One of the chocolate litters turned lilac, as you can see above, and possibly even lynx, and the tummies look lighter... it’s a feeding and waiting game.

This period of time is referred to as Nest Box management.  I put my nest box in on day 28 unless the doe starts pulling wool earlier or carrying around mouthfuls of hay, and then I will give it to her early without fear of her urinating in the box, which is the reason used for not introducing the nest box before day 28 on average.  I expect kits between day 31 and day 33 and I keep records of whether my doe kindles early or late, pulls wool and prepares her nest immediately before kindling, a week before, or afterwards.

By day 3, I make my first guesses as to color and sex.  Yes, sexing rabbits at the early age is possible and I’m getting much better at it.  I’m looking for a : male or ; female, basically.  That was how it was put to me by an online advisor.  Another important clue is the proximity of the two tiny openings, because the doe will be much closer together than the buck.  There is no touching the genitalia at this age, like the light compression used at several weeks to partially express the circular shape of the buck.

In the first few days, some of the kits may starve out, and in my first year I scampered like crazy to keep every kit alive, but now I think of it more as a natural process of strengthening he remaining litter.  I no longer morn the loss of the smallest kit, but I do take note on how many kits each doe will cut to.  I do find that a particular doe is more comfortable with four kits, for example.

Using this information is easy-- a doe that raises four kits nicely might have eight kits in the spring, so I will give half her kits to a foster mother and worry less about starve- out losses.  Take special notes about fostering.  Usually, I only foster to a doe who has lost ALL her kits, or I am very careful about which colors go to whom.  I can give three black kits to a fawn doe with two fawn of her own and there are no worries about a mix up, but when breeding FG and with only two colors, a small dot tattoo (NOT MARKER) in the right ear will help to keep the rabbits separate.  I do not use marker on the ears of kits because the mother may reject the kit just because of the scent of the marker, and because the marker may be removed by the doe, or time.

I check the kits Everyday, one at a time, by lifting them completely out of the nest box.  this way I can see if they are clean, if any wool is attached or wrapped on a toe or neck and I can get a feeling for the vitality of the whole litter and keep the count.  It is critical to remove any cold or starved out kits from the box.  If a kit is missing, I will squeeze through the nest material looking for it and also all around the box, the wire, the next holes (how they do that is beyond me, but some are voracious crawlers.

By day ten, it is prudent to clean the nesting material and the box and give fresh bedding material, and new material can be added as the doe eats it, everyday.  Between days 13 and 21, depending on the box, the litter, the weather and your intuition, it may be time to remove the box completely.  I have predators at certain times of the year so I leave the box, or a wooden platform in the hutch so that the rabbits can escape having toes (and or more) grabbed through the wire.

I am already making my selections by the first week, as tentative as they may be.  I chose the phat meaty stout wiggly ones with strong apparent color. As the kits get older, I watch for other characteristics and I hope to post the progression online, as kind of a walk through.

Nest box culling is the removal of undesirable elements in the litter immediately upon observation.  A kit with apparent deformities such as missing appendages need not be culled if special arrangements can be made for it’s constant care later, but sick kits with diarrhea, or kits with abscesses around the mouth or genitalia-- which shows the doe is a carrier of staph and has an internal organ infection, need to be removed and put into isolation or in the medical ward and administered chemical antibiotics, which may or may not help.  Some breeders will just remove the weakest kits above a certain number they predetermine, but most do not.  There are plenty of rescue agencies where people are waiting with baited breath for the chance to nurse an ailing creature back to health.  the most important feature of keeping records of litter health is to quit breeding a doe that consistently produces less than outstanding healthy litters.  We have enough pet rabbits.

Betty Chu, who has raised EA for over 27 years and has 14 GOLD STARS never culls-- not adults and not kits, but practices “very selective breeding”.  I believe this selection is based on excellent note taking and record keeping and spending time getting to fully know your animals.

And remember, you are not your rabbits.  If you have a problem in your rabbitry, do not let anyone put you down or make you feel badly.  Take the best care of yourself and your life, including your rabbits, and ask for help from rabbit clubs and ARBA and study to find the answers to your questions and remember to be gentle with yourself and these delicate creatures we love.