Popples!!!! Our first live litter!! Update- 8(I think!)

[Twinkletoes]

We have 2 does, one just kindled and lost her litter of 5 a couple days ago. I went out this morning to a beautiful wiggly nest from our 2nd doe!! We are so excited! BUT, that beautiful wiggly nest was made outside of the nest box. She is in a 4x4 pen with hay/straw as bedding. We've had this doe for about 6 weeks and she isn't a huge fan of me yet. She will sniff me but won't let me touch her. I'm afraid if I mess with her kits she will refuse them. But I wanna make sure the kits are ok.

Update- Just checked and they are nice and warm under a huge mound of fur! All are wiggling! I counted 8 but I may have miscounted as I was trying to be quick. This is so exciting especially right after our first doe lost all hers!

 

[Dragongreg]

While there are others here that are way more experienced then me, i've had this happen several times as well. Each time after mom has finished clean everything up, I've picked up the nest abd kits and re-positioned them into the box. I typically distract mom with a little new hay or a little treat. Naturally get your hands smelling right with some hay and droppings from under her cage.

Good luck and congrats on the new little ones!

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

That will not happens. she will not refuse them. Go ahead and check them out. She might not like it.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Great! I'll scoop them up and check them all out! She's not much of a treat girl. She'll eat treats when I am not in the barn. But I don't think it will distract her. She does LOVE raspberry leaf tea. Would it be safe to give her a little of that while I check on the kits?

 

[ZRabbits]

Congratulations! I'd check them. Was a bit nervous myself with my First Time Mom who was very protective of her kits, and I had her since she was young. Bribes are good to distract the doe while you look at the kits as Dragongreg suggested.

Again Congratulations!

Karen<br /><br />__________ Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:53 am __________<br /><br />Wish I could help regarding the raspberry leaves. Interesting thread posted recently about raspberry tea being used to help does breed, so don't know if it would be good for does that have litters and are nursing. Hope someone who has more experience with raspberry leaves can help you.

Karen

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Raspberry leaves or tea made from them would be good for her. And yes, put them in a box so they don't wander. Also, check for any dead or leftover placentas and remove any soiled hay or fur. Mom just needs to get used to you handling her kits.

Oh, and :congratulations:

 

[Twinkletoes]

Now I am onto worrying if the kits are being fed or not. I am going to go look at their bellies once the hubby gets up and can watch the baby. last night I checked and it didn't appear that they had been fed. Maybe she'll feed at dawn this morning. They were all really popping last night. Does this always indicate they are hungry or do they do this even with full bellies?

 

[ZRabbits]

I found watching Luna and her kits, that they would get very active right after feeding. Especially as they got older. I thought they would be nice and content after feeding, but watching them at 2 weeks, every time they got fed, they would all start coming out of the nest box to explore, nibble hay and pellets, then all return to snuggle down to sleep.

Maybe you did see them after a feeding and all that popping was just energy from a feed? Hoping others with more experience can help. But know that I worried constantly with my first litter. Still do and they are now on their own. lol.

Hoping you go out and find nice round bellies.

Karen

 

[Twinkletoes]

4 look to have nice round bellies ad the other 4 look like they haven't been fed at all. What can I do?

The 4 with round bellies are less poppy. The 4 skinny ones are popping like crazy