bad moma rabbit! need help now!!

missy_cbell21

In the Brooder
10 Years
Apr 5, 2009
64
3
41
maysville, nc
I have a Beautiful NZ that is brown, black, white and cream named Brownie. I would love to pass on her coloring! She Had a litter on tuesday and it was not good, she made a nest in the box but pulled no fur. I went out to feed them at about 11 am and found kits all over the floor under her cage and even one under my house! That little booger was crawling! So I collected them and they were all kind of warm and very wiggly. They were clean in my opinion but I have never seen a kit that was not cleaned. I only found one placenta on the floor which to me seams like she has some mothering instincts, but she is not feeding them. I have checked them twice a day and they are not getting any bigger and a few have tiny bellys and a couple have the indented tummy look. She had 10, one dead on the wire, and I fostered one out to another first time mom who is doing great! So she has 8 now with her. The size difference between the fostered one and the ones with their mom is crazy! So the other doe now has 7 including the foster, should I give her a few more or is there any way to get Brownie to take care of her kits? I have tried to force nurse them but she didn't take to that to well and I have the scratches to prove it. lol! I really want atleast a few from Brownies litter to make it. Ant tips or advice will be greatly appreciated! I'm going to cross post everywhere I know. Thanks!
 
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Is this her first litter?
where she pulled no fur it didnt stimulate her milk to come in, if she isnt feeding them its because of no milk.
foster them off where you can, if you only have one doe on a litter, now this is going to be hard and a heart breaker, choose the strongest healthiest kits to foster onto the other mother, they can handle up to 8 sometime 10 kits.
re breed that brown doe and get her going on another litter, the next litter should be successful.
 
First I thought NZ's only came in solid colors?
Anyway is this her first litter?
Foster out as many as you can. They must be getting a little bit in them or would be dead or dying by now. You are probably going to have to force it a few more times. Hold her on her back (you will need help) and hold her legs and have someone place the babies on her.
Some are just bad the first time. Most breeders use three strikes policy here, I am pretty much at two, and remember bad mothers produce more bad mothers.
 
When I raised rabbits, I gave my does two chances. Period. If she had her first litter on the wire or otherwise managed to kill them, I would rebreed her at once and give her a second chance. If she did it again, she found herself in a 325 degree oven inside a covered baking pan along with a can of cream of mushroom soup, some peas, and some cut up potatoes for an hour or so. Sure cure. Mothering ability is hereditary. You do not want to perpetuate poor mothers. I raised New Zealand Whites.
 
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You know what? I'm not sure if she is full blood NZ then. I bought her from what I have heard is a well known show breeder and he said she is NZ? Guess I could/should search the net a bit.

Yes she is a first time mom, I chose the strongest 4 out of her nest and fostered them to my other doe who kindled the day before her. Brownie now has 4 in her box and the other doe has 11 which, she excepted and fed as soon as I placed the box in with her.
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Brownie does have milk, I pulled some hair and later she pulled her tummy bald and put it under her feeder.
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I can tell she has milk as 2 of her teets? were swollen. Not hot or red just full of milk.
As far as strikes, I will give 3 strikes if all other important things are good with the doe. If she is hand tame with my kids, does not waste her food, and is pretty in some way then she gets 3. If she is all around mean when not pregnant, then she gets one. I have to many cuddly does to waste cage space on mean non-producing does.
 
take the few that look stronger and and put her in your lap on her belly and put the babies on her and let them nurse 2 times a day.1st time moms sometimes dont no what to do
 
Saturday I took four kits and put them with my other first time mom, she did great. She sniffed my hand then the box and jumped right in and fed them. I have a keeper there!
Sunday morning I went out to find (In "bad moma's" box ) one baby dead at the front of the nest and the other 3 in the back covered in urine and poo. The one in front had a look of pain, mouth hanging open and stretched out. Really sad. I took the other 3 and cleaned them up with a dry soft towel, changed out the nest box and saved as much clean fur as I could find. While holding them and just wondering what I should do, one died in my hands. I didn't want the other 2 to have to suffer any longer so I put them down. They are smaller than they were when they were born. On a good note the ones that are with foster mom are doing great! They are all almost the same size now and very active. I'm so happy I had a great doe to place these with. I am thinking about breeding all 4 of my does at the same time now just incase something like this happens again. Are there any cons anyone can think of to doing this verses breeding 2 at a time. I have 2 bucks but I'm not sure if one is fertile yet. I don't know how old he is but he does mate and fall off. He has a litter due 6-24 so I'll know soon!
 
Breeding them all at once is a good idea in case you have to foster babies. Sometimes one doe will have a huge litter and another will not, so it is nice to be able to spread the wealth around. As for your bad mother rabbit, she would be on very thin ice in my rabbitry.
 

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