# How do I know if the doe has accepted her kits?



## parjackson (Jul 22, 2010)

I got the surprise of the month yesterday monring when dd came in screeching about something being wrong with Lilly (our year-old REW English Angora).  After losing our other doe to the heat about three weeks ago, I have been walking on pins and needles, making sure Lilly and Gus (the buck) were ok.

Lo and behold little Lilly was an expecting mama and didn't bother to tell us.  (My children have heard and evidently ignored the lecture about having more than one bunny out at a time ).  I had nothing prepared...no nesting box, bedding, nada.  I don't know if the doe pushed out two of the kits or if they fell through the sides of the cage, but everybody seemed to be doing ok, once I popped them all into a box together (temporary solution until we get a proper nesting box ready and in place).  When all was said and done, there were 4 kits, but I'm pretty sure there were five placentas, so I'm not sure what happened to the other one.

Anyhow, how can I be certain that she is nursing the kits?  I have never observed her moving the babies or doing anything "maternal".   I read that you can hold the doe down and let the kits nurse, but how do I know that's necessary?  The kits were born yesterday morning and all are still alive and in the box with Lilly.  I'm just concerned because it has been so hot here and it's supposed to be in the mid-90's for the next couple of days.  I don't want anyone dehydrating, etc.  How can I best keep mama cool in the heat without worrying about chilling the kits?  I usually give them frozen ceramic tiles, but don't know if that's a good idea for the time being.  She's in the house with a fan pointed at her box and she seems to be enjoying it, while keeping the kits shielded by one of the box walls.  

Sorry this is so garbled, but I also have a 2 yr old (human) with a fever of 104 to tend to.  Thanks in advance for your help!  Please excuse any typos!

Amy


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## rabbitlady4433 (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm new to rabbit breeding myself and still have a lot to learn.  I did read somewhere tho that they only nurse in the morning and at night,but otherwise ignore the kits and that as long as the bellies of the kits are round and full looking they are getting what they need.  Hope that helps.


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## Bunnylady (Jul 23, 2010)

I hope things have settled down for you today - especially, I hope your 2-year-old is doing better. I know how awful I feel anytime one of my young'uns are under the weather. You really needed the bunny surprise right then, didn't you? 

The wild rabbit ancestors of our domestic pets dig burrows. The nest box replaces the burrow that the doe would have dug, so it should be only slightly larger than the doe herself. Normally, the doe would only be with the kits once or twice a day to nurse them, other than that, she stays some distance away. Some people consider that poor mothering. But if you think about it, most of the things that are a threat to the kits are a threat to the mother as well, so by staying away, she doesn't draw the attention of predators to the nest.

I have always heard that rabbits lack the instinct to move babies. If a kit gets out of the nest box, it is just out of luck; likely to get stepped on as the mother jumps around in distress (she knows the kit shouldn't be out there, but is clueless as to what to do about it). I have never seen a doe pick up a  baby, and have heard tell of exactly one rabbit that did.   

You probably won't see Lilly in with the kits, so you'll need to check them to see if they are nursing. If this is her first litter, she won't have a whole lot of milk at first, her milk won't really come in until about day 2 or 3. The babies' tummies should look reasonably filled out, and you can usually see a whitish blob in the middle for the first day or two (until the baby fuzz makes it impossible). Because Lilly in an Angora, her wool is going to make it a bit tricky for the kits to find her teats. I don't have to do this for my Jersey Woolies, but the Angora breeders that I know often trim the doe's belly fur to make it easier for the kits to nurse.

I'm a little concerned that you were able to find the placentas. Does are supposed to eat those as they clean up the kits. It gives them a protein boost, and it is also supposed to do a hormonal thing that stimulates milk production. 

When the doe nurses her kits, she stands over her litter, and the kits crawl underneath her. She'll only stand in the box for a few minutes, then jumps out, possibly dragging kits out with her. I have known does that did everything else right, but didn't seem to know they had to nurse their kits.  I really don't like the idea of holding the doe so the kits can nurse. IME, unless she is a really friendly, docile doe, she is likely to fight against the restraint, and that can lead to injuries (the kits, the doe, and you, too!).  If I think the doe isn't nursing, I will put the nest box in a carrier that is about the same size as it is, put the doe in the box, and close the lid. I find the doe is more likely to just relax and let the kits nurse, if she isn't distracted by fighting me. Most of the does that I have had to do this to have caught on after a couple of sessions in the carrier. 

In the twenty-plus years that I have been raising rabbits, I have lost a lot of kits to many causes. In an effort to avoid some of those losses, I now make it a habit to keep the litters in their nest boxes in my hall closet, and take them out to their mothers for feedings. If the weather is reasonably pleasant, the kits may stay with mom all day, but most of my does are surprisingly adaptable and accepting of whatever I choose to do. 

Kits normally instinctively seek the warmth of their nestmates, but really hot weather derails that. Kits don't like to overheat, either, so they will scatter when they get too warm. If you can keep Lilly and her litter in the house (assuming you have AC), that may be the best solution for them.

Good luck!


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## KrystalMarie (Jul 23, 2010)

The same thing just happened to my rabbit.
We didn't know at the time but taking the babies away in the day time and just setting her on the table too have her feed was the way too go.
Both my does had babies with in days of eachother.
In the first litter only one lived because the mom would go in and trample them. So when the second came. (Another surpize) we too the babies away and made sure she fed them at 10 PM and about 8 AM.
And it has worked amazingly. All the kits have lived.
Even though it took my does awhile too sit still and feed they have learned.
If I were you I'd take them in the house in the day time and put them in a safe place.
The heat can kill them.
And the mom will accept them. 
In the wild mother rabbits only check on their kits once a day at night.
I hope all is well with the babies.


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