Urgent two does no milk, 1 kit left :(

[Tiny Buns]

Well I had 2 does kindle over Monday and tuesday. 4 kits (1dead) and 2 kits (both dead).

1 little fatty and 2 skinnies. Got up this morning and fatty and 1 skinny are dead. Skinny #2 super skinny and cold.

Brought it in the house fed formula. Nest box lined with mohair scraps and half on heating pad.

2 hrs later watching the kit take a deep, final breath and die. Warmed it up and revived it.

Dam won't submit to force feeding. She's a nut job and leaving as soon as possible to freezer camp. My second doe with no kits very interested but has no milk.

So. Not sure what to do. Hand feed or let nature take its course. I don't have any other nursing does or any breeders nearby to help with a foster situation. <br /><br /> -- Fri Sep 04, 2015 11:22 am -- <br /><br /> Ok we'll never mind. Kit died while I was typing :S

 

[Zass]

I'm sorry you lost them.

 

[Tiny Buns]

Thank you. It's part of the process but losing 6 kits since Monday--2 entire litters--really stinks.

 

[MaggieJ]

Yes, it certainly does stink, Tiny Buns!

I wish I could offer a suggestion that might help, but I have no idea why both does should have done so poorly. Are they related?

 

[FourRingCircus]

Could it be something they ate? Any herbs or anything that you have been feeding recently?

So sorry you lost all of them... I am guessing that side of things never gets any easier

 

[Tiny Buns]

No they aren't.


My honest thoughts are that the sable point who lost 2 is super duper tiny and needs to have bigger litters of smaller babies. Plus it was her first time. She had no kits so it makes sense that she had no milk. IF she did have, she pulled so little belly fur it was next to impossible to get to it anyway.

The other doe is a lunatic. She just never responded to attention. We only have 10 rabbits so we have lots of time to cuddle and lavish attention on our tiny herd. She just cowered in the corner and looked terrified all the time. Tried her in different cage locations but she just never took to us. Maybe there was too much crazy for her to look after her babies.

It was just strange. <br /><br /> -- Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:37 pm -- <br /><br />

Could it be something they ate? Any herbs or anything that you have been feeding recently?

So sorry you lost all of them... I am guessing that side of things never gets any easier

Good question. Everyone eats the same thing every day so nothing new or out of the ordinary. I can explain away the first time mom's dead kits because she's tiny and inexperienced. And I can even understand 1 out of 4 being doa. Just can't figure out how we lost the 3 unless it was lack of milk? Looking at them again, they weren't emaciated but they weren't I-just-swallowed-a-gumball chunky either. Too cold maybe?