Need Advice -kits born outside the box.

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Lil Acorn Acres Farm

Lil Acorn Acres Farm

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So here is the newbee again.
The Doe didn't like the nest box and started building a nest on the wire this morning. So I covered the bottom of the cage with straw. She built her nest in a horrible spot, one was shoved under the feeder and died. So I moved them into the box. Nest and all. She still has not gone into the box. It's going down to 50°
tonight.
I have a mom with 6 twelve day old kits. Should I try to sneak them in with her or just wait it out?
The doe had the box in there for 3 days and never touched it. I switched the box and nesting material and still did not like it.
Sure hope you can give me some advice.
 
Have the babies been fed at all that you can tell?

If they have, I would give her one night. She doesn't have to hang out in the box with the babies, if they have hay and fur with them they will burrow in and be fine. Some moms won't go to the nest when you are there, some wont feed if you are there, so I would leave her for the night, and check that they have been fed in the morning. if they are skinny and fading then think about fostering, but 12 days is a wide gap. the older kits will outcompete the younger. Most rabbits only visit the kits once or twice a day. So watch their bellies, and if she is feeding them I would leave them and stay out of the way.
 
eco2pia said:
Have the babies been fed at all that you can tell?

If they have, I would give her one night. She doesn't have to hang out in the box with the babies, if they have hay and fur with them they will burrow in and be fine. Some moms won't go to the nest when you are there, some wont feed if you are there, so I would leave her for the night, and check that they have been fed in the morning. if they are skinny and fading then think about fostering, but 12 days is a wide gap. the older kits will outcompete the younger. Most rabbits only visit the kits once or twice a day. So watch their bellies, and if she is feeding them I would leave them and stay out of the way.
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They don't look to be fed. She seems clueless. (First time mom) I let her be all day. Thanks for the advice.
 
In that case maybe try to foster. I have heard some people pull both nest boxes inside at night, put younger babies in with the good mom first so that she feeds them and then let the older babies nurse second. Others have held moms and set the babies on her belly so that she gets the idea...I have not had luck with this. I have only straight fostered one or two kits when they are within a few days of each other in age. I just put them in the box and mom can't count.
 
Lil Acorn Acres Farm said:
Thank you. Wondering if the doe will smell the other does hair in the nest and know they aren hers. Or do I just put them in her nest. I was thinking newborns overnight and the others in the daytime.
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I was able to give a Kit to a different Doe recently without any problems
 
Things to do with a clueless first time mom.

1. put kits in the box and then put that box in about the same area she had her kits.
2. if the doe isn't feeding the kits you can encourage her to feed her kits by holding her in the box.
3. fostering kits is 99% is as simple as taking the kits and plunking them in the box. Some momma's are super easy and you can simply switch out kits and/or nestboxes.
4. Realize this truth: kits can survive three days without milk from mom. and sometimes it takes a while for the milk to come in and then first time does sometimes need to learn that feeding the kits relieves the pressure.
 
ladysown said:
Things to do with a clueless first time mom.

1. put kits in the box and then put that box in about the same area she had her kits.
2. if the doe isn't feeding the kits you can encourage her to feed her kits by holding her in the box.
3. fostering kits is 99% is as simple as taking the kits and plunking them in the box. Some momma's are super easy and you can simply switch out kits and/or nestboxes.
4. Realize this truth: kits can survive three days without milk from mom. and sometimes it takes a while for the milk to come in and then first time does sometimes need to learn that feeding the kits relieves the pressure.
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Great info. I feel better now. I had nightmares about them last night.
 
tambayo said:
Fostering is easy, BUT without colostrum they won't make it. So either get that doe to feed them at least once or put them in with other newborn kits that also get colostrum from their mom.
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I haven't found this to be true. Does having colostrum benefit the kits SURE, but the lack of it doesn't necessarily doom them.
 
Rabbits kindling and raising kits never worried me. They came from good mothers, so i just trusted them to figure it out. Yes i made mistakes and lost some kits, but that i blame on me, not the does not being able to handle a litter.
 
Lil Acorn Acres Farm said:
I think I am going to fret over these births until I have a dozen or so under my belt. It's stupid the what ifs that run through my brain.
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the what if's just mean you are smart and thinking ahead as much as possible. I'm getting ready to "dispatch" 3 today. I keep debating on keeping a female just in case my doe fails. Then again I think well she would be in a hutch all by herself, would she be lonely? Do I want to feed a third rabbit thru winter and entertain it since I spoil them rotten with affection and turnout time. Hmmmmm so I guess it never stops. All the damn what if's. The mood I'm in I may just dispatch all 3 and breed my doe again in early spring. Her numbers are going down but I bet she's good for at least one more kindle of 4. But what if? I'll leave it to God helping me decide. Have a good day.
 
Scooter1A said:
the what if's just mean you are smart and thinking ahead as much as possible. I'm getting ready to "dispatch" 3 today. I keep debating on keeping a female just in case my doe fails. Then again I think well she would be in a hutch all by herself, would she be lonely? Do I want to feed a third rabbit thru winter and entertain it since I spoil them rotten with affection and turnout time. Hmmmmm so I guess it never stops. All the damn what if's. The mood I'm in I may just dispatch all 3 and breed my doe again in early spring. Her numbers are going down but I bet she's good for at least one more kindle of 4. But what if? I'll leave it to God helping me decide. Have a good day.
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Time tells. After some iterations over 11 years I ended up keeping at least 2 breeding does - because there always can happen something, and two retired ones, all living together now. Plus my buck and his spayed cuddlebun. No single rabbits (maybe an overcompensation since I'm single), that's what works for me, enough offspring to fill my freezer. So I feed 6 rabbits through winter, half of them pets, isn't that much more work or cost, hay is fairly cheap and money isn't my motivation anyway.

It really depends on preferences, resources and goals, I would say just don't rush it and start something too big to handle comfortably.
 
Preitler said:
Time tells. After some iterations over 11 years I ended up keeping at least 2 breeding does - because there always can happen something, and two retired ones, all living together now. Plus my buck and his spayed cuddlebun. No single rabbits (maybe an overcompensation since I'm single), that's what works for me, enough offspring to fill my freezer. So I feed 6 rabbits through winter, half of them pets, isn't that much more work or cost, hay is fairly cheap and money isn't my motivation anyway.

It really depends on preferences, resources and goals, I would say just don't rush it and start something too big to handle comfortably.
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Thank you. I've decided to keep one doe. Just sexed them again with a woman who has had rabbits and she wasn't positive either but we're leaning on all does. They are 11 weeks yesterday. She said 4 to 5 kindles is all you will probably get from a doe. She is NZ/Rex cross, 1.5 yrs old.
 

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