First off...new to rabbittalk posting, but been viewing for awhile. I've raised Cals, standard Rex, and Florida Whites in the past, but cleaned out my herd to start with some good show quality Dutch.
Anyway, first time mom had 4 healthy kits. Day 3 found one outside the nest box on the wire and passed from cold. Next day I checked, one of the kits had both hind legs stuck in the peg board holes in the box. I took pictures but will refrain from showing them. It was only 10 hours since I last checked on them..but it seemed to be a pretty painful time. Both legs were so swollen I couldn't push them back up and there was a bit of blood from the struggle. I took out the fur and two remaining kits to a new fresh nest box while I tried everything I could to free the little guys legs. The board was pretty thick and every little thing I tried seemed to either put the kit in danger or my fumbling fingers.
In the end I couldn't let him struggle or hear those cries anymore so I put him down, which is a lot harder to do to a tiny baby than a fryer IMO. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, so I'm just pointing out how important the right size flooring and ventilation for your litters can be. These were commercially bought nest boxes and peg floor meant for breeds of my needing, but just might of had holes a little too big.
Anyway, first time mom had 4 healthy kits. Day 3 found one outside the nest box on the wire and passed from cold. Next day I checked, one of the kits had both hind legs stuck in the peg board holes in the box. I took pictures but will refrain from showing them. It was only 10 hours since I last checked on them..but it seemed to be a pretty painful time. Both legs were so swollen I couldn't push them back up and there was a bit of blood from the struggle. I took out the fur and two remaining kits to a new fresh nest box while I tried everything I could to free the little guys legs. The board was pretty thick and every little thing I tried seemed to either put the kit in danger or my fumbling fingers.
In the end I couldn't let him struggle or hear those cries anymore so I put him down, which is a lot harder to do to a tiny baby than a fryer IMO. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, so I'm just pointing out how important the right size flooring and ventilation for your litters can be. These were commercially bought nest boxes and peg floor meant for breeds of my needing, but just might of had holes a little too big.
