so disappointed

[BlueHaven]

My jr doe was due tomorrow. Put the next box in yesterday. She took all the hay out, so we put some more in it. She sat in there, but I think only to stay warm, pretty cold here.
Got up and checked her, no change, hay all over the place, so she was moving it around. Went to do the grocery shopping and put the food away and went out and had frozen solid babies all over the cage.
I feel so darn bad. It was my second litter and the first one by this does grandmother went text book.
I have never trusted first time mothers, but felt she was still a day or two away from having them.
She did not pull any fur at all.
I took them in and warmed them up but no hope at all. All blues and one black.
I am just so sad they tried to crawl to warmth and there was none.
We almost bought a new night cam yesterday but felt they were just to expensive. I doubt I will make that mistake again. It could have caught this so much sooner. No more breeding for November kits either.
No babies for us till next spring.

 

[ladysown]

I know it's hard to lose them...but you would have lost them in the summer as well. If a doe doesn't make a good nest...she's not going to care for kits well either (at least in my experience).

don't let one first time doe discourage you from breeding in the cooler months.

If the doe does her job properly, winter babies are hardier, healthier kits than babies born any other time of the year (at least in my experience).

 

[Prisma]

It happens as ladysown said. It is far better to breed and loose litters in cold than to not and end up with a bunch of does too fat to bred come spring.

 

[Marinea]

Sorry it happened.

I do all of my breeding from November to April. My winter born kits do seem to do very well. Of course, I only breed two does at a time and bring in the next boxes for the first two weeks.

 

[BlueHaven]

Well, based on that advise, I will look for a new buck at the show coming up in Dec. I tried to breed both these does together but the older one just was not going for it. I also want a min barn to put them in. I think the shelter they have is pretty good, but a barn would be better.
Will see what happens.