Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Babysitting
After having such a tough year getting babies from my herd, I'm a little more sensitive about kindling days and newborns right now. Yesterday, I had six does due. So, the first thing I did after breakfast was go check on my mamas.
The first thing I noticed was that Jo-Jo had had a litter, but the babies were a little scattered and very cold. So, I collected them up to take them inside. But, before I could get out the door, I noticed that Francesca had just delivered. She was cleaning up the babies.
So, with one handful of babies in my shirt, I proudly looked on as Francesca had the last of her babies and continued cleaning. I've never seen how a doe gets the babies all settled into the prepared space, but Francesca demonstrated a rather un-delicate maneuver - just paddling the whole group with her front feet between her back feet and into the prepared hole.
It was a joyful sight until I realized that she had "cleaned" one of the baby's ears off. To my horror, I found that five of the seven had had an ear removed. Good grief. I scooped up the remaining two and took them inside for warming.
I've described my warming method before, but for those of you new to the BLOG, I'll repeat it. I take a plastic container such as a shoe box or square storage container. Then I fill a one-gallon zip-top bag with very warm (but not hot) water half full. You must be able to keep your hand comfortably under the water as it comes from the faucet. I put this water "mattress" into the plastic container and cover it with a towel. Then I add the babies. I cover them with another towel straight from the dryer. I check the set-up every half-hour and change the mattress and towel as they cool. I keep babies inside and on the mattress for a minimum of two hours after they warm up.
So after getting the first group set up, I returned to the barn to check the other does again. This time, I found that April, another first-time mom, had had five in the front of her nest box. I had overlooked them the first time. There was one broken black - the whole motivation for doing that breeding. It was not moving and separated from the rest. Of course. But I decided to take them all in and warm them, even though only two looked viable. It's a good thing I did because they all revived on their waterbed.
I checked on Jo-Jo's babies and found that she had cleaned off an ear (what is up with that?) Upon closer inspection, I do believe that was a peanut. But then I discovered that she had eaten a bunch of the skin on the skull of another kit as well. It eventually died. Also another peanut did not make it. But I did end up with three viable kits from her (that's her normal litter - this will be her fourth in a row with three viable kits).
After a couple of hours, I took the kits back to their mamas. I gave the two "peanuts" from Francesca to Jo-Jo. First of all, I didn't trust Francesca to be over her ear-removal stage. Second, I didn't think two really small babies would make it well together in the winter. Since there were seven in the litter and all were small, I hesitate to label these two definitely as peanuts. I've been wrong before and they are in that sort of middle size that's hard to tell.
The other three does are still fat and have made nests, but nothing yet.
I checked on Jo-Jo and April periodically during the day. I never saw either mother feed the babies. So I feared that after all of that, they would die due to lack of milk.
This morning after breakfast, I was back in the barn. Jo-Jo's babies were fed. She's a good mother and I'm glad I can still rely on her. But April, the first-time mom, hadn't fed hers. I had hoped that she would take after her mother May, a great mother from the very beginning.
She had pulled more fur for them, so that was a good sign. If they starved to death, as least they'd be warm in the process.
I tried giving the babies to Francesca to feed (still nervous about those ears). But she apparently doesn't have any milk. I'll be hoping for much better from her next time.
But when I returned the babies to April, she jumped in and spent about 15 minutes with the babies. I checked to make sure she wasn't eating their ears. Nope, they were VERY fat and happy. So, apparently she does take after her mother May.
Today, I'll spend the rest of the day in and out of the barn, keeping an eye on the other three. If they don't have babies by tomorrow, they are all three going on diets. Those are three chubby chicks!
Tomorrow, I put in three more nest boxes and another three the next day. I hope this is the beginning of a very good February for babies. I don't mind babysitting as long as I get some babies for all of my effort.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:39 AM
The first thing I noticed was that Jo-Jo had had a litter, but the babies were a little scattered and very cold. So, I collected them up to take them inside. But, before I could get out the door, I noticed that Francesca had just delivered. She was cleaning up the babies.
So, with one handful of babies in my shirt, I proudly looked on as Francesca had the last of her babies and continued cleaning. I've never seen how a doe gets the babies all settled into the prepared space, but Francesca demonstrated a rather un-delicate maneuver - just paddling the whole group with her front feet between her back feet and into the prepared hole.
It was a joyful sight until I realized that she had "cleaned" one of the baby's ears off. To my horror, I found that five of the seven had had an ear removed. Good grief. I scooped up the remaining two and took them inside for warming.
I've described my warming method before, but for those of you new to the BLOG, I'll repeat it. I take a plastic container such as a shoe box or square storage container. Then I fill a one-gallon zip-top bag with very warm (but not hot) water half full. You must be able to keep your hand comfortably under the water as it comes from the faucet. I put this water "mattress" into the plastic container and cover it with a towel. Then I add the babies. I cover them with another towel straight from the dryer. I check the set-up every half-hour and change the mattress and towel as they cool. I keep babies inside and on the mattress for a minimum of two hours after they warm up.
So after getting the first group set up, I returned to the barn to check the other does again. This time, I found that April, another first-time mom, had had five in the front of her nest box. I had overlooked them the first time. There was one broken black - the whole motivation for doing that breeding. It was not moving and separated from the rest. Of course. But I decided to take them all in and warm them, even though only two looked viable. It's a good thing I did because they all revived on their waterbed.
I checked on Jo-Jo's babies and found that she had cleaned off an ear (what is up with that?) Upon closer inspection, I do believe that was a peanut. But then I discovered that she had eaten a bunch of the skin on the skull of another kit as well. It eventually died. Also another peanut did not make it. But I did end up with three viable kits from her (that's her normal litter - this will be her fourth in a row with three viable kits).
After a couple of hours, I took the kits back to their mamas. I gave the two "peanuts" from Francesca to Jo-Jo. First of all, I didn't trust Francesca to be over her ear-removal stage. Second, I didn't think two really small babies would make it well together in the winter. Since there were seven in the litter and all were small, I hesitate to label these two definitely as peanuts. I've been wrong before and they are in that sort of middle size that's hard to tell.
The other three does are still fat and have made nests, but nothing yet.
I checked on Jo-Jo and April periodically during the day. I never saw either mother feed the babies. So I feared that after all of that, they would die due to lack of milk.
This morning after breakfast, I was back in the barn. Jo-Jo's babies were fed. She's a good mother and I'm glad I can still rely on her. But April, the first-time mom, hadn't fed hers. I had hoped that she would take after her mother May, a great mother from the very beginning.
She had pulled more fur for them, so that was a good sign. If they starved to death, as least they'd be warm in the process.
I tried giving the babies to Francesca to feed (still nervous about those ears). But she apparently doesn't have any milk. I'll be hoping for much better from her next time.
But when I returned the babies to April, she jumped in and spent about 15 minutes with the babies. I checked to make sure she wasn't eating their ears. Nope, they were VERY fat and happy. So, apparently she does take after her mother May.
Today, I'll spend the rest of the day in and out of the barn, keeping an eye on the other three. If they don't have babies by tomorrow, they are all three going on diets. Those are three chubby chicks!
Tomorrow, I put in three more nest boxes and another three the next day. I hope this is the beginning of a very good February for babies. I don't mind babysitting as long as I get some babies for all of my effort.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:39 AM
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thats great laurie!!
Tell Anna happy birthday, maybe you'll have some valentine babies(rabbits too).
See you soon
Your friend
Peter
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Tell Anna happy birthday, maybe you'll have some valentine babies(rabbits too).
See you soon
Your friend
Peter
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