Tips for kindling does

[TinysMom]

Do you have anything special you do for does that are kindling, about to kindle - or have kindled? Share them here...

I like to give them a berry flavored Tums for the calcium before they kindle as I hear that is good for them. I found that suggestion on this website (although I've heard of others doing it also).

http://www.welshrabbitry.com/birth.html#doe

Peg

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

*Bump*

I do nothing "Special" for kindling does other than provide an obsurd amount of hay for them to nibble on & build their nest with along with their nestbox.

I keep thier feed rations the same until the kits are about 1 week old...then I slowly increase feed to accomidate for the rapidly growing babies.

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

:bump

Does anyone have anything they want to add?

 

[Bramble Briar86]

I provide a lot of hay for them as well, i slowly increase their feed *slightly* about a week before their due dateand increase it more once the babies have arrived.I give them spinach or some other food that gives them the calcium they need. I also bring my does inside and put them on a solid-bottomed cage until the babies are around two weeks old.

Ellie

 

[Dwarf_Angel04]

I give the does straw as they like to keep the hay for themselves. I alsogive my does a weak solution of Rasberry Tea. I've had many issues with stuck kits and does having problems at birth. Therefore, I give it to does at night on day 30 that way they have it available all of day 31. The does love it and at the same time it helps 'ease' those muscles used in the birthing process.

 

[RogerL]

I monitor the bred does pellet intake very carefully. I have a doe that

will produce fetal giants if her feed intake is increased while she is

pregnant. They get plenty of hay in their cages and I also watch them

to make sure that they are interested in the nestbox and not building

a nest on the wire. If they are building nests on the wire I put another

nestbox or even two in their cage to not give them a choice. I just had

to do that with a first time mother who took all the hay out of the

nestbox and started her nest in the opposite corner of her cage. I lined

up three nest boxes in a row and blocked the whole back of the cage and

gave her no option to have them on the wire. When she kindled I took

the other boxes out. She had 4 beautiful castor mini-rex babies.

Roger L

 

[flemishr2cool]

If she isn't already over there, we put our does in the back of our garage/barn, away from the bucks and juniors. For first time mom's we will put a blanket between her hutch and the next hutch so she does not see any other rabbits. We will put shavings and hay in a nest box and put it in the corner they don't defecate and urinate in, and then put extra hay on the cage floor so she has plenty of materials for the nest. The day she is going to kindle we hang a heat lamp over the cage (unless it is summer) just in case, and while she is kindling we will go out and check on her to make sure she isn't have problems or bleeding, or that the kits are alive and in the nestbox. Our rabbits are handled frequently and are fine with me handling kits while she is delivering, so I wouldn't suggest this if you do not interact with your rabbits frequently. Our goal is to make the whole kindling process quiet and safe for the doe.

Julia Crawford