We checked on each of the litters today to ensure all were alive and in good shape. You can tell if a kit has been fed by seeing if it has a “frog belly” – you know how that looks.
After giving each doe a carrot and some milk, we carefully removed the kits from each nest box. Ava (white) had a litter of 11…four white and seven brown. All looked fed and were active. Loretta (brown) had a litter of 9, all either brown or black (they look to all be the same color, but we won’t be able to tell what that is until their fur comes in), and all looked healthy. Squirmy little ones – and they already try to jump (though it looks more involuntary muscle spasms/kicking at this point in their development).
We put the nest boxes back in the cages and neither doe appeared particularly concerned, which is good. Some people who raise rabbits have apparently had mothers kill their litters because they smelled human scent on them…ours were more concerned with chowing down on their carrots. Also, our does are used to noisy neighbors since the chicks are in their brooder in the same room, and it’s been too cold to put the teens outside lately.
We’ll keep an eye on the kits, especially Ava’s since she had such a large litter. All looks good for now, though, and the girls seem to know what they’re doing.