Qestions about kindling....

[amandainohio24]

My doe is due to kindle on either the 9th or 10th of this month. What do I need to keep a watch out for? She has been moved indoors to keep a better eye on her although I was told she is an excellent mother. This is our familys 1st litter so we have all the 1st time parent jitters. :bunnyhop: We have given her a nestbox with pine shavings in the bottom and stray on top. She has added hay onto the top of the nest also.

 

[grumpy]

I question the move to the house. She's there now, so don't move her again. Rabbits a creatures of supreme habit. They blossom and shine on exactly the same thing at the same time every day. Hopefully, she's been placed in a quiet out-of-the-way area in your home.

"What do you need to keep a watch for?".........Nothing. LOL.

The best thing you can do for her, is leave her alone. Don't make her skittish by checking on her frequently. You're nervous....she'll pick up on that. Once she starts pulling fur....stay away from her. Let her and Mother Nature sort things out. If she kindles on the wire, just place the babies in the box. Don't worry about your "smell" on the kits. That's an old wives tale about the doe abandoning them.

The only reason I mentioned her kindling on the wire is the fact that she's been moved. Some does will do stupid things when their routine is changed. They like boredom. They thrive on it. Don't move her again since she's this close to kindling. Best of luck.

Grumpy.

 

[MaggieJ]

Grumpy has given you good advice. Looks like we were writing at the same time.

In most cases there all you need to do is provide the nest box and nesting materials... The doe will do the rest.

You could offer her a fruit flavoured TUMS antacid tablet for a calcium boost if you wish. Make sure it is a calcium-based tablet if you use any other brand. She will eat it if she needs it. Make sure her cage is in a quiet spot in the house especially if you have children. Some does are a bit jittery in new surroundings.

Once she has finished kindling and cleaning up the young, there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits. If she does not pull enough fur, you can use dryer lint, teased cotton balls or cotton batting or even feathers from a pillow to supplement.

You should check the nest to count the babies and to remove any dead kits. It is usually easiest on everybody to give the doe a nice treat (parsley is good and helps milk production) while you take the box out of the cage. Check the kits and then cover them and put the box back. The doe will probably check them to make sure they are okay.

Some does are over-protective and object to you checking the kits, so be prepared for a bit of attitude until you know how this doe reacts. You may need gloves. Most does are fine.

You may never see the doe in the box with the kits. The doe does not keep her kits warm the way a dog or cat would; she relies on that cozy nest. She may pretend they do not exist, except at feeding time. This is an instinctual survival strategy to keep predators from finding them. Kits are fed once or sometimes twice a day and it only takes a few minutes. As long as they have nice round bellies, they are being fed.

In short, just relax and enjoy. If anything happens that does not seem right, we're here to help... But most of the time the doe will take care of it all.

 

[skysthelimit]

Best Wishes.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi Amanda!

:welcomewagon:

You have gotten excellent advice- the only thing I would like to add is after care.

It is important to check the kits daily. Sometimes kits will die, and they need to be removed. Daily handling also makes for friendly rabbits, and is a handy excuse to play with the little guys.

At around day nine they will open their eyes, so a lot of people like to remove the old bedding the day before and replace with fresh to prevent "nestbox eye". Make sure to save the fur and place it back in the nest. I only clean the nest if it needs it. Mine usually don't need cleaning, probably because I always put a handful of pelleted pine bedding under the kits after checking them on the day they are born, so the nest stays dry.

If they do get "nestbox eye" (eyelids stuck shut with dry crusty mucous), wipe the eyes gently with a cotton ball soaked in warm water or chamomile tea to soften the crust so the eyes can open. Usually if you do this once or twice a day for a couple of days it will solve the problem, but if not a non-steroidal ophthalmic ointment can be used.

