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[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: I sure hope so.

I just wish I had acted quickly. He was doing so well, and then that had to happen.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I sure hope so. 

I just wish I had acted quickly. He was doing so well, and then that had to happen. 

Does aren't nurturing the way dogs and cats are and once they can't nurse a litter, they just have no use for the kit. It's a whole different world that's not easy to understand. You really cared a lot. Give yourself a pat on the back for your effort.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: Thanks very much.

It's so much different than what I'm used to. We have dog's, chickens (obviously), sheep, and goats and rabbits I've now learned are completely different. Next litter I pray will be different, and I think I've learned a lot from all of you this go-around. Thanks so much for that!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Rabbits kit raising strategy is simple... Have a lot and keep away to draw away predators. It leads to zero nuturing. Kits in the wild are expected to eat solids as soon as they can see and mom will wean them by throwing her body weight on them to get them to leave her by four weeks. They aren't exactly loving moms but it works.

Unfortunately a nest box with kits they don't care about is a lot like a litter box. It is super attractive for pooping and peeing in. They just love it. Some does who nurse will be bad and pee in the nest too.

It happens, and it sucks. Next time everyone that has read this will know better.

 

[APDoxies]

So sorry for your loss. :'(

 

[Lynzi777]

Oh man... I honestly don't know how to type this.

Right when I was separating mom from baby (I had her new cage all set up and everything), and when she was all settled in, when I checked on the baby he was soaked with a liquid and cold. Turns out, she had peed on him (in the few minutes after I posted my previous post) and gotten her urine down his nose, in his mouth; everywhere. He was cold and gasping for air when I found him. He went down so fast; In only 10 minutes he was dead.

I tried to prepare for the probability that he would die, but this just tore me up. I'm so angry that I hadn't separated them directly.

I'm kicking myself over and over.


Anyways.. thanks everyone for your help. It was a huuuge learning experience, and hopefully next time everything will go smoothly. Thanks again.

So sorry for your loss. I know how upsetting it can be losing one when you've tried everything in your power to keep it alive. However, with rabbits, a lot of times you have to just let nature run it's course. hopefully next litter will be better.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Silkies - you are clearly among friends here. I am learning from your experience - I am sorry for the loss. If it helps at all, my animals are helping me with my new years resolution. "Acceptance" The other is to stop asking why. You see, I seem to think that if I understand "why" something is happening, that I can figure out a solution. (silly me) We recently lost our 14 year old dog who was our constant companion and hated water. Her last act on the planet was to end up in our inground pool (which she never went near). My DH found her while she was still moving, he pulled her out and he tried to resusitate her but was unsuccessful. That lesson happened last month. Geez - The first thing I did was ask Why would she go near the pool and I wish I picked a different new years resolution - but after a few weeks, I am at acceptance and more comfortable without the answer to why. My DH is still struggling with guilt of not being able to save her. Loosing one of our innocents after doing our best to keep them healthy always stings for me. We are all doing our best.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Silkies - you are clearly among friends here.  I am learning from your experience - I am sorry for the loss.  If it helps at all, my animals are helping me with my new years resolution. "Acceptance"  The other is to stop asking why.  You see, I seem to think that if I understand "why" something is happening, that I can figure out a solution.  (silly me)  We recently lost our 14 year old dog who was our constant companion and hated water.  Her last act on the planet was to end up in our inground pool (which she never went near).  My DH found her while she was still moving, he pulled her out and he tried to resusitate her but was unsuccessful.  That lesson happened last month.  Geez - The first thing I did was ask Why would she go near the pool and I wish I picked a different new years resolution - but after a few weeks, I am at acceptance and more comfortable without the answer to why. My DH is still struggling with guilt of not being able to save her. Loosing one of our innocents after doing our best to keep them healthy always stings for me.  We are all doing our best.   

That was a powerful story. Thank you for sharing it. I think we can all learn something from it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Acceptance is a big part of raising rabbits. When we breed our rabbits, we litterally toss the dice and hope for the best. We do certain things to make sure everything goes our way but it is just going to be what the pips read when they stop moving. Without acceptance it can drive a person batty. The rabbits might breed just fine, or they might not or they might get into a big fight or the doe might bite off and neuter an insistant male. The breeding may never take, the buck could be infertile, the doe could have too much fat around her organs, the moon might be out of phase, the doe might reabsorb the kits in the first week... They may have 12 healthy kits and raise them out, they may have the first kit get stuck and they die or anything inbetween. The fact is that once we choose the date and put the doe in with the buck everything else is pretty much out of our hands! And every once in a while we roll craps and we loose. We just gotta keep looking forward to the times when the dice land on our numbers!

Earless and its littermates all passed away. Soup, my mom who was due the same week as my other doe had her first litter... She had the same problem (over cleaning) and I only found half of a kit in her cage, nest made but not used. She just didn't know what to do.

In better news, Lucy my rescue rabbit who is like 3 yrs old is probably the best mom we have eve had. Her litter of four is huge and healthy. They are freindly and Lucy herself is proving to be smart and considerate, doing things like moving to the second water bottle or food bowl instead of fighting her kits for the first one! She is a great mom!

 

[Bluebonnet]

Does anyone here raise Blue Vienna, Blue American, American Chinchilla or Creme d'Argent Rabbits?