By Charlotte
Tootsie’s kits were born May 25, between 7AM and 10AM. Sadly, we were not watching, which we later
learned we should have been doing. Seven
of the kits were born out of the nesting box.
Two were born in the nesting box, and one of those survived. We are actually pretty well off because it is
very common for does to lose their first litter of kits. Sometimes it takes three to five tries for a
doe to become a good mother.
We called one of the breeders we got our French angoras from
for advice on whether we should put the surviving kit with Snowball’s litter or
leave it with Tootsie. We were advised to
put the lone surviving kit in with Snowball.
I stayed up all night with the rabbits—I was so stressed!
Later I saw that Tootsie was looking for her kit, and she
looked very distraught and concerned.
She went into the nesting box three or four times, pulling more
wool. Finally, after careful
deliberation we decided to put her kit back with her and one of Snowball’s as
well.
The next day we checked carefully and often to make sure all
was well. I saw Tootsie go in and feed
them a few times, so I was pretty proud of my rabbit. Tootsie’s kit has a lot of hair and wrinkles
of fat. I call him Roly Poly. He’s about twice the size of Snowball’s
kits. I think he had a much better start
than Snowball’s litter because Snowball refused to eat her pellets for four
days. Apparently does can become very
picky eaters when pregnant.
Tootsie is very protective of her kits, which is scary at
times.
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| The kits at five days old |
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