Does my surviving kit have a chance?

[UnlabeledMama]

My Flemish/Dutch mix had her first kindle yesterday. I could see several wiggling around yesterday but didn't get an exact count until this morning and most of them were dead! There was 9 total and only one survivor. She made a nice thick nest and they all were still in there. They were all good size and looked perfect. I left the survivor in the nest. Is there any hope?

 

[nawma]

I would not hold out much hope for the survival of your last kit. Many first time moms loose their litters to neglect. I started my rabbitry with five does and they all lost their first litters. I would breed her again right away if she were mine. I've heard the three strikes rule on moms many times and im so glad I gave my does three chamces to be good moms because everyone of them are now successful breeders. So sorry for your loss.

 

[UnlabeledMama]

Thank you. I have heard the 3 strike rule as well. She made a nice nest and they all looked healthy and it was a good size litter so she has that going for her. My kids were pretty upset. But we have another doe due tomorrow - praying they make it!

 

[Bunnylady]

Kits usually take 2-3 days to die of neglect; I'm thinking something else was going on here. What were the temperatures like last night? 9 kits snuggled together should have been able to keep each other warm, but maybe Momma stepped on some, or something. Sorry about your losses. I've long said that anything that gets raised from a first litter is gravy, since does usually mess up the first time out.

As for your remaining kit, if the doe nurses it, the remaining kit may survive. It is tougher to raise single kits - without siblings to snuggle with, they chill easily. Also, the doe's milk production is geared toward a lot more than one, and one baby can grow too fast on the doe's output. Such babies often wind up with digestive or skeletal issues. If the other doe has a smallish litter, you might put the lone survivor with her babies. Or, if signs look promising, you *might* try putting a couple of the other does in with this one (carefully supervised, of course!)

 

[UnlabeledMama]

It was lows in the upper 40's last night. Not bad.

I will see how this other doe does (also a first litter). If she has a large litter I might put a few with the little one to keep him warm or see if she will adopt him. I hadn't thought of that!

 

[DianeS]

I agree with the others. Lone kits don't usually survive, it's supposed to have something to do with needing littermates in order to properly regulate their body temperatures, but I don't understand the details.

Sorry for the loss of the rest of the kits. Bunnylady is right on the idea of fostering kits around. Either the singleton in with the new litter or at least two from the new litter in with the singleton.

 

[UnlabeledMama]

The little one is still alive this morning. It's day 31 for my other doe, but no kits yet! She is looking really fat though! If she has a large litter I will probably try to put 2 with the surviving kit. Praying they come soon!