Kit on the wire

[Cwright565]

One of my rabbits had her babies this morning. This is only my third litter so I'm still figuring things out. Anyway, when I went out there around 11 am one of the kits was on the wire. I put it back in the nest but I'm wondering why it would be outside the nest. My boyfriend said it wasn't there when he fed them at about 6 am, although there was one dead kit in the nest that he took out. Is there any reason the doe would move a kit out of the nest? It was definitely still alive when I found it, just a little cold. Thanks.

 

[Dood]

Sometimes the babies don't let go of the nipple and get dragged out and unlike cats or dogs the mother won't rescue the little one and put it back so these kits often chill and perish he was very lucky you found him

You can attach a lip to the nest box so the babies are scraped off before being dragged out.

 

[Cwright565]

Thanks! The nest box does have a lip but with all the bedding that's in there I can see how the kit could have been dragged out.

 

[Galadriel]

Good catch! I don't think that does can pick up their popples like cats, so you've got to keep an eye on them.

Dood, can does pick up their popples like that?

 

[Miss M]

There are people who have actually seen their does move kits, but it seems to be a very rare behavior.

So they can, but usually won't.