Lost Mother Doe and Kits

[Florida Jeff]

Lost a proven NZ REW breeder doe and all kits. Doe 15mo old died kindling and all kits were inside except one that was dead on wire. We had just checked her 20 min earlier and she seemed fine, a little labored but that seemed normal. Other doe that was due same day had normal kindling late that night. She had a normal kindling with 8 kits. Both does the same age were sisters. Bred to different bucks. Both bucks were proven bucks. We had just acquired a pair of 7 and 8 week old rabbits that would be a new REW TAMUK line for our rabbitry. The new rabbits were in quarantine in another area so they would be a non issue. No Idea of what went wrong. We had not lost any rabbits except one or two kits at birth every now and then. All other rabbits are healthy. I'm at a loss as why she perished. One REW NZ doe was bred to a REW NZ Buck , the one that died was bred to a Champagne D'Argent.
Any Ideas ????

 

[eco2pia]

I am so sorry. Like humans, sometimes having babies is just hard.

I have lost does twice in labor--one was older and it might have just been her time. The other was a gorgeous brand new NZ Red doe on her first breeding. She died right in front of me, hemorrhaging due to poor placenta placement I think? In any case, nothing was wrong with her uterus structurally that should have prevented birth (I did a necropsy), and her kits were fine too. Some does die if they are bred too late for the first time, but she was young, I watched her grow out from a kit.

Sometimes these things just happen.

 

[Florida Jeff]

eco2pia: thanks for the reply.

 

[Dimplz]

Stuck kits will kill a doe during kindling.

Sometimes genetics can cause this, like pinched hips. If a doe is overweight with fat surrounding birth canal causing the birth canal to be pinched closed.