Best of luck with the upcoming litter, and :congratulations:

 

[Punch]

Maggie mentioned that "there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits" I don't know what the weather is like where you are at but sometimes if it is warm, an experienced doe will uncover her kits and that is okay as well. One of my does insists on having her kits uncovered even if I cover them she will uncover them. All does are different some might be hormonal and want to attack you if you touch her kits, I've never had one that actually attacked some have thumped and lunged and it certainly looked like they were going to bite but they retracted just in time.

 

[LauraNJ]

Hi Amanda!

:welcomewagon:

You have gotten excellent advice- the only thing I would like to add is after care.

It is important to check the kits daily. Sometimes kits will die, and they need to be removed. Daily handling also makes for friendly rabbits, and is a handy excuse to play with the little guys.

At around day nine they will open their eyes, so a lot of people like to remove the old bedding the day before and replace with fresh to prevent "nestbox eye". Make sure to save the fur and place it back in the nest. I only clean the nest if it needs it. Mine usually don't need cleaning, probably because I always put a handful of pelleted pine bedding under the kits after checking them on the day they are born, so the nest stays dry.

If they do get "nestbox eye" (eyelids stuck shut with dry crusty mucous), wipe the eyes gently with a cotton ball soaked in warm water or chamomile tea to soften the crust so the eyes can open. Usually if you do this once or twice a day for a couple of days it will solve the problem, but if not a non-steroidal ophthalmic ointment can be used.

Best of luck with the upcoming litter, and :congratulations:

Not to hijack but do you mean you put the pine pellets and then straw/hay, then popples or pellets on top of straw/hay then popples directly on pellets?

I am using pine pellets for our chicks so I could put some in once I have popples. They don't ingest it?<br /><br />__________ Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:15 pm __________<br /><br />Hit submit too soon.

Amanda, I have 2 does due on the 10th. Hope we all have lots of healthy popples. What breed do you have?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Not to hijack but do you mean you put the pine pellets and then straw/hay

:yeahthat: I also put some fur underneath the kits.

They don't ingest it?

I haven't had any problems with that. People think they will eat it because it resembles feed, but animals don't eat things because of the way they look- they go by sense of smell.

As long as they don't have some bizarre nutritional deficiency they might taste it but wont make a habit of eating it.

 

[MaggieJ]

Maggie mentioned that "there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits" I don't know what the weather is like where you are at but sometimes if it is warm, an experienced doe will uncover her kits and that is okay as well. One of my does insists on having her kits uncovered even if I cover them she will uncover them.

This is very true. Thanks for mentioning it, Punch. I don't know where you are located, but since the OP is in Ohio - not so different from Southern Ontario - and spring has been very reluctant this year, I do recommend that these kits be well covered.

 

[amandainohio24]

I question the move to the house. She's there now, so don't move her again. Rabbits a creatures of supreme habit. They blossom and shine on exactly the same thing at the same time every day. Hopefully, she's been placed in a quiet out-of-the-way area in your home.

"What do you need to keep a watch for?".........Nothing. LOL.

The best thing you can do for her, is leave her alone. Don't make her skittish by checking on her frequently. You're nervous....she'll pick up on that. Once she starts pulling fur....stay away from her. Let her and Mother Nature sort things out. If she kindles on the wire, just place the babies in the box. Don't worry about your "smell" on the kits. That's an old wives tale about the doe abandoning them.

The only reason I mentioned her kindling on the wire is the fact that she's been moved. Some does will do stupid things when their routine is changed. They like boredom. They thrive on it. Don't move her again since she's this close to kindling. Best of luck.

Grumpy.

I have only been checking on her 2x a day now so she isn't bothered. We brought her inside due to the crazy weather we have been having lately (30's 1 day, next day 60's). The cage she is in now doesn't have a wire floor, it is a solid flooring. She is litter box trained so we were not concerned with the flooring type for her. She seems to be much happier now that we have moved her inside also. We won't be moving her again until it is time to remove her from the kits later when they are older.

__________ Tue Apr 09, 2013 12:55 am __________

Grumpy has given you good advice. Looks like we were writing at the same time.

