Is it possible...?

[Sagebrush]

Ok guys, I have need of your vast knowledge about rabbits. I was out feeding the herd and checking on all the kits with the various does. While checking on Blue Bell and her 2.5 week old kits I found a half eaten newborn in the cage. No she was not bred 2 weeks into her pregnancy with the others and she has been kept separate from the rest of the rabbits by as cage on either side of her.

I know we have often talked about the possibility of a double pregnancy and how it is not possible, but now I am wondering "How can this be?" you guys have any thoughts on this?

The 5 kits that where born on the 1st are just fine and little eating machines.

 

[Homer]

Could it have been a stuck dead kit that she finally passed? :?

 

[Sagebrush]

Except for being chewed in half it looked clean and healthy. No bruising of any kind. There had been no discoloration on the head at all. It had actually still been warm when I picked it up.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I don't have babysaver on my cages and have found kits several cages over from where they were born.

You say the other does were bred 2 weeks after? They should be kindling now, then, so it is quite possible it was born on the wire and crawled into Blue Bell's cage.

 

[Sagebrush]

There where no other does that where bred after her on that side of the rabbitry. All the cages I have for does have the baby saver wire to prevent traveling and loss of kits.

Well however it has happened I am flumuxed :? :hmm: . I palpated her after I saw the remains and she didn't have anything left in her if there even was anything. I will just leave it as "It is what it is, and isn't what it isn't." If it ever happens again I will make sure I take pictures of it to share with others of the RT community so we can learn from it.

 

[gardenbunny]

thats sucks to find a half eaten kit the first time. my first few attempts to breed were with does that had problems. i will forever never believe those 'look an alien' photos, could just be a strange birth defect haha but i learned something from each time