Buknee
Bella Rose Rabbitry
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2022
- Messages
- 308
- Reaction score
- 415
This has been a spring of too many firsts. 40 kits born in March and only 18 left. They have died for various reasons: too cold, too many in a kindle (16), broken neck, legs eaten off one (mouse?), FTT, and now.....
I have a mama that doesn't seem to be nursing or cleaning her kits. She has milk. This is the doe that kindled 16. 6 died before I found them since they didn't find their way back into the nest.
Earlier this week, I noticed one that had no energy but it was the runt. I figured it just had FTT. This morning I noticed another one that didn't seem to have energy, then I saw it lick the mother's pee off the cage. I brought it to the water and it started licking the drips off of the cage. I moved the nozzle to it's mouth and it slowly learned to drink. I noticed two others that were not active either. I got them to drink a bit of water and a bit of fresh goat cream. About an hour later I heard a kit squeal. Another one dead!
Anyway, long story short, okay not so short...
Some of the kits have a musty odor. I checked vent areas and all but one of the (then) 6 needed cleaned. Currently the remaining 5 are now drinking water and a lot more active. I have had to clean them several times today. They ate some Romaine and celery earlier. I moved them away from all of the other rabbits and put mama back in the cage. She did not attempt to nurse them.
I opened up the dead kit to analyze it. It's poop was so compacted. Poor thing. Major dehydration. I am including photos of the main organs. I would appreciate your thoughts on it's cause of death. This kit is 3 weeks and 5 days old.
The doe is a second time mama. She successfully raised 4 kits with her first litter. Any thoughts on why she is neglecting them?
Thank you!
I have a mama that doesn't seem to be nursing or cleaning her kits. She has milk. This is the doe that kindled 16. 6 died before I found them since they didn't find their way back into the nest.
Earlier this week, I noticed one that had no energy but it was the runt. I figured it just had FTT. This morning I noticed another one that didn't seem to have energy, then I saw it lick the mother's pee off the cage. I brought it to the water and it started licking the drips off of the cage. I moved the nozzle to it's mouth and it slowly learned to drink. I noticed two others that were not active either. I got them to drink a bit of water and a bit of fresh goat cream. About an hour later I heard a kit squeal. Another one dead!
Anyway, long story short, okay not so short...
Some of the kits have a musty odor. I checked vent areas and all but one of the (then) 6 needed cleaned. Currently the remaining 5 are now drinking water and a lot more active. I have had to clean them several times today. They ate some Romaine and celery earlier. I moved them away from all of the other rabbits and put mama back in the cage. She did not attempt to nurse them.
I opened up the dead kit to analyze it. It's poop was so compacted. Poor thing. Major dehydration. I am including photos of the main organs. I would appreciate your thoughts on it's cause of death. This kit is 3 weeks and 5 days old.
The doe is a second time mama. She successfully raised 4 kits with her first litter. Any thoughts on why she is neglecting them?
Thank you!
