Two rabbits died

[SoggyBottomFarm]

I put my buck and doe ogether to breed last night. They both were dead before we got home from work. My buck had a little mucus weeks ago but had been fine and bred with two other does prior to. Does anyone know why they both died?

 

[cassie]

I have no idea what happened. However, when you breed rabbits, it is best to put the doe in the buck's pen and then remove her right after breeding. Sometimes if you leave them together they will fight and one or the other gets hurt. Sometimes fatally. It is not likely that that was the case here, though. Sounds like a fast moving infection.

 

[SoggyBottomFarm]

We put the bucks in with the does and they stay for two or three days. Not had this problem before. Buck and doe were around two to three years old. We bought a business from down the road and not sure how old as they did not keep records. We have had the sniffles and mite infestation after we brought them to our farm and have successfully made it through this with only one doe loss but many kits in the beginning.

 

[sourland]

In my limited experience does tend to be far more territorial than bucks, and putting the buck in with the doe results in fighting - even to the point of death.

 

[SoggyBottomFarm]

We found that the doe and buck died of snuffles. The kits died of mucous enteritis. We gave the sick kits baking soda and some probiotics and they have all perked up and are eating. So far everyone is doing better. We switched feed and it was the cause of the enteritis. Thank you for your help.