bartow.amy
Clarkia
I have kept meat rabbits for five years with no problems. Earlier this summer, a 2 year old doe who has delivered many healthy litters (usually 9 babies) had 8 perfect looking babies that were a bit lethargic when I first checked them in the morning (probably a couple hours old), but were all dead by evening with no signs of trauma or issues. They were fed, and tucked in nicely in the nest. No idea why they died.
6 weeks later, my two other does each kindled large litters (one had 11 and one had 9 babies). These two does are sisters. Both are also daughters of my 2 year old doe. These does have had two healthy litters before with no problems. I was concerned that 11 babies was too much for the one doe, and there were a few small ones, but after 3 days they were all looking good, then 4 of the biggest babies were dead. The next morning 3 more were dead. And 3 were dead in the other litter too. They died very suddenly and the biggest babies were dying not the runts. I found one that was dying and it was bleeding from its rectum. I looked at the other dead ones and found traces of blood on their bottoms too. I took one into our University Vet medicine necropsy lab. They found blackened sections of intestines (which is in line with rectal bleeding) and a little bit of enlarged heart tissue. But nothing else. I had them to bacterial testing on lungs, liver, intestine, but nothing conclusive turned up. All four adult rabbits are healthy and seem fine. The babies that survived (11 out of 21) are healthy and growing fast (they are now 7 weeks old). I finally rebred my 2 year old doe, not happy about not knowing what is going on with my herd. She kindled yesterday morning, about 2 days early, babies were all dead and looked not fully ready to be born. It has to be a disease that all my adults have (they are in separate cages off the ground) eat pellets and hay and greens from my garden. What disease would present this way? I carefully looked over the fryers we butcher and have seen no sign of coccidosis on the livers. The bacteria tests from the necropsy lab would have found pnuemonia, or coccidosis if it was present. I'm completely at a loss for what to do... except cull my herd. Which is heartbreaking.
6 weeks later, my two other does each kindled large litters (one had 11 and one had 9 babies). These two does are sisters. Both are also daughters of my 2 year old doe. These does have had two healthy litters before with no problems. I was concerned that 11 babies was too much for the one doe, and there were a few small ones, but after 3 days they were all looking good, then 4 of the biggest babies were dead. The next morning 3 more were dead. And 3 were dead in the other litter too. They died very suddenly and the biggest babies were dying not the runts. I found one that was dying and it was bleeding from its rectum. I looked at the other dead ones and found traces of blood on their bottoms too. I took one into our University Vet medicine necropsy lab. They found blackened sections of intestines (which is in line with rectal bleeding) and a little bit of enlarged heart tissue. But nothing else. I had them to bacterial testing on lungs, liver, intestine, but nothing conclusive turned up. All four adult rabbits are healthy and seem fine. The babies that survived (11 out of 21) are healthy and growing fast (they are now 7 weeks old). I finally rebred my 2 year old doe, not happy about not knowing what is going on with my herd. She kindled yesterday morning, about 2 days early, babies were all dead and looked not fully ready to be born. It has to be a disease that all my adults have (they are in separate cages off the ground) eat pellets and hay and greens from my garden. What disease would present this way? I carefully looked over the fryers we butcher and have seen no sign of coccidosis on the livers. The bacteria tests from the necropsy lab would have found pnuemonia, or coccidosis if it was present. I'm completely at a loss for what to do... except cull my herd. Which is heartbreaking.
