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ZachsRabbits

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I got a REW Jersey Wooly doe on saturday she was going to auction anyway so I took a chance on her. She is what I would classify a rescue. She was given to me pregnant and due on 12/31 and she is thin not bone thin but I don't want her to raise these babies while she is this way. I have supplemented her with calf manna along with pellets, hay and water along with her daily papaya tablet. I should add she is separated from the rest of my herd too.
What should I do?
 
If she is in such rough shape, it isn't likely she will carry the litter to term. If she does manage to give birth, I agree that fostering the kits to a different doe is a good idea.
 
I think there's a good possibility that she can raise the kits. If she were mine, I'd give her plenty of extra feed and wean the kits early, but give them a good start... like 4 weeks. If it were me...

I think if she carries to term and kindles well... eats the placenta and gets extra care from you... I think she has a chance and so do the kits.
 
Fostering is a good idea, If you already happen to have a doe bred and ready to deliver around the same time, BUT if you just received her that would violate quarantine and put your other buns at some degree of risk for whatever is affecting her. It's a tough call.
There are SO MANY things that can cause a rabbit to feel thin, there is no way to guess the cause with just that...
If she were mine, I'd be doing my best to address the cause of the weight issue instead of worrying so much about the litter.

I would probably give her the chance to raise them, UNLESS I felt the stress of raising them might harm her or her immune system, and compromise the doe.

If it's doe VS kits, I always choose to save the doe and do not hesitate to euthanize kits. That was a hard lesson for me to learn. :|

Keep an eye on her digestion. If she is doing well on the feeds you are giving, it shouldn't be too hard too give her enough calories to feed a few kits and recover her weight a bit.

If you are not already feeding lots of grass hay, strongly consider doing so. You can give a rabbit infinite calories, but it won't help at all if she can't digest what she is eating.

Calf manna is very high in carbs, while boss and pumpkin seeds are higher in oil content. A nursing doe can turn dietary oil directly into milkfat, and I feel that feeding a sparing amount of those oily foods is very good if you do not want a lactating doe to tap into her own fat deposits.

Oats are a good carb source that is also high in soluble fiber. If you see any digestive upset, I'd switch off calf manna and give oats instead.

You might want to treat for cocci or intestinal parasites before the litter arrives, if you observe any symptoms pointing in either direction.

Also consider weaning the kits closer to 4 or 5 weeks instead of later if she is still on the thin side, since supplementing milk to older kits seems to a very big caloric draw on a doe.
 
She is not severely no but thin. She is out of good lineage and I was shocked how her body could be this bad. Can you treat a pregnant doe for cocci and worms? <br /><br /> -- Sat Dec 26, 2015 6:36 pm -- <br /><br /> This doe is driving me crazy. i can't judge her body type while she is so thin and I do not what is causing her to be thin. She dosen't like my food and always has a bit of dried feces stuck to her bottom.
 
hay... doesn't matter at this point what type. Legume or grass hay...you just need her eating and fed.

Oatmeal with give her some calories and energy food.
BOSS (if she'll tolerate it) tends to go over well with MOST buns (though not all)

I've rescued too many thin pregnant does and they tend to do just fine. Just make sure they have food and don't mess with them too much...though sometimes on the very thin side by the time they are done. If she gets too thin I pull her when the kits are three weeks old, but generally it goes best to just leave her with them as it causes less stress to her with drying up early.

She's due on the 31st so her lack of eating well may well be due to her pregnancy and not having the room in her belly for much food.

The dried feces could be indicative of a poor digestive system OR it could be pregnancy hormones messing with her system and she's just too uncomfortable to want to keep herself clean and tidy.

There are simply too many unknowns.

In the case of rescues like that I feed them whatever I can get into them and leave the rest to God. Either the litter survives and I feed up mom as best I can post kindle.. or the litter dies and I feed up mom the best I can. and after a couple of weeks have past start evaluating her temperament for possible rehoming.
 

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