Kindling questions

[woodleighcreek]

Ok, my jersey wooly doe is due on the 21 and I have some questions:

1. This will be her first litter, will she know what to do?
2. When should I put the nesting box in, some people told me day 29, some told me day 21, and some told me day 25. Which is right?
3. What do I put in the nesting box? I have some aspen bedding and rabbit fluff.
4. What normally goes wrong?
5. What do I do if this happens?
6. What do I do to prevent this from happening?

Sorry I have so many questions, I just want everything to go well.

 

[terri9630]

Ok, my jersey wooly doe is due on the 21 and I have some questions:

1. This will be her first litter, will she know what to do?
2. When should I put the nesting box in, some people told me day 29, some told me day 21, and some told me day 25. Which is right?
3. What do I put in the nesting box? I have some aspen bedding and rabbit fluff.
4. What normally goes wrong?
5. What do I do if this happens?
6. What do I do to prevent this from happening?

Sorry I have so many questions, I just want everything to go well.

1. Her instincts should tell her what to do.
2. I add the box a week before the due date. I think it's personal preference.
3. I use pine shavings and she mixes hair in with them.
4, 5 and 6. Sometimes the kits will be born outside the box. Just put them in it. I'm sure there is more but I
haven't had any problems yet. She will only nurse a couple of times a day and will not stay with
the kits. Don't panic and think she isn't taking care of them, if their bellys are fat they are being
fed.

 

[woodleighcreek]

Ok, I think I am going to put the box in with her. Also, what do I do if she has a dead litter? I heard this happens with new moms. What are the chances?

 

[terri9630]

Ok, I think I am going to put the box in with her. Also, what do I do if she has a dead litter? I heard this happens with new moms. What are the chances?

If their dead take them out. I don't know how common this is, I haven't had it happen. I had one doe clean the kit and mistakenly eat part of an ear. Other than that she is a wonderful mother and hasn't lot a kit.

 

[woodleighcreek]

I put the nest box in and she is just siting in it. Is that a good thing?

 

[therealsilkiechick]

1. normally they do but i have a couple who have had them on the wire and built to shallow a nest but pulled hair. i've also had a doe not pull hair and not build a nest just left them on the floor in a pile and abandoned them.

2. about a week before.

3. i use pine shaveings with hay on top if they don't pull enough hair i use fur from my angora to add to it.

4 &5. if it is a good doe nothing. should make sure there is a baby guard around the bottom of the cage a few inches high so they can't excape the pen once they got eyes open and start exploreing. if they have on the wire and r still warm put them in the nest and cover with fur. if cold and not moveing do not assume dead take inside and warm them usually they r still alive. once warm can be put back in the nest, keep an eye on mom make sure she is feeding them. if abandoned and u have another doe with babies born 1-2 days apart u can foster under the other mom if first doe abandond them. check every day for possible dead babies and remove if there is. i rub the fur on my hands so i smell like them so not so noticeable to mom i take them out to check on them.

6. not all does r born w the instinct. really can't do much except to help by makeing sure no dead, they r warm and r in nest. i have 3 does that lost their first litters and r pregnant now w second litters due next week sometime. i'm crossing my fingers they all make it this time. my rule is if they can't get it right by 3 times then the doe is pulled from my breedings and sold as a pet or given away and replaced w a new doe. they need time to try to be a mom but if after 3 times they haven't learned what kits are and how to care for them they probably won't never learn and shouldn't be bred.

remove the dead ones imediately and u can rebreed right away but i always wait about 2 weeks to give her a break but different breeders do that time span different. i had a breeder once tell me all rabbits loose their first litters and that is totally false. out of all the does i've ever had only maybe 5 have lost the first litters so i don't think it happens alot just once in awhile depending on the doe.

 

[terri9630]

I put the nest box in and she is just siting in it. Is that a good thing?

She is checking it out. I'd leave her alone so she will think its "safe". I use a covered cat box and even with no kits the does will hide in them. They use them for their little "hidie hole" when they are upset or don't want to be messed with.

 

[DianeS]

Ok, I think I am going to put the box in with her. Also, what do I do if she has a dead litter? I heard this happens with new moms. What are the chances?

My first-time mom gave birth last night, and didn't use her nest. The kits were born on the wire floor of the hutch, and all died from the cold. There really wasn't anything I could have done to prevent that. She had straw on the floor of the hutch, but had moved it all into a pile on one side. Sometimes things just happen. If it happens to yours, don't take it personally. Unless you sit there 24/7 until she kindles then there could be problems that you're just not going to see in time to help with. If you happen to be with her when she kindles, you can watch for potential problems (like having the kits on the wire instead of the box), but it takes them such a short time to go from nothing to a full litter already born that its hard to catch.

If it happens to your doe, then rebreed her. Within a couple of days if possible. She will learn from the first time and is likely to do better the second time.

I haven't been doing this long enough to know *real* answers to your other questions, but here's what I do.

I heard conflicting advice on when to put the nest box in, too. I put mine in on the earliest day 28 (I usually breed over several days). I figure that gives them enough time to get used to it being there, but isn't so early that they don't realize what it's for.

I use the same straw in the nest boxes that the rabbits get for their hutches in cold weather.

Hope that helps!

 

[woodleighcreek]

I have my doe in a cage with a plastic bottom (no wire), Will this reduce the chance of deaths? Also, how do I warm up babies?

 

[DianeS]

I have my doe in a cage with a plastic bottom (no wire), Will this reduce the chance of deaths? Also, how do I warm up babies?

It depends on how chilly the bottom of the cage is, that's all. If the plastic is cool to the touch then it will cool off the babies, too. Kits need to stay WARM.

I have heard that your own body heat is best to warm up kits that are too cool. (If the kit feels cool to the touch, it's too cold. Kits that are healthy feel like little hot water bottles.) If you're female, the little bit of wiggle room that's inside your bra is great! LOL!

But I've also heard of warm water (careful around nose and mouth, and be sure to dry him once warm), the kit wrapped in a dry washcloth and warmed with a hair dryer, kits placed on heating pads, a nest made from a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, etc. Whatever you've got! If you use common sense anything warm is better than a cold kit.