ND does taking kits out of the box? (week old)

[Sundragons]

This is a new one on me. Both of my Netherland does who delivered last week (28 june) are tossing kits out of the box today. Kits appear to be healthy and not lethargic or struggling, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on or whether I should intervene.

Each doe has 4 kits. Both does buried them in the boxes after they were born, and both brought them up to the top layer of bedding and fur yesterday.

Super confused, nothing seems to be out of place or wrong. Should I change bedding and see if they are just grumpy? They're inside the house, temp is 77F, and they have decent airflow to their cages, so I don't think heat is a factor.

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

Kits regulate their body temperatures on their own and move around to make themselves comfortable even while they are still blind. Kits move deeper into the nest covering themselves with fur when they are cold. Kits move out from the nest and away from the fur when they are too hot. Does do not move their kits.

 

[Jennifer Hinkle]

I have had does do some interesting things. I have seen them have their babies outside their box and then the mothers move them into the box later. I seen a doe push her baby out of the box and then I put it back and her push it out again. I do not have a clue why they do this. But it does happen. A normal litter for me will start wandering around the cage around 2wks. Around 3wks they are eating food.

 

[BunnyTree]

Have you seen the does toss them out or are you just guessing that is the case...does generally do not move the kits.I would (if you are not doing this already) continue to put them back in the box until they are a couple of weeks older just to be on the safe side...maybe they are hot and you could try putting in less bedding?

 

[Ridgetop]

My does never moved her kits into the box. sometimes a it that was attached to a teat would be dragged out of the box if she was startled. Occasionally I had a doe stratch her box bedding so furiously that she would kick them out of the box.

Are these does first timers? I have had first time moms get so worried that they would kick the kits out when cleaning their box. Usually I could just replace them and they would be fine. Occasionally the doe was so frantic that she kept kicking them out. I fostered one litter to another couple does. I lost 2 or 3 litters over the years with first timers. Second kindling they were fine. I always give a second chance before culling the doe.

I suggest you would take the boxes out, save any fur and completely change the bedding, replace the fur around the edges, then put the boxes back in without the kits and see what the moms do. If they do not scratch the bedding out and seem calm return the kits to the boxes and see what happens. I never had my rabbits in the house, and usually a doe doing this was a confused first time doe, or upset by a possible predator or rats, etc. If you can get them calm and the kits live for a few days and feed, they will usually settle down. I forgot to ask first, were the kits fed?

 

[Sundragons]

Kits regulate their body temperatures on their own and move around to make themselves comfortable even while they are still blind. Kits move deeper into the nest covering themselves with fur when they are cold. Kits move out from the nest and away from the fur when they are too hot. Does do not move their kits.

I normally agree, but I caught one of them nudging kits out. She didn't do it again after I put them back, but she definitely booted a pair out. She's a first time mom, so maybe she's still figuring it out. She was moving them to basically another little nest she'd made outside the box. Crazy wabbit. I think maybe the other litter was as you suggest, and the box was just so stuffed the kit rolled out.

Have you seen the does toss them out or are you just guessing that is the case...does generally do not move the kits.I would (if you are not doing this already) continue to put them back in the box until they are a couple of weeks older just to be on the safe side...maybe they are hot and you could try putting in less bedding?

I put them back and pulled out some of the bedding. So far, so good. Tomorrow's cleaning day so I'll replace the bedding with less and put the fur back in. Was just a strange new behavior for me. I've had them crawl out at 10 days before their eyes even opened, but never this early.

 

[Ridgetop]

If she is moving them to anther spot in the cage, put her box in that spot. I had a problem with a doe not wanting to kindle in her box. She kept removing the straw and placing it in another corner. Then I realized I had placed the nest box over the spot where her raisin pile was. As soon as I moved the box to the spot she selected she immediately jumped and began arranging her nest in the box. Problem solved. Maybe your doe has her own ideas of the proper placement of her nest box.

 

[Sundragons]

I suggest you would take the boxes out, save any fur and completely change the bedding, replace the fur around the edges, then put the boxes back in without the kits and see what the moms do. If they do not scratch the bedding out and seem calm return the kits to the boxes and see what happens. I never had my rabbits in the house, and usually a doe doing this was a confused first time doe, or upset by a possible predator or rats, etc. If you can get them calm and the kits live for a few days and feed, they will usually settle down. I forgot to ask first, were the kits fed?

Yes. Both does are feeding and taking good care of them. Kits look like I would expect week old kits to look. Kinda furry, round 2x a day, and generally sleepy unless you disturb them.

This is first time mom's litter. She's a blue silver marten, the bucks i a sable point. Right now I'm calling it 3 sables and a marten, we'll see as they color up a bit more.

This is the other litter, veteran doe. chestnut agouti x broken black silver marten. I was surprised to not get any brokens, they all look like otters but genetically they can't be. So, we'll see once they color up a bit too.

 

[BunnyTree]

They are so sweet! And they look healthy!

 

[Ridgetop]

Kits look great. Glad the does took over caring for them. You never know what can set a mama off to do strange things. They will probably never repeat the behavior.

Happy 4th!