Only Black Kits Dying

[kukupecpec]

This may sound like a really dumb question but here goes!

My very large blue standard rex had her second litter - her first kindling went well except that all her kits were born dead, she had suffered a close call with overheating 2 days prior to kindling. Everything seemed to go well, Misty was looking good, made a beautiful nest, had 10 good looking kits, all the same size and all fed and squirmy.
I checked on them daily and when I went to check on the 5th night all the solid black (or blue) kits were dead. Is there a reason only the black kits died? Or is it purely coincidence? They were all the same size, looked healthy right up until I found them dead. And it seemed weird to me that they all died at the same time, usually I find may one a day or every other day if there is a problem, so I'm worried maybe mom killed them?
I'm puzzled

 

[Zass]

It sounds like coincidence. How many of the kits were black?
Is there any chance they overheated en-mass?

The other thing that comes to mind, is perhaps the doe laid on them and smothered them.

 

[Miss M]

That is weird... I have no idea. :shock:

 

[skysthelimit]

sorry this happened. It is possible she overlaid them, also possible they all succumbed to heat. I has a box in the house while at work, and came home and all the kits were dead. Sometimes it's a freak coincidence

 

[kukupecpec]

She's a VERY big rabbit, so she definitely could have smothered them. They were split 5 black and 5 spotted. I just thought it was really strange that only the black ones died! The spotted ones are all doing completely fine still too. How weird!
I'm glad it's not so crazy rabbit momma racism or something. Definitely sad though.

 

[the reluctant farmer]

I'm so sorry. One thought: if it is very hot by you & the kits aren't in a cooled place, there is potential for the black-furred ones to overheat faster than lighter fur. My herd here in GA has decent heat resistance, but I will see some of the black kits getting uncomfortable before the rest show any signs. Mine are located outside under shade trees. Are yours in a cooled building--how warm is it right now? If they overheated it could explain why only the black ones died, and at the same time.

 

[kukupecpec]

I'm so sorry. One thought: if it is very hot by you & the kits aren't in a cooled place, there is potential for the black-furred ones to overheat faster than lighter fur. My herd here in GA has decent heat resistance, but I will see some of the black kits getting uncomfortable before the rest show any signs. Mine are located outside under shade trees. Are yours in a cooled building--how warm is it right now? If they overheated it could explain why only the black ones died, and at the same time.

That actually makes a lot of sense! They are under a tree and have a misting system to help cool the area but its still hot here. I've stopped breeding for the summer so hopefully in the fall this problem won't come back. I guess I'll have to wait and see. ancake: