Winter Breeding..

[blackdutch]

I have two litters due next week.. so I'mgetting ready. I've been reading through some articles and I waswondering what your opinions were.

First off, one doe is a first time mother, and the other doe had alitter of 8 that all died for multiple reasons; she wasn't a very goodmilker (the last ones died because they were weak, underfed), a few ofthem got out somehow (possibly stuck to her while nursing)andfroze (she attempted to keep them warm by burrying them in the sawdusther cage). So, this is her second try.My rabbitry isinclosed, but not insulated. The cages are surrounded by wire on thesides, but the bottom is wooden and the ceiling is wooden.

I have metal nestboxes- is this a problem? Should I get/make the wooden ones or will the metal ones do?

Should I get infared lights to hook up above the nestboxes.. will the mother sit on her babies to stay in the light?

I think thats it..lol.

Thanks!

EDIT: Just thought of another question. If I have to send some babiesto the other doe, is there anything I could mark the babies with tosignify they are from the other litter? Also, what is the maximum agedifference a mother will accept? If one doe gives birth a week or lessbefore/after the other doe, will the other doe still accept the babies?

 

[jil101ca]

I'm not an expert by no means but I would thinkthe metal would conduct the cold. I have a wooden box i use for mybigger buns and for my smaller doe I give her a cardboard box just theright size for her.(hubby keeps promising to make her a box)

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

I don't know about the metal nestbox...mine areall wooden. If the mother builds a good nest with lots offur, the babies will be warm. Just remember to check on themoften because if one gets out, it will freeze to death in a matter ofminutes.

For marking the babies, you can use a black or any color permanentmarker on their face. I don't recommend marking the bodies asthe mother will just lick it off when she is cleaning.Everyday you will have to remark them.

Sharon

 

[flemishr2cool]

I have used metal nestboxes with no problem but here is what I do for winter breeding.

1. layer the nest box with plenty of shavings and put hay in the nest box as well as outside the nest box for mom to make nest

2. if possible it doesn't hurt to put tarp around the sides of the cage by the nestbox to cut off drafts, cardboard works too.

3. heat lamps hung above the cage are cheap insurance to making surethe kits stay warm, just make sure the heat lamp is up high enough tonot cause any fires. the heat lamp is usually high enough so it coversthe entire cage so i've never had a mom sit in the nest box just forthe light.

4. change the nest box often so they kits aren't sitting on wetshavings and hay! this is really important as many breeders do nottouch the nest box until they take it out when they wean the kits, butin the winter those kits are sitting on pee filled bedding and that cancause lots of problems.

5. Save any extra fur from mom so you can use it after you change the nest box.

6. as extra insurance if you don't already do so, line the bottom ofthe cage with a thick layer of hay, that way if a kit accidently fallsout the heat lamp and the hay could be enough to keep it alive untilyou find it.

7. I use water bowls for my rabbits but I train my does and kits todrink from water bottles, that way the kits won't accidently fall in awater bowl and freeze that way.

You can also buy these pads that are heated that go under or on thebottom of the nest box but I don't feel comfortable putting somethingelectric in a rabbits cage, but again that's just my opinion.

Julia

 

[flemishr2cool]

on the questions of fostering. I color in theirear, as mom can't usually clean in the ear to well, and I remark everyweek with a marker. I did the left ear in case the marker was still onwhen I tattooed them. With some of my does I could change kits up till4 weeks. They just didn't care. Its not like they can count themeither, they go by sent, so we rub the new kits all over mom and theother kits so she can't smell anything different. You can also putlavender oil on all the kits or just under mom's nose to disguise thesmell of the new kits. I haven't tried it but I have heard of otherbreeders doing it.

 

[calgal981]

I use a couple of metal boxes (I prefer thewooden ones) and use a wooden bottom on them. Its fairly easyto cut and gives good insulation properties to the bottom of thebox. You could also put cardboard on the bottom, but somerabbits love to tear up cardboard. I usually layer my boxeswith about one inch of shavings and then as much grass hay as I canstuff in. Lots of people like using straw, but I prefer thesofter grass hay. I change the nest 3-4 times before I removethe box. I usually check the day of kindling to make surethat it is dry and then will change about day 8, before eyesopen. I will do another change as it gets wet. Whenkits are beginning to get out of the box I will turn it on its side andrebed it (no shavings this time). That way they can alwaysget back into the sheltered area and get warmed up.

Vicki

 

[bluebird]

Iuse the lights sold for baby chics,ido not use heat lamp bulbs, you can cook the babies.i use 100 wattbulbs.right above the nest box.actually i only use these for my dwarfsmy dutch never needed them but better safe than sorry.bluebird

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

I use wooden nest boxes in the winter. I found the metal ones conduct the

cold.

I also mark the ears with a sharpie. I do have to remark them quite often.

I would use a 60W light bulb in a metal shade and only put it over one

half of the nestbox so they can regulate themselves. This has worked for

me even with only a couple of babies in a litter. My rabbits are in an insulated

but not heated rabbitry.

