Looking for help!! I woke up this morning and my doe had had a kit, she’s shown no signs of carrying didn’t even nest she started pulling fur this morning after having the kit, the kit was healthy and moving around, left her to it came to check a few hours later and to me it looked like she had eaten a leg off the kit and it was dead, I’ve now removed the kit. she’s now pulled a lot of fur since, which to me suggests that she’s having more? Could she have more and maybe was disturbed this morning? How long could they be in labour?
Doe had one kit
- Thread starter Dean1106
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I do know that some rabbits can have their babies over a space of a few days. Sometimes they will have a couple of babies one day, then stop labor, then have a couple more the next day.
I'm not sure why some do this, I'm not sure if it is because they get disturbed during their first labor, so they stop, or why.
But I do know some have their babies spread out of a couple of days, so she could possibly have more if she is still pulling fur.
It is sad the kit died.
All the rabbits I've ever experienced or had, have had their babies altogether. Except for one doe, I knew next door had half her babies one morning, and then when we came the next morning she had had more.
I'm not sure why some do this, I'm not sure if it is because they get disturbed during their first labor, so they stop, or why.
But I do know some have their babies spread out of a couple of days, so she could possibly have more if she is still pulling fur.
It is sad the kit died.
All the rabbits I've ever experienced or had, have had their babies altogether. Except for one doe, I knew next door had half her babies one morning, and then when we came the next morning she had had more.
Hi
She went on to have another 4 sadly one didn’t survive, I removed the dead one from the nest making sure to not touch the others, was this the right thing or should I of left it?
No, I don't think it was the wrong thing to do, actually its better to be safe and pull the dead one out than leave it in because the other babies can get sick from it.
I'll just let you know that sometimes a baby can be cold and still in the nest, but sometimes if you pull it out, wrap it in a towel, and place it by a warm water bottle it can revive it. If the baby is warmed up, but still unmoving and lifeless then you deffinately know its dead. They say a Kit is not dead till it is warm and dead.
So no, I don't think you did the wrong thing, because you were looking out for the other babies, and you were trying to keep them safe and well by taking out the lifeless one.
I'll just let you know that sometimes a baby can be cold and still in the nest, but sometimes if you pull it out, wrap it in a towel, and place it by a warm water bottle it can revive it. If the baby is warmed up, but still unmoving and lifeless then you deffinately know its dead. They say a Kit is not dead till it is warm and dead.
So no, I don't think you did the wrong thing, because you were looking out for the other babies, and you were trying to keep them safe and well by taking out the lifeless one.
Rabbits have two uterine horns, so can have babies growing in each and have delivery times apart from each other. This can especially happen if a buck mates more than once with the doe. That's why one set of kits can be born, then have more kits born several hours or even days later.
(LINK CONTAINS MEDICAL RELATED PHOTOS)
Medirabbit: reproductive tract of the female rabbit
You do need to remove dead kits. Leaving them in can chill the live kits, as well as be a source of harmful bacteria as they decay. It's important to check the live kits daily, to make sure they're staying warm in their nest box, that none get separated or pulled out from the group/nest, as well as ensure mom is feeding and cleaning the kits. And also make sure she isn't trying to harm the kits. I would check them at least twice daily minimum, in the early morning and late evening, as that's usually when a doe will have fed the kits, so you'll be able to see if they have full bellies.
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Pregnant_rabbits
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Baby_rabbits_(domestic)
