This is one of those posts that I hope I don't have to write and yet this is the reality of rabbit keeping...at least, sometimes.
I had a difficult start this breeding season, partially because the heat of summer stayed well into the autumn season, which probably contributed to why the first breeding did not take—the bucks must have been heat sterile. Then there was the fact that I only had two does breeding age to start and I wanted to show them both, but especially Luna, who did not do as well as I hoped at first but when the cooler weather came, she finally went into prime condition, won her legs, and was ready to be bred.
Finally, I had pregnant does, but....
Twilight, a first time mom, was clueless after she kindled and wanted to lie in the nest, but after separating her from her kits a few days until her milk came in, she was a great mother to her four kits and they are all looking healthy, fast growing, and quite wide.
Canyon had three—one black, one blue, and one white—confirming my suspicion that Astro Man carried white. I did not think I would have to worry about Canyon who was a proven good mother, but the next day I found her lying in the nest and the white had died. I separated her until her milk came in and she was great with the remaining two. However, I did something I normally would not do because the following doe, Luna, was an arranged breeding so not exactly fitting perfectly in the kindling suite rotation schedule. I had to move Canyon and her two out of the kindling suite early, before their eyes were open, so I moved them to a regular nesting box and just a couple of days later found the black outside cold. So, now we are down to one blue from that kindle, yet it seems quite small.
Luna only kindled two—one black and one blue—at least so I thought. She actually kindled three but one was not with the other two in the nest box and died. I usually feel around thoroughly just for this reason, but I missed that one. This was a real disappointment because it was a trade breeding. I was hoping for a larger kindle.
All three does having small kindles seems to be an odd coincidence. I am thinking that I have been supplementing them too well, possibly causing fat on the ovaries, which can cause infertility. I need to find a balance because Luna was not in prime condition until I supplemented her and then she earned her legs for Grand Champion. However, it may also have caused her to have a small kindle.
I decided that I will be backing down the supplements until they are pregnant and building them up slowing so through their time of lactating bringing them back down as the kits are weaning off and see if I get larger kindles.
As of now I have seven kits from three kindles and I would rather see seven kits in each kindle! This makes me worry about Avery, as she also was just bred in an arranged breeding and two of her kits are already spoken for as a promised gift. I would really like for her to have a good number in her kindle.
I can only hope that the few kits I have presently are of excellent quality...and pray that I have larger kindles from this point on.
I had a difficult start this breeding season, partially because the heat of summer stayed well into the autumn season, which probably contributed to why the first breeding did not take—the bucks must have been heat sterile. Then there was the fact that I only had two does breeding age to start and I wanted to show them both, but especially Luna, who did not do as well as I hoped at first but when the cooler weather came, she finally went into prime condition, won her legs, and was ready to be bred.
Finally, I had pregnant does, but....
Twilight, a first time mom, was clueless after she kindled and wanted to lie in the nest, but after separating her from her kits a few days until her milk came in, she was a great mother to her four kits and they are all looking healthy, fast growing, and quite wide.
Canyon had three—one black, one blue, and one white—confirming my suspicion that Astro Man carried white. I did not think I would have to worry about Canyon who was a proven good mother, but the next day I found her lying in the nest and the white had died. I separated her until her milk came in and she was great with the remaining two. However, I did something I normally would not do because the following doe, Luna, was an arranged breeding so not exactly fitting perfectly in the kindling suite rotation schedule. I had to move Canyon and her two out of the kindling suite early, before their eyes were open, so I moved them to a regular nesting box and just a couple of days later found the black outside cold. So, now we are down to one blue from that kindle, yet it seems quite small.
Luna only kindled two—one black and one blue—at least so I thought. She actually kindled three but one was not with the other two in the nest box and died. I usually feel around thoroughly just for this reason, but I missed that one. This was a real disappointment because it was a trade breeding. I was hoping for a larger kindle.
All three does having small kindles seems to be an odd coincidence. I am thinking that I have been supplementing them too well, possibly causing fat on the ovaries, which can cause infertility. I need to find a balance because Luna was not in prime condition until I supplemented her and then she earned her legs for Grand Champion. However, it may also have caused her to have a small kindle.
I decided that I will be backing down the supplements until they are pregnant and building them up slowing so through their time of lactating bringing them back down as the kits are weaning off and see if I get larger kindles.
As of now I have seven kits from three kindles and I would rather see seven kits in each kindle! This makes me worry about Avery, as she also was just bred in an arranged breeding and two of her kits are already spoken for as a promised gift. I would really like for her to have a good number in her kindle.
I can only hope that the few kits I have presently are of excellent quality...and pray that I have larger kindles from this point on.