Roger

 

[blackdutch]

One litter has arrived! :colors:

They're adorable! The mommy did excellent, espeically for her firsttime. Pulled bunches of fur.. the only problem is she didn't have themin the nestbox. Which isn't much of a problem, we have wooden bottoms,and shehad them against the side wherethere'sabout3" of wood before the wire starts.I countedsix, there could be more. Pictures should be coming tonight!

One question though.. the parents are both blacks, the dam a black xblack cross and the sire a black x chocolate cross.. So thebabiesare pretty much guarenteed to be black, right? It seemsone is light.. lighter than all the others. Is this normal? To me, itlooks like its light grey right now whereas the "blacks" are a muchdarker grey.

I'll take some pictures to post for you guys. Maybe it will darken up? I don't know.

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

It is possible that the light one could be ablue. In the backgrounds of the parents, there is probably ablue if you look at their pedigrees. Congrats!!!

Sharon

 

[blackdutch]

I was all excited for some random color (likeblue!) to pop out of the nestbox (I checked the sire's pedigree -blacks & chocolates except for one steel, the buck's greatgrand sire)...but now it looks like a chocolate. Here's a picture fromtoday:

So.. doyou guys think it will be a chocolate? (Both sides ofthe pedigree have chocolates in them, so genetically, that's the bestbet.)

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

Yup, looks chocolate to me. Very cute. Can't wait for them to get older, they are little devils at 3 weeks.

Sharon

 

[blackdutch]

Sorry for the long break.. I was in Florida for five days (yay! it was warm!)

Anyways, the other doe gave birth March 3..Same buck as theother litter, and wow, does he throw chocolates! I think there's atleast 3 chocolates.. and I recall mycousin (he was takingcareof therabbits while I was gone)sayingthere were only 3 or 4 babies left because some were born outside ofthe nest and froze. But there could be more; I didn't count, justgrabbedtwo or three out one at a time andlook atthem.

How do you know if the babies are underfed? The last litter the momhad, she didn't nurse too well. I don't think she's nursing well noweither, the babies jump a lot, more than the other litter seemed too,and opened their mouths and stuff. But one peed on me, so if they peed,does that mean they ate? They look kind of plump too me, but you caneven see them jumping in the nest.

And the first litter? There's 8! I "attempted" to count them, althoughthey all kept messing me up by trying to climb back into the bottom ofthe nest.. but I'm pretty sure the total count is 8. Only onechocolate. I was looking at markings, and some of them seemed decent.Sadly, the chocolate wasn't one of the best so I doubt we'll be keepingit. Maybe if the other litter survives there will be a nice chocolatein there.

On a side note.. I got so bored on the airplane I started memorizingthe Dutch part of the standard word for word. I got the whole firstpage memorized =D

 

[aurora369]

If the babies have nice round bellies and their skin on their bellies is nice and tight, they should be getting fed just fine.

If the bellies start to look shrunken and wrinkly, you may want to givethem a chance to nurse off of the other mom for a fewminutes.

As the babies grow and start suckling harder it should encourage mom's milk to come in stronger.

--Dawn

 

[Wee Wabbits]

Youcould try getting some kitten milk replacer to bottle feed some of themif needed, I've had to do this a couple times, also make surethe momma never runs out of water, give her a little bit of oats, andadd some dried cow's milk or goat milk to her pellets. Itwill help with making her milk richer. Give her alfalfa haytoo if you can. The richer the milk the better if she has ahard time feeding them.
If they aren't round and seemhungry try to bottle feed them a little, let her keep nursing them, buthelp her out. The other doe can nurse them a little too,possibly foster some off. If you are worried bout her notaccepting them, try vanilla extract on her nose, or something likethat. Lavender works well too as previouslymentioned.
Oh and you said in your first comment that the babies that died were insawdust. Was it sawdust or shavings. Because babiescan sufficate with sawdust but shavings are fine.
Good luck with the babies, they are cute!

 

[blackdutch]

Honeysuckle Rabbitry wrote:

Oh and you said in your firstcomment that the babies that died were in sawdust. Was itsawdust or shavings. Because babies can sufficate withsawdust but shavings are fine.

Yikes.. I'm not sure... Whats the difference between the two? I've always used them interchangabley.the

I use the stuff that comes in the "bags"(square things)we use for the horses, if that helps at all.

My sister said it was sawdust because shavings are larger? .. None ofthe babies are on it right now, the pens are mostly hay, and the babiesare in the nest on the hay covered in fur.

How do they suffocate? :shock:I never heard of that... Unlessyou mean really fine-grainy stuff getting in their noses..Mines notfine-grainy.

I'm pretty sure the ones that died froze. They didn't make it into the nest.

 

[Wee Wabbits]

Well if it's for horses then it'sshavings. But yeah shavings are larger. Sawdust isthe size of the the stuff that comes from chainsaws, and other saws.Small and gritty. Just thought I'd give you a head's up boutsawdust. How do the babies look? PicsSoon? Can't wait till my litters are born!