Hey everyone heres the best breeding tip you'll ever get...
Always breed at least 2 does at exactly the same time. This way if theres a problem you have back up!
If you need to place babies from one moms nest in with another mom I found a great way thats never failed me yet...
Take the good working doe out of the cage and well away from her nest so that she cannot see or sense what your doing. Ideally in a run where she can stay there for a hour.
Next take the poor babies in need of adoption and place them underneath the babies in the good working moms nest. (If your doe is chilled and has a good bond with you, another thing to try is putting her on a pillow on your lap and place the adoption babies underneath her, let them try to feed while you keep mom still and calm by stroking her head. Do this for 5 minutes prior to placing her in the run to give the babies extra chance of exceptance.)
Now leave them to gain the sent from the straw and fur all over their body from being in the nest with the original babies. *Don't worry about mom and feeding times etc. She has a her own body clock that tells her to feed her babies. If she can't get to the nest to feed them at that time she will complete the task once she can get to them.*
After about an hour fill moms food bowl and water bottle and place an extra tasty snack in there like a small handful of Feeding Hay/Kale/ Spring Greens or other favourite bunny treats. Keep the food and treat away from the nest (other side of the cage).
Mom should become distracted by the tasty food and snack then probably take a drink before checking her nest. By this time the adoption babies will have mingled with her babies and be smelling more like their adoption mom. She can't count so she won't know any difference! The babies stand 90% chance of surviving this way compared to 5% of hand fed.
I had an experienced doe (Nancy) give birth and decide she didn't want to look after her litter this time. I had bred her daughter (Snowy) at the same time. There were 3 kits that were still in the nest but barely alive. I took the 3 kits and followed the steps given above including the pillow. Snowy then bought up the 3 babies of her moms alongside her own. We still have one of them today, my youngest sons rabbit he has named Pikachu!
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