# Who's having litters between now and Christmas?



## TinysMom (Dec 11, 2007)

I've had pms from more than one person in the last few weeks saying that they miss our weekly (or monthly) "who's having litters?" thread...so here it is...

Anyone who has a litter due between now and Jan. 1st - feel free to check in here. Let us know what you have due and when....then update us when you have them - oh - and don't forget...

_*WE LOVE PICTURES!!!!*_


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## BlueCamasRabbitry (Dec 11, 2007)

I may have an MR litter due December 18th. It was an accidental litter with my older doe (who's never been pregnant before; i started a thread about her asking if she should be bred and i'm hoping for the best for her, as she is 2 1/2 years old and she wasn't supposed to get pregnant but somehow did. ray:

So yeah. I'm taking pics of her tomorrow and I'll take a pic to show off her preggo belly.


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## BlueGiants (Dec 11, 2007)

We are hoping for 3 Flemish litters in the next few days. (God willing!) They are due betwen the 12th and the 13th. ray:


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## RAL Rabbitry (Dec 12, 2007)

I had one litter of 3 born this morning and I haveone doe due the 15th

and then 2 does due Christmas eve. I always like having Christmas babies.

Roger


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## polly (Dec 12, 2007)

i have 5 does due 21st December. but ones a first timer so not expecting much off her and Lucy can be funny and Evie only seems to ever have 1 she has built a lovely nest though


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## BlueGiants (Dec 13, 2007)

We had a litter of 6 Flemish born this morning... one did not make it. But "Lucky Me" (the mom) is doing fine, as are the 5 babies. I'm so happy to finally have a new Flemish litter!


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## RAL Rabbitry (Dec 13, 2007)

Congrats Blue Giants!!

What color are they?

Roger


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## BlueGiants (Dec 13, 2007)

There are 3 blacks and 2 blues. The buck (Perseus) is black and carries a very strong black gene behind him. The doe (Lucky Me) is blue. Her milk is in and the babies are nursing. 

(The blues and blacks can be crossed because blue is considered a dilute black and the black gene keeps the blue color darker and richer looking.)

I'm just so happy right now.


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## BlueGiants (Dec 14, 2007)

The litter of 5, (2 blues, 3 blacks), about 14 hours old







One of the Blue Babies







The other Blue baby







One of the Black Babies....


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## TinysMom (Dec 14, 2007)

*BlueGiants wrote: *


> One of the Black Babies....


I'm trying so hard to picture Tiny like that...

peg


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## BlueGiants (Dec 14, 2007)

Yeah well, they stay like "that" for about a day or two, then they start to change. LOL!


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## Flashy (Dec 14, 2007)

Wow! They are MASSIVE babies compared to how my nethies were (for obvious reasons, lol).

I'm so glad that you have 5 kits. How exciting!


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## naturestee (Dec 14, 2007)

Yay for blue flemmies! I so wish I could have one. :bunnyheart


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## JAK Rabbitry (Dec 16, 2007)

My French Lop Paris is due..... oh right now... excuse me...


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## BlueGiants (Dec 16, 2007)

JAK????? Everything OK?:shock: Did Paris have her kits?


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## JAK Rabbitry (Dec 16, 2007)

at 3:20 AM Paris exploded into a frenzy of 9 babies.

5 opals and 4 chins.


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## JadeIcing (Dec 16, 2007)

OMG! YAY!!!!


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## polly (Dec 16, 2007)

wow congrats Blue giants how cute are they will be needing more pics!!

Jak thst excellent you must be really chuffed any pics??


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## timetowaste (Dec 16, 2007)

AWWWW <3 FLEMMY'S!!!


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## Jenson (Dec 21, 2007)

I'm expecting a litter of Standard Rex on Christmas eve. From Missy and Boss. Fingers crossed this litter is successful, she was awful with her last litter and all but one died within a day or two. She's built a nice nest!


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## polly (Dec 21, 2007)

I have babies :biggrin2:

Sophie had 3 looks like 2 agotui's and 1 opal maybe

Delphi had 2 a black and blue otter hopefully 

and Lucy had 3 this morning 1 was dead though. the other 2 look the same as Delphi's.

Just Evie left to go as we think Mrs Opi reabbsorbed!


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## Flashy (Dec 21, 2007)

Congratulations Polly  I hope you get some more too  and I can't wait for pics of their fluffy butts.


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## Leaf (Dec 23, 2007)

*Jenson wrote: *


> I'm expecting a litter of Standard Rex on Christmas eve. From Missy and Boss. Fingers crossed this litter is successful, she was awful with her last litter and all but one died within a day or two. She's built a nice nest!


I can't wait to see pictures of them!


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## Jenson (Dec 23, 2007)

Thanks Leaf!

Well I have a little problem with Missy, she built a nice nest in her bedding area, but this morning she pulled all her fur in the corner of the outside bit of the cage right next to the wire! I didn't give her a box this time because she went nuts about it last time and I wondered if it was part of the reason she didn't look after the kits. I'm not sure what to do as I'm worried about disturbing anything in there in case we have a repeat of last time, but outside next to the wire is not a good place for kits.

