrabbits]

[/quote]I know nursing is harder on them than pg. That is why I am kicking myself for leaving her in with her previous litter so long. I know she had weaned them, but not sure when. They will be 10 weeks on 12/31. Life just got away from me and we didn't get her moved back to her doe cage when we had planned. We just moved her back over the weekend.[/quote]


If they are pretty much 10 weeks old you can be almost positive that she has already weaned them with enough time to bring herself back into condition, most of my buns wean naturally between 4-6 weeks, they are out of the nest box and they eat whats laying around(grass and pellets)I think you may be more worried than necessary, if the only thing you have is the oats I am sure they will work just fine. (but most of the feed stores have BOSS in bins you can buy by the lb. 5lbs last me 3 months)

 

[TerriG]

Went out and got a good count ... 12!!!! There is already one that isn't looking great. Our other doe hasn't kindled yet and I am getting nervous. My other two does still have milk, but their kits are 4 weeks old. I doubt they would take on newborns. If my other doe missed or has a large litter of her own, I'm not sure what I'll do. Just let nature take it's course?

Think I'll start a new thread.