Temperamental Doe/Doe Issues

[Lopsided]

Alright. I know I have been asking a lot of questions lately, but please bear with me. My doe has seven kits, 19 days old (almost three weeks). She hadn't been feeding them for a couple of days so I was able to get her to let them nurse. I ended up having to take the babies out of her cage, because she has been very violent with them (biting them, trying to stomp on them, etc.). I take them into her cage for feedings only. Today she didn't have enough milk to feed all of the babies, so I put the runt in to nurse. All she wanted to do was clean his bottom. She didn't want anything to do with the nursing. I don't think he got any milk, but he was still pretty full from yesterday's meal, since mom was pretty engorged. All of the other babies are still pretty full as well. Will she be able to produce enough milk for them to feed tomorrow? Any clue why she doesn't like them nursing? I'm just hoping they can last 9 more days. That's when they turn 4 weeks and I can wean them. Also, any tips on the weaning process? I am thinking of getting rid of the doe after this litter is weaned. She is super sweet and I have tamed her down a bit since I have gotten her, but if she is going to be this way with all of her litters, she has got to go. I might give her a second chance with another litter this spring, your guys' thoughts? She could possibly be pregnant as well. Can a doe get pregnant if she sit's in a buck's spray, or if he sprays her? I quickly palpated her the other day but could not feel anything. I am extremely grateful for all of your answers! Thank you so much!

 

[Susie570]

No. A doe cannot get pregnant from a buck's spray. Period. Spray does not contain semen, it is urine. The only way for a rabbit to become pregnant is if she is bred by a buck, although it apparently can happen between the bars of a cage if the pair is particularly determined.

Are you giving the babies plenty of solids? Pellets, hay and water? If so, they should be fine. I don't know if she will continue to produce as much milk. Milk production is caused by demand. The more often the kits nurse, the more milk she will produce. The less often, the less milk she will produce. She could well wean them early if she is pregnant, but if she hasn't been bred, she is not pregnant.

 

[Zass]

You seem to be having some uncommon problems.

If I may I ask, what is your caging situation like?
How large is the doe, and white size cage is she in?
Is there an area, like a ledge, where she can get away from the kits?


Is there any way you can move the buck away from her cage?

I have had some does who were upset by the scent of a buck on their babies. If this is the case with her, simply moving the buck away might be all that is necessary to calm her down.

 

[Lopsided]

I have been providing the babies with all of those things. I might have to wean them early, depending on how mom does with milk production.

The doe is a Californian. She is in 36x30 cage. I tried to put a box for her to hop up on but she didn't quite understand what it was for and just kept digging at it. The buck has been moved already. Any ideas why she is still so high-strung?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Does vary in how long they will continue to nurse kits.

If she was living in the "wild" or even in a colony, she would have been bred back either the day she kindled or the day after. Since does are only pregnant for about a month, it is perfectly normal for them to start weaning their kits at three weeks.

The kits will be fine as long as they are eating solid foods well.

I don't have any does that are "early weaners" like yours, and doubt I would keep a doe around that showed aggression to her kits. A lot of does get really frustrated when the kits first come out of the nest because the little guys always want to nurse, so it is a good idea to give the doe a raised area so she can get away from them. After a day or two they usually resign themselves to it, and the kits aren't nearly as demanding.

Any ideas why she is still so high-strung?

Maybe she wants to be bred again, and that is why she is going after the kits. :? I would put her with the buck and see what happens.

 

[Zass]

Perhaps they already bred through the wire, and she's planning another litter?

My does dig like crazy when they are nesting.

 

[Lopsided]

There is no possible way for the buck to have bred to her because he was stacked above her cage. I am not going to be able to breed her again until I get more cage space. I barely have enough room for the babies she has now.

The babies are eating pellets, drinking water, and eating some hay. I'd say they are partially weaned. I brought them to mom's cage this morning to let them nurse and she cooperated. I brought them to her this afternoon to let them nurse to help increase her milk production, whether she had milk or not. She didn't let them nurse this time. I plan to bring them back to her this evening and see what she does. The runt has caught up to the other kits, although he is still a little bit smaller. The babies have been going crazy over the pellets and water. They seem to love it! They turn three weeks old tomorrow, and if I can't get mom to increase her milk I will wean them at 3 and a half weeks, if she can produce milk up to that long. They haven't quite figured out a water bottle, and their mouths are too small so I have a little bowl in there with them. It has shallow edges and they keep trying to go swimming They are housed inside, along with the doe so I'm not too worried. Thank you everyone for your wonderful answers!

 

[Zass]

Consider offering them some moistened old fashioned oatmeal along with their pellets. Oatmeal is super easy on their little digestive tracts.

 

[Lopsided]

Alright, will do!

I took the babies to mom this evening, and she wouldn't have anything to do with them. So it looks like I am going to have to wean them now. They go absolutely crazy over their hay and they enjoy their water a lot. I am debating whether or not to sell this doe. Should I give her one more chance? She did absolutely fine the first two weeks while they were in the nest box, but once they came out she wanted nothing to do with them and I had to hold her still so they could nurse. If she is going to do this with another litter, I do not want to have to wean them early like this litter. She is extremely sweet, but not very good with older kits. Opinions?

 

[Susie570]

They go absolutely crazy over their hay and they enjoy their water a lot. I am debating whether or not to sell this doe. Should I give her one more chance? She did absolutely fine the first two weeks while they were in the nest box, but once they came out she wanted nothing to do with them and I had to hold her still so they could nurse. If she is going to do this with another litter, I do not want to have to wean them early like this litter. She is extremely sweet, but not very good with older kits. Opinions?

When you say they go crazy over the hay, it makes me think they do not have access to hay all the time. Just FYI, they should ALWAYS have access to their hay. Mine get all excited when I put fresh hay in the feeder, so I don't know if that's what you mean, but all rabbits should have hay to munch on all the time. In my understanding, kits should also have pellets all the time.

I would continue trying to let the kits nurse at least once/day, just my opinion. If she won't let them nurse at all for... I don't know, like maybe 3 days straight, then stop trying.

As for whether to bother keeping the doe, I'm not sure. Some might suggest giving her another chance if she's otherwise good and particularly if this is her first litter. It's really up to you.

 

[Lopsided]

They always have hay, and their pellets. They just haven't eaten it as much before because they were still nursing from mom. But since they aren't getting fed very often by mom, they have eaten more and more of their hay and pellets and they absolutely love it. And yes, that's what I mean. They get all excited over the hay and pellets when I feed them.

I got her from another breeder, but don't have a whole lot of information on her. I know she has been bred before, I know she has had a litter before, and I know she is a Californian. I'm considering giving her a second chance, but if she does the same thing with the next litter I will be selling her.

 

[Susie570]

Sounds like a workable plan Good luck with the littles.

 

[Lopsided]

Thank you! Good luck with your rabbits as well!