Hard lesson

Egads! I realized I haven't updated the blog for two weeks: bad, bad.


I learned a hard lesson over the weekend. About a month ago, I bred a doe, but I didn't mark her exact due date down on the calender. I knew about when I needed to put in a nestbox, so when the day arrived, the rabbit got a nice nest full of bedding. No kits. "Oh well," I thought, "she must not have concieved."

Wrong.

I left the nestbox in for several more days, but eventually I had to pull the box out. The temperature dropped over the next few days and we had a bout of freezing, damp weather. Of course, she kindled a lovely litter of eight all over the floor of her cage. The poor babies were partially frozen when I found them the next morning. I felt so terrible about it. If she had a nestbox, that wouldn't have happened! That was not a fun lesson, but I think this breeder got the hint. When you breed your rabbits, make sure you know exactly when they're due so you can provide a nestbox!

On the upside, if you find newborn kits on the wire, you can sometimes save them. This doe's babies were beyond hope. But sometimes even if they appear dead, there's still a spark of life lingering. I've successfully warmed babies by cradling them next to my skin or by holding them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water. You want to make sure your kits are completely warmed before you take them back to Mom.

Until next time,
Hannah