# One large kit?



## Lorelai (Feb 12, 2012)

Let me preface this by saying that we've been raising our own meat rabbits for over a year now, and have never encountered bad luck like we've had for the past four months or so. We've only had one litter live to see freezer camp. Either the does have missed, had litters on the wire, not fed new kits, let them freeze, or combinations of the above (usually experienced does who have done well for us in the past, I might add). We've had our buck and open does on strict diets for the past month or so, to eliminate any issues from that end. Because I may have overfed them a bit when it was really cold out. 

Anyway, let's talk about Lucky, our mixed breed doe. She's Californian, New Zealand, and has a bit of Flemish Giant from mom's side. She had her first litter last summer, and did fantastic. Not a single loss. Her last litter was born in December, and either she didn't feed her kits, or didn't pull enough fur and they froze, or both. It was a colder night. We do live in Northwest Washington, though, so cold is pretty relative. It was around freezing temperatures, but not too far below. So okay, we can maybe blame that on the weather. But this last time? She kindled one, larger kit, and that's it. Not really any sign of blood or anything to suggest that she might have cannibalized the rest of her litter... she's had plenty to eat, especially towards the end of her pregnancy. The kit didn't survive.

Thoughts? We are majorly perplexed here...


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## Genipher (Feb 12, 2012)

My Silver Fox doe had a pregnancy like that. One BIG kit that was dead (or stillborn). I was told that it just happens like that sometimes. I think I read somewhere that 1 breeding, rather than 2-3, can result in one big baby. Something about multiple breedings (within a 24 hours period, of course) releases more eggs?


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## brentr (Feb 12, 2012)

Can't help, but can commiserate...

My NZW doe had a litter of 8 in October, raised them great.  Her next breeding resulted in 1 large kit, which froze, and 1 stillborn born 4 days later (AFTER re-breeding due to no live kits).  Result of that breeding was 2 kits, one survived.  She didn't seem be interested in being a good mom this time (been great every time before).  She has been bred one last time, and if she doesn't conceive, she's stew.  If she only has 1 or 2, she's going to the stew pot after they are weaned.

In my case, I never knew her true age, so I wonder if she is older than I thought, and just at the end of the line for breeding.


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## Lorelai (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks for the replies... I knew I'd read about it happening on the forum somewhere, but I couldn't seem to find threads talking about it, so I posted my own. I guess my only real question is whether the problem is our doe, or our buck, or both. Or can we even know? Frustrating...


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