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Reproduction Problems in the Doe

"Unbreedable Doe"
I have had does very picky about the bucks they're with. Some prefere to only accept the older more experienced bucks. I put a doe in with a young buck, and it was supposed to be his first time, and she didn't want no part of him. So I moved her to an older buck, and she accepted right away. If the doe still won't accept after trying another buck, check for Vent Disease (you should always check before you mate, shame on you :P)
Clear the fur from around her bottom if she is long haired. And finally if she STILL won't respond, she may need something more. This sounds icky but it's a neat trick I learned at a show. Go like you're going to "sex" her to determine she is female. Have you ever noticed how some "jump" when you do that? Keep doing it, till she jumps and then try. I found if you arouse her some she should take. If this still doesn't work, you should think about culling her or give her another day or 2 and try again.

"Unpregnable Doe"
Does are able to care for young at 5 months old for small breeds, and up to 10 months old in larger ones. I would say a doe only has about 3-4 years of breeding if she is strictly a brood doe. Other does who are bred once a year may produce litters up until they die of old age. I have had 9 year old rabbits have large healthy litters. Some does just aren't able to get pregnant. Below I talk about a doe who was born without teats. Some does are just never able to have babies. It is a genetic disease not to. I have a Fuzzy Lop now, who hasn't produced a litter in a year, and when she did, it was only one baby. These does should be culled or kept strictly for showing or for a pet. Also it could not only be the does problem, check out your buck and make sure he has no problems down there. Maybe he is too old? Check out the breeding problems in the buck section on the site.

Mastitis
This is a caked breast. All or one may have it. Signs are death of kits. Kits may die suddenly and rapidly. The breast will be hard and painful, and the teat will be hot. This can occur from an injury, or if a previous litter was weaned too early and the mother couldn't rid herself of all that milk. It also happens if a litter was killed very early before they could be weaned.
The best thing to do, would be foster the kits to a different mother, or hand raise them. You will have to give the mother a shot of penicillin to cure this, and you may have to milk the teats for her if necessary. Also make sure the doe is in good health before breeding her, and make sure she gets the right amount of nutrients from her feed.

Young Doe Death Syndrome
This is does that suddenly die 1-2 weeks after kindling, it's usually young does that are on their first litter. Does who die before they kindle have Ketosis. Ketosis happens when the doe is over weight. It is associated with Enterotoxemia. The only prevention is to restrict feed 24-48 hours before kindling to increase the total feed intake after she kindles.

Over due does
Either the doe was never pregnant, or you have a bigger problem. It could be the kits died inside the mother, she will have to try to deliever them stillborn. They will more then likly be dead if they are 2-5 days over due.
Fetal Giantism is another thing she could have. The signs are a difficult birth, the doe seems to be straining because of a large fetus. She may sit in the nest box and be 3-4 days over due. There maybe blood on her vulva. This usually happens more in does who have small litters (1-2 kits) or are over weight. The only treatment for Fetal Giantism is a C-section, but breeders often can't afford this, and let the animal try to deliever on her own. The best idea is to seek professional help, because the doe could die in delievery. Don't breed does that have tiny litters, and keep them at an ideal weight.

Cold Kits
If the kits aren't warm in the nest box, you're gonna have to try to get more fur in there and make sure they stay together for body warmth. If they still won't get warm, then something is wrong with them and they're going to die anyway. They could be laying in urine, causing them to be cold. This usually happens before they get their fur. I have found if the kits aren't bright pink, then they usually die. Also make sure they have the milk line on their stomach to make sure they have been eating right.
 

Dandruff
This is more common in babies who are about a week to 2 weeks old who have been nesting in their own feces and urine. The best thing to do is to keep the nestbox clean and make sure the mother isn't soiling it. I get this alot with my Fuzzy Lops, I try to keep the boxes clean. Dirty nest boxes often lead to "Nest box eye" when the babies get to the age when their eyes open, their eyes are sealed shut and are filled with pus. Their eyes should be opened carefully and cleaned with warm water, and the nest box should be cleaned out and the hay gone. Babies should be out of the nest box, no later then 2 weeks of age.
 

Cannabalism
Mothers often do this accidental while trying to clean the babies off during delivery. Other mothers are bad and eat the babies whole. Some mothers get scared, from predators and eat the babies. This usually happens in young litters from kindling time to 10 days. I have mainly seen it at kindling time. Babies who are still alive and missing a leg or an arm will probably die and there is nothing you can do for it.
It's more common in first litter does or does with a history of it. Nervous does tend to do it more. Don't breed does who have a history of it or tend to be over nervous. Give them good kindling conditions and make sure to keep the rabbitry calm.

Aglacta (failure to milk)
Signs: Kits don't gain weight, dehydrate, are listless. This can happen from birth to 3 weeks of age. I had a doe one time who had no teats at all! Luckily I noticed this in time and I was able to foster them to another litter. The treatment for this is the use of oxytocin to stimulate milk production. If the doe has no teats then you must foster them off.

Scattering & Orphaned kits
This happens when the doe doesn't make a good enough nest and the kits wander all over the box. They could get away from eachother and freeze easily so the best thing to do would be foster them to another mom, or try to fix the nest up for her. Kits can also be born on the cage floor and die, so make sure to put them in with the rest if it's alive. Warm it up, if the kit is cold first. If this doe doesn't care for the kits, she is not a proper mother and shouldn't be bred at all anymore unless you have a mother to foster them off to. Kits can survive up to 72 hours without milk. Mothers usually feed once a day, if the babies aren't getting any food at all, they will need to be fostered or hand raised. This can also happen if the doe dies after having them.
 

Vent Disease/Rabbit Syphilis
The vulva or penis will have a scabby inflamation. This may lead to "scabby nose" if untreated. This is contracted by sexual contact and should be cured before bred to another animal. Penicillin ointment to the genitals is a good treatment. Others use a shot of penicillin till it is gone.