caramel17 wrote:
I would like to know if it would be a good idea to breed my Mini Lop, Snowflake again, she is a first time mother, she had 5 kits, but she wouldn't build a nest, and all of them died shortly after their birth, she ate the body of one also, I read that this is normal, but I am scared that if she has kits agian she will do the same thing! If it would be a good idea, just to see if she does the same thing, when is the soonest that I should breed her again????
It is very common for this to happen, so don't get discouraged. A doe usually does not actually cannibalize her kits, but first timers can have difficulties kindling (delivering the babies). When this happens, they may "assist" the process by trying to pull the kits out themselves and, in turn, cleaning up the mess. In other cases, if babies are born dead or pass away shortly after birth, they may try to clean up the nest by eating them. Rabbits are prey animals so leaving dead kits around would not be natural to them.
Now, if your doe were eating LIVE kits, that would be a very different story. But it is pretty typical for a doe to try to clean up a failed litter.
The reason she may have had trouble is because you waited so long to breed her. Rabbits should be bred for the first time around 6-8 months of age. That doesn't completely prevent problems, but it does give your doe a better chance at an easier delivery and better results the first time.
After a litter like this happens, it is best to breed the doe back as soon as possible. She is most fertile at this time, and the longer you wait, the more you risk your chance of not being able to get her started. I know you want to breed for the fair, so under normal circumstances, you would want to calculate desired age and breed based on that schedule. But in this case alone, breeding the doe back as soon as possible will give you the best chance at a successful litter.
It is common practice to give a doe at least 3 tries before calling it quits. Don't give up.
Breeding rabbits is not as easy as it sounds, I have quite a few first timers I'm trying to get started here too. It takes time and patience and sometimes some tough first, second or third tries before the "charm," so to say.
Keep trying! And make sure your doe has plenty of hay to nest with when the time comes.