Who's having litters between now and Christmas?

[polly]

I have babies :biggrin2:

Sophie had 3 looks like 2 agotui's and 1 opal maybe

Delphi had 2 a black and blue otter hopefully

and Lucy had 3 this morning 1 was dead though. the other 2 look the same as Delphi's.

Just Evie left to go as we think Mrs Opi reabbsorbed!

 

[Flashy]

Congratulations Polly I hope you get some more too and I can't wait for pics of their fluffy butts.

 

[Leaf]

Jenson wrote:

I'm expecting a litter of Standard Rex on Christmas eve. From Missy and Boss. Fingers crossed this litter is successful, she was awful with her last litter and all but one died within a day or two. She's built a nice nest!

I can't wait to see pictures of them!

 

[Jenson]

Thanks Leaf!

Well I have a little problem with Missy, she built a nice nest in her bedding area, but this morning she pulled all her fur in the corner of the outside bit of the cage right next to the wire! I didn't give her a box this time because she went nuts about it last time and I wondered if it was part of the reason she didn't look after the kits. I'm not sure what to do as I'm worried about disturbing anything in there in case we have a repeat of last time, but outside next to the wire is not a good place for kits.

What do you guys think?

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Can you just put a piece of cardboard up against the wire? This way she won't think that it is a nestbox.

Sharon

 

[Flashy]

^that's a good idea.

Or try moving the whole nest to a better area. I did this with one of mine and she was fine with it.

 

[Jenson]

Yeah I thinking maybe just have a bit of a cardboard box, so I can have a floor and a side by the wire for them, and then putting some wood across the wire so they don't fall out and arn't stuck in the draft. I'm just so worried that she'll react badly to it, I really want this litter to be successful!

Should I take her out while I do it or let her see what I'm doing? She may bite me if I leave her actually, she gets very moody in the last week or so!

 

[BlueGiants]

I'm a major proponent of using a nestbox. If a doe builds a best in another spot, I'll move the box to her spot and put her nest in the box. It's really for the safety and well being of the babies. (See Peg's Blog about how she lost Girly Girls baby, or JAK's thread about how the baby fell out of the nest and almost died...).

If she didn't take care of them last time, it may have had something to do with being a first time mom, or her hormones (no maternal instinct) or something else. Give her a second chance with a box.

I try to stongly encourage my girls to put their babies in the nestbox. Keeps the babies together (warmth and comfort) and keeps them safer. Sometimes we have to encourage or show them the right way to do it... for the safety of the babies, we can't let them do it any way theywant.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

If I have a doe that doesn't want to use a nestbox I don't give her any

choice in the matter. I put her in a smaller cage and put two nest boxes

that are the width of the cage together leaving a small spot in the front of the

cage just big enough for her food and water crocks. They will generally use

the very front corner to eliminate and the babies are 99% sure to be born in

a nestbox. My cages all have baby saver wire on them to prevent a kit that

gets out of the box from falling on the floor.

Roger

 

[Jenson]

Yes, this will be her second litter so I'm hoping it was just her being a first time mum last time, but she was okay until the day I put the box in and then she started fretting, I left it thinking she'd get used to it by delivering time but she didn't, she built two nests in the corners and put three kits in each one, I moved them into the box and she kept trying to dig them out of it until I found them all dead and scratched.

I usually just move the babies once they are born if the doe has them outside the box, but she's got me worried about doing that because she really went nuts last time. I've given her a cardboard box with three sides and a floor, so hopefully it's not too intrusive. She didn't seem too bothered by it, so I'm hoping she'll use that.

She's really huge, and I can feel lots of kits in there. Fingers crossed she will look after them this time!

 

[Flashy]

Hopefully the cardboard box won't feel too intrusive, you could try a really shallow try if she doesn't take to that, because it should keep the kits in place, but not bother her too much.

I hope this works for you, Fingers crossed!

 

[Jenson]

Yeah I hope so! Thanks, I'll update here as soon as they arrive.

 

[Jenson]

Missy has had her litter, she had 10! :shock:

She destroyed the box I gave her and rebuilt her nest where she put it, but it's a nice nest and the kits are safe and warm so I'm going to leave her alone.

She looks knackered but she's okay. The kits are one magpie which I'm thrilled to have, one himi, two darker kits that may be sable, not really sure, the rest are dalmations.

Go Missy! I just hope she takes care of them now.

 

[polly]

:shock2:What did you feed her !!! lol

Well done i am so happy you got a magpie :hugsquish:

cant belive she had 10 though thats gotta hurt!!

 

[Jenson]

Here are the kits. The one I thought would be a himi isn't...it has one single spot! I love it, it's so funny. The darker two are blacks. All 10 are alive and doing well so far.

The last one is the one I wanted so badly, a little magpie.

Sorry about the photos, I had to take them on my phone and my shed light isn't very bright.

 

[naturestee]

EEE! Look at that huge pile of babies! Send that magpie to me, will you? :inlove:

 

[Jenson]

You should see them when I pull the fur over to check them, they're like a big wriggly ball!

And that magpie is definitly staying with me I'm afriad. Once I've got a few I'll be happy to share! :biggrin2:

 

[MsBinky]

I'm not a breeder but on December 18, my foster girl had a litter of 6.

If I am not mistaken, we got 4 brokens (broken castor I think), one castor, and one REW.

 

[Jenson]

Aww they are gorgeous! Congrats to you and the mummy.

 

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

My Blue JW doe had 6 babies on Dec 19th, she was bred to a Broken Blue Buck.

She has 2 blue, 3 rew, 1 broken blue. (sorry they wouldn't stay still for a pic)

My Broken Lilac doe had 3 babies on Dec 24th, she was bred to a Blue Buck.

She has 1 broken lilac, 1 rew, 1 lilac.

These are both first time mothers and are doing great so far.

We had one more litter born on Christmas morning, 2 babies, sadly both were still born. My doe was very upset about the whole thing, she made the greatest nest. She will get a chance again to have more babies. She is now acting better about it.