In most cases there all you need to do is provide the nest box and nesting materials... The doe will do the rest.

You could offer her a fruit flavoured TUMS antacid tablet for a calcium boost if you wish. Make sure it is a calcium-based tablet if you use any other brand. She will eat it if she needs it. Make sure her cage is in a quiet spot in the house especially if you have children. Some does are a bit jittery in new surroundings.

Once she has finished kindling and cleaning up the young, there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits. If she does not pull enough fur, you can use dryer lint, teased cotton balls or cotton batting or even feathers from a pillow to supplement.

You should check the nest to count the babies and to remove any dead kits. It is usually easiest on everybody to give the doe a nice treat (parsley is good and helps milk production) while you take the box out of the cage. Check the kits and then cover them and put the box back. The doe will probably check them to make sure they are okay.

Some does are over-protective and object to you checking the kits, so be prepared for a bit of attitude until you know how this doe reacts. You may need gloves. Most does are fine.

You may never see the doe in the box with the kits. The doe does not keep her kits warm the way a dog or cat would; she relies on that cozy nest. She may pretend they do not exist, except at feeding time. This is an instinctual survival strategy to keep predators from finding them. Kits are fed once or sometimes twice a day and it only takes a few minutes. As long as they have nice round bellies, they are being fed.

In short, just relax and enjoy. If anything happens that does not seem right, we're here to help... But most of the time the doe will take care of it all.

I had heard of the items you had said you could add if she does not pull enough fur besides the dryer lint. Will have to keep that in mind. Thank you for the information you gave.

__________ Tue Apr 09, 2013 12:56 am __________

Best Wishes.

Thank you.

__________ Tue Apr 09, 2013 12:58 am __________

Hi Amanda!

:welcomewagon:

You have gotten excellent advice- the only thing I would like to add is after care.

It is important to check the kits daily. Sometimes kits will die, and they need to be removed. Daily handling also makes for friendly rabbits, and is a handy excuse to play with the little guys.

At around day nine they will open their eyes, so a lot of people like to remove the old bedding the day before and replace with fresh to prevent "nestbox eye". Make sure to save the fur and place it back in the nest. I only clean the nest if it needs it. Mine usually don't need cleaning, probably because I always put a handful of pelleted pine bedding under the kits after checking them on the day they are born, so the nest stays dry.

If they do get "nestbox eye" (eyelids stuck shut with dry crusty mucous), wipe the eyes gently with a cotton ball soaked in warm water or chamomile tea to soften the crust so the eyes can open. Usually if you do this once or twice a day for a couple of days it will solve the problem, but if not a non-steroidal ophthalmic ointment can be used.

Best of luck with the upcoming litter, and :congratulations:

With our nestbox having pine shavings under the straw and hay that our doe has added I am hoping we will not have an issue with nestbox eye.

__________ Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:00 am __________

Maggie mentioned that "there should be a nice fur "blanket" over the kits" I don't know what the weather is like where you are at but sometimes if it is warm, an experienced doe will uncover her kits and that is okay as well. One of my does insists on having her kits uncovered even if I cover them she will uncover them. All does are different some might be hormonal and want to attack you if you touch her kits, I've never had one that actually attacked some have thumped and lunged and it certainly looked like they were going to bite but they retracted just in time.

Someone had suggested keeping a cutting board handy in case she decides to try to attack and it could be used to keep a barrier between her and me checking on the kits. Hopefully she does not mind though as it would make things so much easier.<br /><br />__________ Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:02 am __________<br /><br />

Hi Amanda!

:welcomewagon:

You have gotten excellent advice- the only thing I would like to add is after care.

It is important to check the kits daily. Sometimes kits will die, and they need to be removed. Daily handling also makes for friendly rabbits, and is a handy excuse to play with the little guys.

