Babies Here and Gone =(

[BDial]

Went out to feed and water and my doe was carrying hay and fur around. Silly girl was sitting on top of the nesting box just holding it in her mouth. I think she is a little confused. 1st timer.

However I am only going to have one litter now. I had to rebreed the other two does. So they are due on Dec.20th and 30th.

 

[Kooshie]

Good luck!

 

[BDial]

Well checked an hour ago and no babies yet.

No babies as of 10pm...... maybe in the morning

 

[BDial]

Well she had her babies this a.m. and when I checked the nest they were all dead. Somehow the heat lamp had gotten moved and it was to cold. The next two does are going into the heated garage (still cool) before kindling. She had 8 kits, two blues and 6 whites. So at least I know she will throw the white.
How soon can I rebreed her??

 

[Bunnylady]

Well rats! So sorry to hear that you lost the litter. What a shame - eight is a good number, too!

When I have a doe that loses a litter, I give her a couple of days to recover, then rebreed her. You don't want to wait too long. The doe hits a real hormonal high right after kindling that causes her to ripen a bunch of eggs, and sets her up to produce a good sized litter. This is particularly useful with a doe that has only kindled one or two kits, and lost them because they were so big.

Some does will get upset if you mess with them too much during the time just before they kindle, so for many years I did nothing and faced an awful lot of cold, dead babies. Finally, I decided that, since I was likely going to lose the litter anyway, I had nothing to lose by moving the doe. So now, when the weather is going to be cool at night, I put the doe and her nestbox in a cage in a closet (no garage here!) Most of my girls have been very tolerant, and go about their business as if nothing had happened. If a dingbat doe has the babies on the wire, at least they won't freeze before I find them!

Oh, well. I hope you have much better luck next time!

 

[JoieDeViveRabbitry]

I'm sorry but the statement "dingbat doe" almost made me fall off my chair!

Bdial, I'm sorry for your loss. Wait two days and rebreed her. Some breeders rebreed right after a loss but I just can't imagine it being terribly comfy to be bred right after birth, ya know?

 

[JoieDeViveRabbitry]

Ooo, now who's the Dingbat? Look at me, posting days late! Well, Bdial, did you rebreed the doe?

Oh and what breed?

 

[BDial]

Well she took it upon herself again to go see the buck. I have a secondhand cage that that separation panel wasn't in good enough shape to keep the little hussy from Bugs(dd named him). When I went out SHE was on him and then he turned around and did the deed. So she is due again on the 31st. I also have a new panel going in tonight.

I have Americans. All four are Blues but the girls came from a mixed blue and white litter. If her sisters are the same as her then they will throw blue and whites both. Which is good since there are fewer whites than blues out there.