Questions on raising kits, mostly.

[clalso]

Hello.

I have several questions most of which are related to raising kits. I'll throw them all (the questions, not the kits) out here and see what answers I get.

1) Any suggestions on how to get a doe to accept her nesting box? I have two nesting boxes which I plan to share at various times with four does. I suppose sharing them is acceptable if I clean them well between use. I am interested in what others say in this regard. I read in an older book on raising rabbits where Pine Sol is a good cleaner and the rabbits don't mind the smell.

2) I currently have a doe with five kits. At 8 weeks I plan to separate them from momma. Momma and kits are in the same 3' x 3' cage in an insulated mini barn. There are five other cages of the same type/size very close to the cage with momma and kits. My question is when I separate the kits from momma, should momma and kits be placed far apart such that they cannot see each other? I have several outdoor hutches where I could place momma or the kits so they cannot see each other. I ask this quesiton because I wonder if momma will be more upset when separated from the kits if she cannot reach them but still see them or if should would be more upset if she can't see them as well as not reach them.

3) At what age is it safe to sex the kits? I had someone tell me if I sex a rabbit when it's too young I could possible damage the reproductive organs. He hedged on that a bit saying he wasn't sure but had heard it from someone else. Because of what he said I'm asking this question. I figure I'll have to wait until around 12 weeks before I consider attempting it otherwise I'll not see that which I need to see.

4) This summer I'll have a doe deliver kits. I could have her deliver them in the mini barn or in the outdoor hutch. Is it best to have her in the mini barn versus in the outside hutch when delivering and raising the kits? Also, assuming it is suggested to have her deliver in the mini barn, is there any harm in leaving her outdoors until say a week before the due date then moving her into a hutch in the mini barn?

5) I had a doe (first time momma) abandon the kits. Any tips on avoiding that in the future? I had her housed in the mini barn. Poppa was right next door clearly visible to her. There were five other rabbits in the mini barn too. I put the nesting box in two weeks prior to delivery thinking she'd be more accustomed to the nesting box by the delivery date. I've since been told not to put the nesting box in until about 3 days before delivery, so I know about that but welcome any other tips.

6) Been wondering about some way to line the bottom of the nesting box. I noticed the kits I have now from early on moved all the hay and hair around them and so were sleeping on the wood floor of the nesting box. Any suggestions for lining the bottom of a nesting box to keep the kits off a cold wood floor?

7) I've had a heat lamp in the mini barn due to some cold nights up here in the Colorado mountains. Been considering making a heating nesting box but not sure that would be a good idea for a couple reasons one of which it could be an electric hazard. Anyone ever build a heating nesting box or heard of such an item? Maybe I'd be better off with the heating lamp which, by the way, does not shine directly on any of the rabbits but in an open area of the mini barn.

8) I could not find a place on this website which spoke only to raising rabbits. I wanted to find a discussion on something along the lines of top 10 tips for getting a doe bred and ensuring she doesn't abandon the kits. Is there someplace on this website where I could find something like that or would information of that nature be sprinkled about this website?

Thanks in advance for any help even if it only addresses one item.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

1) Any suggestions on how to get a doe to accept her nesting box? I have two nesting boxes which I plan to share at various times with four does. I suppose sharing them is acceptable if I clean them well between use. I am interested in what others say in this regard. I read in an older book on raising rabbits where Pine Sol is a good cleaner and the rabbits don't mind the smell.

In my experience, rabbits aren't that particular about smell. I use wooden nestboxes which are difficult to clean, but provide better insulation and traction for the babies. I usually rinse these with warm water and mile dish soap, then dry in the sun between litters. But to be honest with you, I've taken them right from one mom to another when time was tight. They don't seem to mind either way.

2) I currently have a doe with five kits. At 8 weeks I plan to separate them from momma. Momma and kits are in the same 3' x 3' cage in an insulated mini barn. There are five other cages of the same type/size very close to the cage with momma and kits. My question is when I separate the kits from momma, should momma and kits be placed far apart such that they cannot see each other? I have several outdoor hutches where I could place momma or the kits so they cannot see each other. I ask this quesiton because I wonder if momma will be more upset when separated from the kits if she cannot reach them but still see them or if should would be more upset if she can't see them as well as not reach them.