At around day nine they will open their eyes, so a lot of people like to remove the old bedding the day before and replace with fresh to prevent "nestbox eye". Make sure to save the fur and place it back in the nest. I only clean the nest if it needs it. Mine usually don't need cleaning, probably because I always put a handful of pelleted pine bedding under the kits after checking them on the day they are born, so the nest stays dry.

If they do get "nestbox eye" (eyelids stuck shut with dry crusty mucous), wipe the eyes gently with a cotton ball soaked in warm water or chamomile tea to soften the crust so the eyes can open. Usually if you do this once or twice a day for a couple of days it will solve the problem, but if not a non-steroidal ophthalmic ointment can be used.

Best of luck with the upcoming litter, and :congratulations:

Not to hijack but do you mean you put the pine pellets and then straw/hay, then popples or pellets on top of straw/hay then popples directly on pellets?

I am using pine pellets for our chicks so I could put some in once I have popples. They don't ingest it?

__________ Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:15 pm __________

Hit submit too soon.

Amanda, I have 2 does due on the 10th. Hope we all have lots of healthy popples. What breed do you have?

We have Lionheads that we are breeding. We do have a mini satin but he will not be bred at all even though he has a great form and coloring. What breed do you have?

 

[LauraNJ]

We have beverans and mini rex. One of each due Wednesday. Then on the 17th I have another mini rex due.

Hoping all of us have lots of beautiful popples in nestbozes this week.

 

[amandainohio24]

We have beverans and mini rex. One of each due Wednesday. Then on the 17th I have another mini rex due.

Hoping all of us have lots of beautiful popples in nestbozes this week.

Lots of lovely babies heading your way then. <br /><br />__________ Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:39 pm __________<br /><br />Still no babies....guess she missed

 

[skysthelimit]

not necessarily. the key thing is do you feel any babies in her belly? Hippa is notoriously hard to feel. she was due the 10th, but she went 36 days last time.

 

[Marinea]

Welcome Amanda!

One little idea...if she does have kits (*fingers crossed for you*), maybe try giving the doe a treat to distract her while checking the babies.

 

[amandainohio24]

not necessarily. the key thing is do you feel any babies in her belly? Hippa is notoriously hard to feel. she was due the 10th, but she went 36 days last time.

I am horrible at feeling babies. I am really hoping I had just wrote the wrong date of breeding down. She is rounder in the belly than she was 3 weeks ago also. Fingers are crossed that I just messed up the dates. Worse case scenario we will try again at the beginning of May.

__________ Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:56 pm __________

Welcome Amanda!

One little idea...if she does have kits (*fingers crossed for you*), maybe try giving the doe a treat to distract her while checking the babies.

Thank you for the idea.

__________ Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:11 am __________

I went in the area we are keeping this doe in to do a quick check on her before i head to bed for the night and it looks like a storm of fur in the nest right now. Lots and lots of fur pulled. So glad I had cleaned out the entire cage this morning. Here's hoping that when I wake up in 3 hours to take my daughter to work she will have had the babies!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now how do I fall asleep knowing what is going on that I am missing out on? So not going to be easy.

__________ Sun Apr 14, 2013 5:16 am __________

We have babies!!! Looks like she only had 4, all are looking great!

 

[skysthelimit]

YEAH!!!!!!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Whoo-hoo!

:congratulations:

 

[amandainohio24]

Just checked on the little ones (aka naked mole rats according to my youngest daughter, lol). Everyone looks great! Nice round bellies, and toasty warm.

 

[grumpy]

I had one doe kindle four youngsters yesterday. She's always had 8-10 kits per litter.

Three kindled today. Two had 8 and one had 7. All are in good shape w/full tummies.

grumpy.

 

[amandainohio24]

I had one doe kindle four youngsters yesterday. She's always had 8-10 kits per litter.

Three kindled today. Two had 8 and one had 7. All are in good shape w/full tummies.

grumpy.

Lots of babies at your house. opcorn: I am excited to figure out what colors we have now. It is looking like we have 2 Siamese Sables and 2 REW.