Scrabbling doe---cull or fix?

cereshill · May 4, 2011

I have a doe who is a great milker and produces large litters. However she is a real scrabbler. Throwing 1/3 of her feed onto the cage floor. I have adjusted cages, feeders etc. she still does it. Her kit production and milking are what have made me keep her so far.

xlt · May 4, 2011

You just feed pellets in the j feeder right? no mixing? I found out with one of my does, that my boys had put some BOSS in the feeder at one time, and it seemed like she was always looking for it, even way after it was gone.

Ultimately, I would try to figure out how much it costs to keep her... 1/3 is pretty high day after day... Also, any does kept from her may have the problem...

I am considering right now the same thing, b/c this one particular doe has whole litters who scrabble very badly.

cereshill · May 4, 2011

I think she is farm bound----if she scrabbles there. the chickens will eat it and due to the volume of rabbits, she will get too hungry to scrabble as he won't be able to refll her on demand...

akane · May 4, 2011

If her kits are learning it then I'd cull her. You don't want a a whole herd of rabbits who waste feed. If the kits aren't picking it up then it might be worth trying to keep her. Have you given her anything else to do? Sometimes a bit of cardboard (my husband has allergies so ours get lots of kleenex boxes) or any other random object laying about can entertain them enough to stop them. I threw an empty square water bottle that's tube broke in with my feed digger and he dug at that and shoved it around instead. I also wonder if rocks in the feeder would work to block digging like it does for a lot of other animals. We've thrown rocks in both horse and dog feeders to stop them from eating too fast or the colts from pawing it out while they are learning what a feed pan is.

Cattle Cait · May 4, 2011

Have you tried those crocks with the super wide lip?

hoodat · May 4, 2011

It may be just pain old boredom. I'd try giving her some toys or possibly, since she is still feeding a litter, she is trying to dig a burrow to shelter them. Interpreting rabbit behaviors is almost never easy. They do what their nature tells them to do.

Devon's Mom Lauren · May 4, 2011

She MUST be getting enough feed to be a great milker and producer.She sounds bored, I would switch up the type of feeder as well as give her some Tp rolls stuffed with hay.