My first litter!!

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lereg15

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IMG_3557.JPGSo for spite, last month, every time one of the does scratched me and through a fit when I tried to pick them up, I put them in the buck's cage. Not realizing the date, I made a cardboard nest box, just in case the two that I mated were pregnant. Well, this morning I woke up to a nest box full of hair, that was moving!! My doe, Dinner, gave birth to 7, seemingly healthy kits!!

I took out the nest box and moved them to the garage, since it's cooler there, and will return them to her when it cools off later on tonight.
 
Day one: 6 of the 7 were fed, the other one looked scrawny still. When I put the kits back into the cage, by the time I secured it to the cage, momma was in there feeding them, so I hope the 'hungry one' got to eat. I will check them in the morning again.

My other doe will be due in 2 days, and I hope she will be a good mom as the other, so far!!
 
Thank you all!! Since I've been on here last, my other doe, Alice, gave birth to 6, one was on the wire, one was on the wire in the cardboard nesting box, that she decided to chew a hole through, curses! the other four are doing well, I was at work and brought another fry box home for the nest box, and she hasn't chewed on it at all...yet. I ended up fostering Dinner's runt to Alice and all the kits are doing well!!

I think I may have screwed up with my other two does though. I was so excited for the kits that I have, that I mated them too. Today it is 90*, and we plan on cooling down a little, but who knows for how long. I may have to find a way to put them in the basement. Ice bottles have been working so far, and I take the kits out during the day and put them somewhere cooler.

Any suggestions about what to do with my other 2 pregos? Yeah I know, dont mate in the summer!!
 
Shade and fans..I have a mister system. But I would think your humidity would just make it a sauna. If evaporation is good there you may want to try it. I read where someone put those little battery operated fans right on the front of the cages...on YouTube there are some bucket and ice chest coolers you may want to try one of those. Good luck with the little ones..my youngest just turned 6 weeks old. .no breeding for us until October or November. ...
 
Thanks KatieBear!! Our humidity is horrible this year, so far. Misters mat not work for me. Our humidity is at 91% now, but will going down for the next few days, I hope. I didn't move from Fla to here for this crap!!!! The bottles seem to be working good so far, but this is still only June.
 
I don't consider 90 degrees to be excessive for yungins. Yes, it is indeed dog-gone hot and uncomfortable but my rabbits tolerate it. Of course, plenty of fresh water is mandatory. My cages are all inside an old barn and one side is completely open. On the opposite side, I cut an opening to accomodate a simple box fan and it pretty much runs 24/7. Additionally, the whole barn is shaded all day by very large, very old oaks. However, I still see upper 80s on the thermo but never have any problems. I always keep 2 liter water bottles frozen and on the ready (even a bunch of little 12 oz gatorade bottles) but I've never felt the need to use them.
On a side note, I remember as a little kid that we always kept rabbits on the ground and they nested successfully year round (and it was a lot hotter than what I deal with now). Of course, even just a few inches into the earth is cooler than our air temp, so maybe you could move her temporarily to the ground .... just a thought. Be sure to post some updated pics!
 
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