Desert Rose Rabbits
Well-known member
I don't know what to do about Kitty. I'm giving everyone a bit of a break and probably won't breed again until the end of January or February. I'd like to keep going, but I only have two breedable does right now, and they both just went back to back on breedings. Mama's doing well, and holding her condition a bit better than I anticipated so she'll be bred probably end of Jan.
Kitty, however, is the one I'm worried about. Her last litter that was born about three weeks ago and she's nice and fat (this doe LOOKS at food and she gains weight) and having no issues feeding the kits and keeping warm. However, the delivery itself was hard. It flared up her pasteurella (never got to the blowing snot phase, but her breathing was more labored than I'd like), and I'm pretty sure there was some retained afterbirth on the final kit. Despite all that she was producing copious amounts of milk on the first day, and overall is an excellent mom. I've been debating on re-breeding her, though. I'd like to as she has a great grow out on her kits (think it's that she's a huge milk producer), but I'm concerned about this last delivery. Based on what we were told when we bought her she's almost two (January will be two years), so she's not old. However, she was bred VERY heavily before we got her so she's a veteran. I'd like to get one more litter out of her (I'd like to cross her with my magpie mini rex), but I just don't know if that's the responsible thing to do. I've thought about doing it, and fostering her kits on my other doe if she passes, but Mama doesn't seem to do well nursing more than 8-9 kits at a time. Both does average between 8 and 10 surviving kits. I'm going to hold back a doe from one of my growout cages, but whether she'll be breedable by then I don't know (she'd be around 5-6 months by then).
Thoughts?<br /><br />__________ Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:19 pm __________<br /><br />Bump!
Kitty, however, is the one I'm worried about. Her last litter that was born about three weeks ago and she's nice and fat (this doe LOOKS at food and she gains weight) and having no issues feeding the kits and keeping warm. However, the delivery itself was hard. It flared up her pasteurella (never got to the blowing snot phase, but her breathing was more labored than I'd like), and I'm pretty sure there was some retained afterbirth on the final kit. Despite all that she was producing copious amounts of milk on the first day, and overall is an excellent mom. I've been debating on re-breeding her, though. I'd like to as she has a great grow out on her kits (think it's that she's a huge milk producer), but I'm concerned about this last delivery. Based on what we were told when we bought her she's almost two (January will be two years), so she's not old. However, she was bred VERY heavily before we got her so she's a veteran. I'd like to get one more litter out of her (I'd like to cross her with my magpie mini rex), but I just don't know if that's the responsible thing to do. I've thought about doing it, and fostering her kits on my other doe if she passes, but Mama doesn't seem to do well nursing more than 8-9 kits at a time. Both does average between 8 and 10 surviving kits. I'm going to hold back a doe from one of my growout cages, but whether she'll be breedable by then I don't know (she'd be around 5-6 months by then).
Thoughts?<br /><br />__________ Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:19 pm __________<br /><br />Bump!
