Unexpected litter...

[TriumphTriple]

So I have 3 females in a cage together. I breed them when I first got them 4 weeks ago, and none of them showed signs of pregnancy. I palpated all three last week and I didn't feel anything. I breed them again about 3 days ago.
Well it was raining yesterday and the wife fed them real quick cause it was raining. Came home today to feed them and what do you know, we have a litter of about 9. I do leave a breeding box in every female cage all the time since there is plenty of room. The mother pulled hair and she put them in the breeding box.
Should I move the mother and babies into a different cage by themselves? Another rabbit in the same cage started to pull hair today too, so I should have another litter too. What are your thoughts?

As you can see I am clearly not good at palpating yet. This is my 2nd litter.

 

[Dood]

I would move the other two rabbits to their own cages (with a nest box) and leave the doe and her kits where they are to reduce the stress on the first time mom.

If you keep them togeather the other does could be curious and trample them accidentally or if another litter is born in the same next box it is likely the strongest kits will hog all the milk.

 

[Miss M]

I'm no good at palpating, so don't feel bad. :roll:

For the other, it's hard to say... it really depends on the rabbits. If you need for the does to continue to live together, you probably shouldn't separate them when they have litters, as long as there is a lot of room in the cage. They may not go back together well.

On the other hand, it's possible the does may not take to each other's litters well, and you could end up with dead litters. Or the does may mother both/all litters, which can work fine in a colony setup. It can also work against the smallest kits, who may lose out to the larger, stronger ones. Of course, this can happen in a single doe with her litter, as well.

I have had two does in a cage, one of them a breeder, and everything went fine. In fact, the other doe was like the kits' overprotective aunt. :lol: I have a daughter who has been raised with her mother to replace her (the mother will now be a pet). I hope that it will go as well as the other twosome.

 

[TriumphTriple]

Thanks for the info, I would love to keep them all together and the cage is 24x42 so it may be big enough. I am making 3 more cages right now, I was planning on it anyway. I will move the other 2 does to their own cage. I was going to use the 2 24x42 cages for grow out spaces anyway. One for females one for males.
Do you think I did any damage by breeding them again 3 days ago? I heard breeding them after being 2 weeks pregnant can be bad.

 

[Dood]

No damage was done and having a buck cover them often helps stimulate labour in does who are over due.

 

[TriumphTriple]

As of right now I counted 10 little ones. One or two were small. I guess that's pretty good for a first litter. I saw the mother in the nesting box this morning, so hopefully she is feeding them. I will check them out when I get home.

 

[katiebear]

Ten is a very good even large litter. Be prepared to loose the small ones...it happens...sometimes they just aren't strong enough to get to mom sooner than the others. Some on here supplement, but I haven't done so...
Congratulations on the litter!

 

[TriumphTriple]

One runt died yesterday. I didn't think the mother was taking care of them so I moved 2 of them to another nursing does cage. The rest died this morning. It looks like the mother never feed them.

The 2 I put with the other nursing doe are warm but I don't think they are getting feed. The other bunnies that are in the nesting box are about 2 1/2 weeks old.

Also, should the 2 1/2 week olds be hoping out of their nesting box. They are healthy and engergetic but haven't left the nest.

 

[EnglishSpot]

 

[Marinea]

Sorry for your losses. You might want to try and give the remaining two a chance by feeding them separately from the larger kits. They likely won't be able to compete.

Sit down in a chair and spread a towel over your lap. Spread your legs slightly and push a bit of the towel down into the gap. Have the little ones given to you and lay them on the towel in the dip. Bring the doe over and sit her down on your lap over the little ones. Let them nurse for a few minutes. Rinse and repeat. I would do this once or twice a day and see how it goes.

*fingers crossed*

 

[TriumphTriple]

I tried the towel method and flipping the doe on her back. They were drinking but not getting much milk. I tried the mom and another doe that was nursing. They didn't seem to ever get enough in them. I left them feed for 5 minutes each, twice a day, trying both does.

They both died unfortunitly. The cold weather did not help.

 

[Sagebrush]

I am so sorry you lost the kits. You gave it your all at least.