doe had litter a week early!

[polly]

Hi guys just wondering if you could shed soem light as its never happened to me before. doe is 2 years old. she was due next friday and when we got back from the show today she has had her litter a week early. They were not totally formed (4 of them) she had eaten a leg off one (again very not like her) she is usually a fab mum.

i was just wonderign if 1 anyone has ever had this happen before and 2 any ideas what has happened?

Thanks x

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Do they look premature at all? Or do they just look like normal babies? Was there any blood, and if there was, was there a lot? I've had some really early litters before, and once I had a doe deliver them almost a week early. But they were really premature and they all ended up dying... it was really sad.

-Tiff

I guess I was off in space. I just realized that you said they weren't totally formed. Sorry!

 

[bunnybunbunb]

I had3 litters 10 days early, at this time they are just "balls". Basicly what happened with the first two times one doe had her babies and a few hours later the doe beside her did. They(as in a few long time breeders Ihave spoke to)say if one doe goes into labor or misscarries and there are other pregnant does around it is likely and happens that some or all of the other does go into labor too. I am not sure how comman it is as I have only had it happen once. I also had one doe who got "double" pregnant. She ended up having 4 babies on time from one buck and 5 babies 6 days early by another buck(they got loose in my room). All of the babies ended up dying, a few where DOA, 3 of the early ones died soon after, 1 of the early ones made it to 2 weeks and 1 of the early onesmade it to 4 weeks. They where not peanuts, no one can convence of this though they have tried :?

The baby with it's leg gone could probably live but the pain... unamaginable I would expect. I have a friend who use to breed who had a 4 week old baby get it's foot caught under something(I think it was a resting board she had in the cage or something). A vet showed her how to take care of it. It lost it's foot but was a great bunny pet and type wise. As far as I know he sired a litter before she quite breeding so it odviously did not hamper him much.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

That's awful. Are they still alive, Polly? If so, just make sure they are eating, kept really warm, etc. And hopefully they will turn out alright.ray:

Emily

 

[polly]

No None were alive as they were not fully formed! they were basic rabbit shape with heads and paws with toe nails but you couls see they weren't ready to have been born the skin wasnt right and the heads were not fully formed. I have 2 other does due the same date and they are fine. The doe that has done this is an expereinced mum and has had quite a few litters.

 

[Jenson]

Sorry to hear that Polly, that's awful. Which girlie was it? I had two kits born premature once, when I first started breeding. I think they were 10 days early. They looked like little alien kits! Both were dead and the doe was fine although she seemed upset and tried to nurse them anyway. She had also had a previous litter with no problems, and I had no clue why it happened either!

 

[BlueGiants]

Awww, Im sorry Polly. It happens once in a while. Yeah, 10 days is way too early. But there is no way to know what caused her to miscarry. I'vehad it happen. And I've had does carry full term litters afterwards.