Run down or tired doe with 4 week old kits

[Dragongreg]

I have a NZ doe that has a litter of 7 kits that are one day short of 4 weeks old. I've notice that she looks a bit tired or run down. I know she's still feeding the kits, at least in the evening as I've seen the little trouble makers hard at work. Its been really cold here the last few nights. Like down into the high teens over night. She and the kits are eating pellets, some oat mixed into the pellets (10%) and then some grass hay in the morning and afternoon. Also, I had a cali kindle two days later and had 4 kits and they are strikingly larger then the 7 from the NZ. I figured it was just the fact of having 3 less mouths to feed.

My question(s) are as follows; should I up the oats and hay for the NZ doe and the 7 kits to help if she's struggling a bit? Could I also perhaps foster 2 of the 7 to the cali to balance it out? Perhaps both? If you have a thought our two,, please let me know.

Thanks!!!

 

[Lizardslaps]

Id leave them with there mother my does do the same thing hard work haven 7 little ones bounce off there head all day
the California will probably know there not hers little old to change moms

probly able to ween in a couple of weeks should start really mowen down the pellets and hay

 

[Miss M]

Are you free-feeding the pellets? A doe with kits really should be free-fed.

You can offer her a bowl of oats lightly coated with blackstrap molasses, which is very nutritious. More is not better, though. I have given a bowl once a day with a couple of handfuls of coated oats to a doe who was struggling before.

You can also give small amounts of BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) to her, which is high in fat, protein, and other nutrients.

You can mix Pedialyte in her water, as well, or apple cider vinegar (2T/gallon).

Any or all of these should go a long way toward getting her perk back up.

I wouldn't worry about fostering at this point. She'll be weaning them very soon.

 

[Dragongreg]

She's on pellets, some oats and good green hay. The little ones are eating all of it and drinking plenty. This is the first time we had this many kits (normally 5 or 6) and she just looks lousy. She pretty easy to handle and I've tried to move her a bit and she seems really weak and thin. I'm concerned it's some more then just lots of mouths to feed. It's also really cold. I put a heat lamp in the rabbitry and it is directed toward on corns to help her warm up a bit. We are on watch as I have three does on day 29 and one has started pulling hair. Yikes we have a lot going on. will take another look at her and offer some sweetened oats in a bit. I'm certain the kits will want some as well. Will the molasses / oats be and issue for them? We had it pretty easy for the first 6 months and now have 10 working does. Ugh, but its fun. If we loose her will the kits manage to get enough nutrition at 4 weeks? Seems to early to me. Fingers crossed on momma coming around!!!

 

[skysthelimit]

I lost a doe when the kits were 3 weeks old, and didn't lose kits. They grew rather nicely.

 

[jessie15273]

I have one doe who all out attacks her kits at 4 weeks. Sometimes she only goes 3 1/2 weeks! I have yest to lose a baby from her. hers seem to grow really fast, maybe that has something to do with it? Shes a real tiny mini rex

 

[Dragongreg]

Last night the doe had no interest in feeding the kits and we pulled you from the cage. It appears she has a few things going as follows: mild case of wet tail, sore teats and some discharge (yellow) from her nose. Plus a little discharge and crusting in the corner of her eys and one sore hock. Seems like a lot after writing it down...She drank plenty and is eating a bit of nice green hay. We tried some oats with a touch of molasses without much interest. With the nose discharge I was wondering if she has an infection or possibly pneumonia. We have penicillin G on hand as occasionally we need to treat our sheep and was think it would be appropriate to treat her. It’s a bit confusing on the dosage however she is about 5.5 pounds now (was 7 at the time of breeding) and from what I can gather .8 of a ML is the recommended dosage for 5 days. Comments would be helpful on that.
Also, with the kits being right at 4 weeks should I consider a formula brew for them? If read many recommendations on goats milk or the home made brew from condensed milk. Again, any recommendations are most welcome. Also, the kits are eating pellets, hay and oats and all are drinking well. Not really sure if the formula is needed.
The doe is now resting in our heated pole barn and we will baby her for as long as appropriate it. She has always been a great mom and is easy to handle. Typically, she has 5-6 surviving kits and I just thinlk with 7 coupled with the very cold weather she’s just exhausted.
If anybody has any other recommendations please share them at will. 
On top of that we are expecting three new litter in the next 24 hours or so. Two have pulled hair and were working on their respective nest this morning..In the boxes – Thanks goodness!!