What do you guys think?


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## Starlight Rabbitry (Dec 23, 2007)

Can you just put a piece of cardboard up against the wire? This way she won't think that it is a nestbox. 

Sharon


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## Flashy (Dec 23, 2007)

^that's a good idea.

Or try moving the whole nest to a better area. I did this with one of mine and she was fine with it.


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## Jenson (Dec 23, 2007)

Yeah I thinking maybe just have a bit of a cardboard box, so I can have a floor and a side by the wire for them, and then putting some wood across the wire so they don't fall out and arn't stuck in the draft. I'm just so worried that she'll react badly to it, I really want this litter to be successful!

Should I take her out while I do it or let her see what I'm doing? She may bite me if I leave her actually, she gets very moody in the last week or so!


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## BlueGiants (Dec 23, 2007)

I'm a major proponent of using a nestbox. If a doe builds a best in another spot, I'll move the box to her spot and put her nest in the box. It's really for the safety and well being of the babies. (See Peg's Blog about how she lost Girly Girls baby, or JAK's thread about how the baby fell out of the nest and almost died...).

If she didn't take care of them last time, it may have had something to do with being a first time mom, or her hormones (no maternal instinct) or something else. Give her a second chance with a box. 

I try to stongly encourage my girls to put their babies in the nestbox. Keeps the babies together (warmth and comfort) and keeps them safer. Sometimes we have to encourage or show them the right way to do it... for the safety of the babies, we can't let them do it any way theywant.


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## RAL Rabbitry (Dec 23, 2007)

If I have a doe that doesn't want to use a nestbox I don't give her any

choice in the matter. I put her in a smaller cage and put two nest boxes

that are the width of the cage together leaving a small spot in the front of the 

cage just big enough for her food and water crocks. They will generally use

the very front corner to eliminate and the babies are 99% sure to be born in 

a nestbox. My cages all have baby saver wire on them to prevent a kit that

gets out of the box from falling on the floor.

Roger


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## Jenson (Dec 23, 2007)

Yes, this will be her second litter so I'm hoping it was just her being a first time mum last time, but she was okay until the day I put the box in and then she started fretting, I left it thinking she'd get used to it by delivering time but she didn't, she built two nests in the corners and put three kits in each one, I moved them into the box and she kept trying to dig them out of it until I found them all dead and scratched.

I usually just move the babies once they are born if the doe has them outside the box, but she's got me worried about doing that because she really went nuts last time. I've given her a cardboard box with three sides and a floor, so hopefully it's not too intrusive. She didn't seem too bothered by it, so I'm hoping she'll use that.

She's really huge, and I can feel lots of kits in there. Fingers crossed she will look after them this time!


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## Flashy (Dec 23, 2007)

Hopefully the cardboard box won't feel too intrusive, you could try a really shallow try if she doesn't take to that, because it should keep the kits in place, but not bother her too much.

I hope this works for you, Fingers crossed!


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## Jenson (Dec 23, 2007)

Yeah I hope so! Thanks, I'll update here as soon as they arrive.


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## Jenson (Dec 24, 2007)

Missy has had her litter, she had 10! :shock:

She destroyed the box I gave her and rebuilt her nest where she put it, but it's a nice nest and the kits are safe and warm so I'm going to leave her alone.

She looks knackered but she's okay. The kits are one magpie which I'm thrilled to have, one himi, two darker kits that may be sable, not really sure, the rest are dalmations. 

Go Missy! I just hope she takes care of them now.


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## polly (Dec 24, 2007)

:shock2:What did you feed her !!! lol

Well done i am so happy you got a magpie :hugsquish:

cant belive she had 10 though thats gotta hurt!!


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## Jenson (Dec 27, 2007)

Here are the kits. The one I thought would be a himi isn't...it has one single spot! I love it, it's so funny. The darker two are blacks. All 10 are alive and doing well so far.



















The last one is the one I wanted so badly, a little magpie. 

Sorry about the photos, I had to take them on my phone and my shed light isn't very bright.


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## naturestee (Dec 27, 2007)

EEE! Look at that huge pile of babies! Send that magpie to me, will you? :inlove:


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## Jenson (Dec 27, 2007)

You should see them when I pull the fur over to check them, they're like a big wriggly ball! 

And that magpie is definitly staying with me I'm afriad. Once I've got a few I'll be happy to share! :biggrin2:


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## MsBinky (Dec 27, 2007)

I'm not a breeder but on December 18, my foster girl had a litter of 6.

If I am not mistaken, we got 4 brokens (broken castor I think), one castor, and one REW.


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## Jenson (Dec 27, 2007)

Aww they are gorgeous! Congrats to you and the mummy.


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## RunnyBabbitRabbitry (Dec 27, 2007)

My Blue JW doe had 6 babies on Dec 19th, she was bred to a Broken Blue Buck. 

She has 2 blue, 3 rew, 1 broken blue. (sorry they wouldn't stay still for a pic)








My Broken Lilac doe had 3 babies on Dec 24th, she was bred to a Blue Buck.

