The Wabbit thread!!!! Anything about rabbits

[Finnisher]

Update on my situation for anyone that cares. I found 1 kit dead today, from starvation, and another kit was missing, so now we're at 9 kits. This was of course due to my negligence because I didn't check in on them for 2 days. However, now I've done my research and learned how to care for kits that aren't getting enough milk.

I took the black doe to my vet, this vet doesn't know much about rabbits but since he's a friend he decided to take me. He concluded that she had reabsorbed the kits, however, I read in a veterinary book that kits that die before 21 days are reabsorbed and after 21 days there's an abortion. So when I first took the radiograph it was day 31 for the doe and there were 2 kits on the right side. Today was day 37 which of course meant the kits would be dead but I palpated the doe and she had hard masses still. Now I'm wondering what should be done for this doe? She is of course a breeding doe for meat but I don't know if she can be bred again as there might be more complications. If she cannot be bred the only option is to either spay her and keep as pet or eat her but I really like this doe, I've had her for a year and last year she delivered perfectly and was an amazing mother.

So if you guys have any thoughts on what should be done, please let me know.

Thanks 

 

[eggbert420]

Why not keep her for a while and then try again?

 

[Finnisher]

How long should I wait? Dr recommended 4 weeks plus.

 

[eggbert420]

4-5 weeks normally. But I would wait about 6 weeks.

 

[BantamLover21]

If she isn't pregnant, even with mummified kits inside of her, I would not wait so long to rebreed her since she is supposed to be a meat rabbit. A meat rabbit that isn't producing kits doesn't have a purpose. Until you rebreed her, you won't know if she can get pregnant again. If she can't, then consider culling or rehoming her. However, many rabbits can have a few mummified kits and still have litters, albeit slightly smaller ones. If she is acting normally, you could rebreed her now.

 

[Finnisher]

I don't know if they're mummified... They should be as they died after the bones calcified and I didn't notice an abortion. Could she have eaten the aborted kits? I'm going to monitor her for a week, but I don't want to breed her if the pregnancy will kill her.

 

[ShellyBear]

My girl reaching 19 days started pulling hair, yet my other girl on day 23 hasn't even thought about a nest. Is that ok?

 

[eggbert420]

Mine usually start making a nest on day 24. Then on day 31.

They are actually 3 days old. Pic taken today

 

[ShellyBear]

Very cute!! So is it ok the my girls are a bit early and late?

 

[eggbert420]

I'vev never had a rabbit build a nest that early. They are usually on time.