 

[3mina]

Rabbits weaning periods coincide with rabbit gestation in the wild so if the litter is doing well now just don't put her back in with them, they'll be fine, especially if they're eating and drinking well. Quarantine the doe, treat her once, meaning one course of treatment and see how she does.
If she was in my herd, I'd be looking very hard at her as breeding stock. Keeping condition is a cull point for me. To me 7 isn't a large litter, it's average, another cull point for me.
This is what I do in my herd, you do what you're comfortable with.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I would pull her and her kits out of your barn immediately and quarantine them away from the rest of your herd until you have a better idea of what is going on. Care for her after you care for all the the other rabbits. Sometimes the stress of kindling can bring a latent pasteurella infection out into a full blown illness. It can also cause eye discharge, sore hocks, etc. I would treat her as if she does have pasteurellosis, until you know otherwise.

I wean my kits routinely at 4 weeks, so they should be just fine if you lose her, but keep in mind that if you suspect pasteurella in her, then her kits likely have it too. You would need to keep them quarantined until dispatch or until they start to show symptoms.

 

[Dragongreg]

As I feared, the dreaded "P" word. We've move them out and have treated the mother with antibiotics. The baby's seem fine, but will be separate until we understand what going on. Honestly, we may decide to dispatch them all in the next day or so. We've quickly built up a sizable herd and I'm really concerned a out the rest of them. Will think it over this evening whe we are in watch for the threesomes to kindle.. But it's just heartbreaking.

 

[Miss M]

Yes, it is heartbreaking... and it is easy to let your heart lead in times like these.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

As I feared, the dreaded "P" word. We've move them out and have treated the mother with antibiotics. The baby's seem fine, but will be separate until we understand what going on. Honestly, we may decide to dispatch them all in the next day or so. We've quickly built up a sizable herd and I'm really concerned a out the rest of them. Will think it over this evening whe we are in watch for the threesomes to kindle.. But it's just heartbreaking.

What you need to ask yourself is this....is this ONE rabbit and litter of kits worth the REST of your herd? If not, then I would go ahead and err on the side of caution and cull them.

 

[Dragongreg]

You are absolutely correct. This little hobby farm of ours in the last year has been very interesting for our family. I've hit the halfway point with turning 50 years old this year and my high school sweetheart is two year my Jr. As an x soldier of war, big game hunter with numerous trips to african and beyond, its amazing how attached you can get to these little critters. We harvest deer and elk, process our sheep, rabbits and chickens and are grateful for the wonderful meals we enjoy and share. We've not purchased meat from a store for close to 7 years now and the rabbits seemed like a natural addition to our lifestyle. But, boy oh boy do those little fur-balls grow on you in an amazing way. In the end, its like the star trek movie quote; "The needs of the many out weight the needs of the few or the one". This evening we will do what needs to be done and hopefully it is in time to protect the rest...Thanks for the reassurance, support and education!

 

[Miss M]

So sorry you're having to make this decision, but it will likely be the saving of all the rest. You are right, they do grow on you.

 

[Nyctra]

Wait...7 pounds? You sure that's an NZ and not, IDK, a Florida white? :shock:

 

[Dragongreg]

Pretty sure..The mother is a whopping 10+ pounder and the buck bigger yet. She was one of our runts, but a dream to handle and such. But, anything is possible...at this point. Lots of second guessing and remorse at this point..

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Pretty sure..The mother is a whopping 10+ pounder and the buck bigger yet. She was one of our runts, but a dream to handle and such. But, anything is possible...at this point. Lots of second guessing and remorse at this point..

Runts do tend to be somewhat less hardy and have weaker immune systems...that could be part of why she got sick.