Weird Birth

[Truckinguy]

Today Scarlett was on day 30 and no kits. She was getting chubby and never missed before so I was still cautiously optimistic. Around 10:00am I got called in to work so as I was leaving I peeked in on the buns and I saw Scarlett's leg sticking out of the nestbox. That was weird so I nervously walked around to the front of the cage and there she was lying on her side in labour. Usually my does give birth sitting on their haunches with their head down between their legs cleaning the kits as they come out. As I stood there I watched as two kits slid out of her, obviously dead. Scarlett still had one leg up and out of the nestbox and I could clearly see the kits coming out. Anyway, I had customers waiting and, aside from being on her side, she looked to be ok so I went to work.

I was gone for four hours and when I came back and opened the door I saw Scarlett's head poking out of the nestbox. As I walked up to the cage she hopped out like normal so I checked the nestbox. The same two dead kits were in there but that's all. I'll leave the nestbox in for the rest of the day in case there are any more and I guess I"ll rebreed her tomorrow or this weekend.

Is it normal for a doe to give birth on their side? I"m no rabbit expert but of all the litters I've seen born here, the doe has been more or less sitting up and hunched over.

 

[MaggieJ]

Gee, Truckinguy, I have no idea. In the five years I've had rabbits, I have never actually witnessed a kindling. There may be differences for a doe delivering live kits and dead ones.

She may not be finished. I would certainly give her time... I'd leave the box in there until Saturday, just to be certain, before I even thought of rebreeding her.

 

[ladysown]

i would definitely hold off for three days yet. If she passed two dead kits, there might be more and sometimes it takes three days to clear out properly.

 

[arachyd]

Definitely wait. Did you double-check those dead kits? Sometimes they can take quite a while to show signs of life.

 

[Truckinguy]

That's probably a good idea to wait a few days just in case. I'll keep the nestbox in until Sunday anyway.

Those kits are definately dead. They looked full term. She didn't even bother to clean them off.

I've seen four or five litters be born but this was the first time I actually saw them come out of her, usually they are hunched over and you can't see them come out. She was lying on her side with one leg up on the edge of the "kit scraper" with her foot actually outside the nestbox. It almost looked like she had dragged herself there and I was afraid for a minute that she was paralyzed. She's out there right now hopping around like normal.

Well, I'll put this down to an interesting new experience. With rabbits, you never know what's going to come next!