Daily Nest Check

Dead kit on edge of nest.

Sadly, Chesna has lost another kit, leaving her with only three live kits.  It was the one from the second delivery that didn't get completely cleaned off.

This is another reason that it is important to check nests daily. Dead kits usually isolate themselves from their littermates (this one, and the ones that died the day before, had all crawled off to another corner of the box, away from their siblings).  However, sometimes they don't.  Those cold bodies pose a risk to their living littermates.  The cold bodies can draw out the heat of the others, which can cause the others to die.

Even when the dead kits crawl off to another corner, they can get squished, and may attract the attention of flies or other nasties, which can also spell disaster for the littermates.

Undeveloped nest.

Upsettingly, Mena still has yet to kindle.  I had hoped that since she had been so eager to breed that she would conceive, no problem.  Of course, it's only been 33 days since she was bred, so there's still a possibility that she may kindle.  (The record for latest litter at my rabbitry is 35 days, but others have seen as late as 40 days).  Still, the state of her nest (very flat and undeveloped) instills little confidence in the idea that she is actually pregnant.

Both she and the buck were unproven, so I can't really point fingers, if she didn't take.  Both were an estimated 8-1/2 to 9 months old, which is usually a prime breeding age.  But, Tron had taken the winter kind of hard, and Mena has been a pig, so it may have just been their condition.  Tron was also bred to Godiva, who is due in another week or so, so we'll just have to wait and see.