She has 1 broken lilac, 1 rew, 1 lilac.






These are both first time mothers and are doing great so far.

We had one more litter born on Christmas morning, 2 babies, sadly both were still born. My doe was very upset about the whole thing, she made the greatest nest. She will get a chance again to have more babies. She is now acting better about it.


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## Jenson (Dec 28, 2007)

My 'magpie' kit turned out to be a harlequin. Bit disappointed, but I love harlequins anyway so I'll still keep it. The orange parts were white until this morning, and one of the dalmations has developed orange spots as well as his black ones this morning. I've never had a kit with orange on it before, I didn't know it took a while to show!


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## Flashy (Dec 28, 2007)

I'm sorry Jenson, I know how much you wanted that magpie.


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## Leaf (Dec 28, 2007)

OMG - Jenson & MsBinky - I must have one form each of you!



I know its out of the question but goodness they are gorgeous!


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## Jenson (Dec 28, 2007)

Thanks Tracy. Maybe next time! 


Leaf, you're quite welcome, I've got plenty!


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## Flashy (Dec 28, 2007)

Yeh, I hope so.

If you bred the doe with the harlequin baby (if it's a buck) would you be more likely to get a magpie? If they both carry the genes?


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## Jenson (Dec 28, 2007)

Yeah, I also have the little buck from Missy and Jay, that Mulch fostered, I will probably use him when he is old enough, and then the harlequin back to Missy, or to that buck. I'll get there eventually, it'll just take years.


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## timetowaste (Dec 28, 2007)

stupid question alert!

....whats a magpie.




tracy


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## Jenson (Dec 28, 2007)

This is a magpie, like harlequin but with white instead of orange.







That doe was the sister of my dalmation Missy, the mother of the kits. The aim is to get a few magpies from Missy and start a little magpie stud!


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## timetowaste (Dec 28, 2007)

TOO cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


tracy


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## MsBinky (Dec 28, 2007)

i love magpies! Mine is just a broken but I love the coloring! I'm so happy you got one. I can't wait to see the pics. =)


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## Ringer (Jan 5, 2008)

Question??



My doe had a great first litter. Had 5, one died, but did great with other four.

Then she had a litter where two were born dead then three more live. I took care of last three, cleaned them up and made a nest. Put them where she kept her last litter, in a cube with a homemade nest, by me. She completely ignored them, never pulled fur, nothing. They died.

What will happen with another litter? Is she likely to ignore them again? She seemed to be sick after last litter. Stomach making bad noises, wouldn't eat for a few days, smelly odor,no poos. Now she is better but it took awhile. I would wait a couple of months but could I take a chance on mating her again? I wouldn't want to go through her ignoring them again. Not for nothing. she doesn't make nests but did have them in a safe place the first time and covered them with fur.


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## BlueGiants (Jan 5, 2008)

I'd be real cautious about bredding her again. Have her checked by a vet (maybe a check for coccidiosis, worms, pymetria (uterine infection), etc.) She knew something was wrong and she wasn't up to caring for the babies. Have her checked for pasturella, especially look for abcesses around the mammary glands.

Personally, I wouldn't breed her again. It sounds like it took a lot out of her. But I'd get her checked anyway. She may just not have a good maternal instinct. Not all rabbits do, and they really shouldn't be bred. A rabbit that doesn't pull fur and make a nest doesn't start the litter with good intentions. (A lot of breeders feel that poor maternal instinct can be passed from mother to daughter... so you end up with a line that refuses to care for it's young and you constantly have problems.)


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## Rabbidashery (Jan 10, 2008)

OMG! I am so jealous of all these beautiful babies, I want to cry! I have only had ONE litter since July! And that was born on Aug. 6th! Whah!!!! 

Well, I always give my does a break during the high heat of July/Aug. and I don't like to breed too much in Sept/Oct, either. That way I give 'em a bit of a break. I don't like to breed my does all year long, but I will sometimes still try to get 1 or 2 litters during that time out of the does that have gone the longest w/o having a litter so as to keep them from getting stagnant. LOL! I also didn't breed at ALL this fall because I knew I was going to be moving on Nov. 15th, and I didn't want to move mommas. If they're preggo, there's a high chance they'll just reabsorb the kits and if they're brand new mommas, they may abandon or kill their babies if they get stressed or feel threatened. So rather than take that chance and put any of my does into more stress than they wuold already be under, I just opted to not bother breeding them for their own sakes. 

I did try to breed 4-5 of them about a week after we moved, so they were due around xmas or shortly thereafter, but I think that was too close to the move and they were still too stressed out, because out of all the does I bred...NONE of them had kits! I had also bred 3 other ones 3 wks after we got here and I'm waiting to see if they're going to have any. They're due between the 22nd and 25th of Jan. and I have hopefully a few more due about a week to week and a half later. 

I just palpated my does again last night, 3 I think there'sa good possibility that they are and the other 4 I really can't tell. Just too early. So I'm sure out of 7 I've just GOT to have at least 2 or 3 take, right? LOL! I'm to the point where I don't even care WHO has babies, just as long as SOMEONE does! ROFL!


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