Our kits are all dead
by Rebekah
(Bridgewater, MA)
We tried breeding our 2 rabbits and we expected the kits today and we found all 7 of them - DEAD! Momma pulled out some fur yesterday and put it in the corner where she was/did kindle them but when we found them this morning, 2 kits had been dragged out of the nest and the other 5 were together but cold and lifeless. Any idea why? I even put in a small animal heating pad as we live in MA and it is still very cold at night.
***** Karen Sez *****Sure is a disappointment to find the whole litter dead. Sorry. Wish I could tell from over hear what happened.
--I wonder if the heating pad had something to do with it...was it too hot or did the doe dislike it?
--Did the kits freeze to death due to not enough fur or straw, despite the heating pad?
--Did a predator disrupt the doe's mothering instincts?
Hard to tell, without more info. We hope you'll try again - feel free to rebreed the doe within a couple days.