*sigh* the joy of breeding netherlands

[polly]

I had 3 litters due this weekend out of those 3 I have had 1 live litter ( 2 alive babies) and 5 dead babiesfrom the other 2. Netherlands can be so heart breaking sometimes

 

[paul2641]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that your litters didn't really work out lets hope the two that did survive will be brilliant show champions.

 

[BlueGiants]

Tough odds there Polly... what a shame. Is it always like that?

 

[polly]

Yep most of the time Cathy. It can be quite hard we have been quite lucky lately but I suppose if I was to go back and work out the odds then we still lost quite a few!

Makes the beverens seem so easy tbh as they just pop em out. I love the nethies dearly but my BEW Belle had 3 and she had problems with each of them and Bruce had to assist all 3 times. I guess I will need to think about finding her a pet home. I may give her 1 more chance witha different buck to see if she has an easier time but then that will be her.

 

[BlueGiants]

That has to be heartbreaking...

 

[polly]

Yes she is a very sweet BEW and I bred her myself. I also passed on Phantom my mismark to another breeder for her to borrow as her daughter lost her mismark and all I could think last night was I want Phantom back lol she is a BUD so I don't have problems breeding her.

I think what I find so heart breaking is that I want to breed to show and better the breed yet you see so many people saying oh we will just have 1 litter or its an accident and they end up with babies. We honestly thought we were gonna lose Belle last night and I don't want that so I think I am going to have to have a long hard think on what I am going to do.

 

[CKGS]

(((Polly))) Sorry to hear about the lost ones. I hope the ramaining ones will be super show rabbits. Fingers and bunny paws crossed for you.

 

[Sweetie]

So sorry to hear about the lost ones. May the others be of excellent show quality and win fist place at every show.

 

[irishbunny]

Oh no I'm so sorry, I love nethies and would love to breed them when I am older, sounds tough though, is it worth it to you?

 

[wabbitmom12]

2 left out of 7...that is rough. So sorry to hear that. Glad Mama made it okay though. I suppose if you'd lost her, that's the only way it could have been worse. :expressionless

 

[Bramblerose]

That is so disapointing, Nethies are a tough breed. I bred them when I was a youth breeder, and only kept BUD's to breed, all my bucks were true dwarfs and I showed only bucks. Limited me a bit, but it was easier on the heart at kindling time. Sorry again.

 

[dynastydwarfs]

I know how you feel. Normally Nethies are tough as but yes, rabbit breeding can be heartbreaking. It is winter in my country and normally I am one of the few who are able to breed thru it but this year has been a mess. I lost 7 litters (all born dead or scattered which is very rare) in the last 3 weeks - all but 2 litters were Nethies. Worst I have only 3 Tan nethies and I lost a doe and her litter last week. I couldn't believe it. I tried fostering but the babies died - which is also unusual for my stock as normally they are great moms. It looks like the doe died of ketosis - not much I could have done. I think that in 18 years I have only ever had 1 doe die of ketosis and now it makes two. These tans are a new bloodline from outside and I think they are more fragile than my bloodlines so it came as quite a shock. Just keep going, there will be a better time next time round. Have you changed the diet in any way or has there been any other animals disturbing the does such as stoats or cats at night when you don't know it? I used to have a poor quality pellet that seemed ok but a lot of kits were born dead until I switched back to a high quality breeder pellet wherepon my babies started surviving again. Trace minerals etc can make a big difference to your survival rate.

 

[polly]

I am so sorry the tan nethies are beautiful

I haven't swopped feed one was her firstlitter so we expect fatalities usually unless its a bud we have bred. the other one I am not sure its either she is t small or not suited to that buck. I think I will give her 1 last try with one of my BEW bucks before I make my choice she is so lovely natured though it would be a shame to let her go.

 

[jcl_24]

Many different factors that make breeding nethies difficulthave been mentioned. Should I take it they are notoriously difficult to breed? Is this usually linked to biology?

I'm sorry for your losses Polly, that must be hard on you. May the remainingkits thrive :hearts

Jo xx

 

[Flashy]

Yeh, nethies are notoriously hard to breed, unfortunately. It causes a lot of heart break as well as joy. A few years ago most of the breeders in my area stopped breeding nethies because they were so hard to do, most swapped to lops or bigger breeds.

 

[jcl_24]

Goodness they must be difficult to breed if many experienced breeders choose to not breed them.

Thanks for the reply Tracy

Jo xx

 

[polly]

Sorry i didn't see this Jo, they are notoriously hard because unless you have a big doe they can have major problems passing kits. Its mainly just the size of them Poles also have problems but generally for different reasons.
I think one of the main reasons nethies have trouble is because they are so small weight wise and they are quite stocky rabbits. I always think of them like the bullterrier of teh rabbit world small and very very stocky!

On the plus side the kits that survived birth are doing really well. on the negative side I have decided to pass Belle my BEW doe on as a pet as I just don't want to put her through it again however I am really going to miss her she alwasy has her nose through the cage when I go into the shed for nose rubs

 

[Flashy]

AW not Belle! I understand why but all the buns of yours I love end up going and I never heard of them again Better for her of course. You better choose her a good home The Dopey rellies are being spread far and wide I like that!