Again, rabbits don't seem to mind much either way. When I separate the kits from mom, I put them in whichever cage(s) is available. Sometimes it's close, sometimes it's not. They're fine.

3) At what age is it safe to sex the kits? I had someone tell me if I sex a rabbit when it's too young I could possible damage the reproductive organs. He hedged on that a bit saying he wasn't sure but had heard it from someone else. Because of what he said I'm asking this question. I figure I'll have to wait until around 12 weeks before I consider attempting it otherwise I'll not see that which I need to see.

It will not damage the reproductive organs to sex the kit young. You can safely check gender at any time.

You will likely need to practice a bit before you can accurately sex the kits at a young age. Most people will be able to correctly identify bucks and does at about 6-8 weeks of age. You should check again at 10-12 weeks to make sure none of them "changed." As you become more experienced, you'll be able to tell much earlier on.

4) This summer I'll have a doe deliver kits. I could have her deliver them in the mini barn or in the outdoor hutch. Is it best to have her in the mini barn versus in the outside hutch when delivering and raising the kits? Also, assuming it is suggested to have her deliver in the mini barn, is there any harm in leaving her outdoors until say a week before the due date then moving her into a hutch in the mini barn?

This is your judgement call. A skittish doe would probably be more successful inside, but most would do fine either way.

5) I had a doe (first time momma) abandon the kits. Any tips on avoiding that in the future? I had her housed in the mini barn. Poppa was right next door clearly visible to her. There were five other rabbits in the mini barn too. I put the nesting box in two weeks prior to delivery thinking she'd be more accustomed to the nesting box by the delivery date. I've since been told not to put the nesting box in until about 3 days before delivery, so I know about that but welcome any other tips.

It happens. Unfortunately, kits are very hard to raise by hand. It's usually best to breed 2-3 does at the same time. That way, you can foster kits to another litter if one doe doesn't take care of her kits.

6) Been wondering about some way to line the bottom of the nesting box. I noticed the kits I have now from early on moved all the hay and hair around them and so were sleeping on the wood floor of the nesting box. Any suggestions for lining the bottom of a nesting box to keep the kits off a cold wood floor?

Mine like the bare floor too, it's okay in the spring/summer. You'll probably find that the kits tunnel more into the fur and hay in the winter.

7) I've had a heat lamp in the mini barn due to some cold nights up here in the Colorado mountains. Been considering making a heating nesting box but not sure that would be a good idea for a couple reasons one of which it could be an electric hazard. Anyone ever build a heating nesting box or heard of such an item? Maybe I'd be better off with the heating lamp which, by the way, does not shine directly on any of the rabbits but in an open area of the mini barn.

Some cage companies make nestbox heating pads. I haven't used them. Even in the cold of the winter, if the doe builds a proper nest, it keeps the babies warm enough.

8) I could not find a place on this website which spoke only to raising rabbits. I wanted to find a discussion on something along the lines of top 10 tips for getting a doe bred and ensuring she doesn't abandon the kits. Is there someplace on this website where I could find something like that or would information of that nature be sprinkled about this website?

I don't know of a thread like that on this website, but I'm sure the topic has been discussed before. Feel free to ask any specific questions you have.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I agree with all of Julies answers. The only difference we have is lining the nestboxes. We also have wooden boxes and we line the bottom with cardboard. It helps absorb urine and keep it from soaking the bottom of the box. We change it between litters and replace it when wet.

 

[squidpop]

I have some tips for breeding the doe #8

This is what I do. Two to three days before the date I want to breed, I swap cages, I put the doe in the bucks cage and the buck in the does cage. All the smells stimulate them to breed. I do it before I go to bed. When I wake up in the morning I check the doe's vent for readiness. It should be swollen bright pink/red to purple. She should look like she wants to breed, when I pet her back end she should lift a little bit. If she doesn't seem really ready, I do the cage swap for a second night. No use even putting them together until the doe is ready. Then when I do put them together, I always put the doe in the males cage and I watch and make sure no one gets hurt- and also make sure the buck doesn't get turned around the wrong way because I've read where someone had a buck that got his penis bitten :shock:
I don't leave the buck and the doe together after they have bred, I worry that the doe might hurt the buck.

There are pictures on how to check the does readiness here and lots of breeding tips. http://rabbittalk.com/judging-a-doe-s-readiness-and-breeding-tips-t9869.html