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| Fetal Giant (first time for everything..) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 30 2013, 01:25 AM (304 Views) | |
| Manders | Nov 30 2013, 01:25 AM Post #1 |
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POWITH!!
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So, I have this doe, whom I got 2 successful litters from before I sold her a year ago. Both litters were normal sized, 3-4 kits no peanuts and grew up perfectly. (Jersey Woolies BTW). I sell her, that person didn't like that she threw shadeds (her dad is a smoke pearl...) second person had zero luck getting surviving babies, would only get fetal giants and DOA's. I have never in the 13 years I've raised woolies had a fetal giant. I bought her back, let her settle in and in a few months bred her. She had 3, 1 peanut, 1 fetal giant and a normal sized kit. None lived, she hardly pulled any hair, and had the normal one on the wire. I'm so confused because I never had a problem before I sold her. I am giving her a break then breeding her to a different buck. I just don't understand, why she would start having issues now? She is probably 3 years old. Thanks for any input or experiences any of you can share! |
![]() Mandy Brown Quality Jersey Woolies Northwest Oregon Jammin Jerseys Web Page jamminjerseys@live.com | |
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| ZRabbits | Nov 30 2013, 05:37 AM Post #2 |
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Love My Lions!
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So sorry to hear of the trouble with your doe. I don't have any experience with fetal giants nor when a doe's kindling changes from healthy kits to various kits with problems. The only thing I can think of was the change in environment (once she was sold). Could be the change in diet? Change in water? She might have not been fed the way you feed her. And water quality can affect as well. Hoping those who have experience can share some insight with you. So sorry to hear of your doe's trouble. KAZ |
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| NeuBunny | Nov 30 2013, 08:11 AM Post #3 |
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Genetics Geek!
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from what little I've been able to find, fetal giants aren't genetic (other than usually being false dwarfs with a true dwarf mom) - it seems to be a general term for a kit that is oversized (relative to the breed, within the litter, or too large to be birthed without assistance). Not unusual for the siblings to die -- if the fetal giant is first in the birth canal it takes too long to deliver and the kits behind it die. They seem to be more common in both first litters and older moms with small litters (and small litter can be relative to the mom's previous litters - a mom that has had a really large litter may throw fetal giants in the next 'normal sized' litter) -- same as large singletons. That's pretty much the total extent of my knowledge - would love to learn more - I always feel much worse about these than peanuts. Interesting that you had a peanut with it but haven't had peanuts from her before. In humans, there is something called twin-to-twin-transfusion-syndrome which happens with identical twins sometimes where one baby 'steals' all the nutrition from the other (via a shared placenta) -- resulting in one very large baby and one small baby. It's actually a pretty high rate (15%+ with varying severity). Like most things, risk for that seems to increase with maternal age. Don't know whether it could happen with rabbits, but don't see why not. |
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| sidd-says-gimme | Nov 30 2013, 09:18 AM Post #4 |
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sidd says stay gold
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I was going to say the same as Neubunny - they are a normal kit, just ended up getting too big. I recently had the same thing happen. The doe had her first litter - 5 lovely, healthy babies. She's a small doe so I was surprised. Anyway, I bred her after that and got a peanut, a large "fetal giant" DOA and a normal kit. The normal one is doing great, but it was quite a difference from 5 healthy kits to a singleton. The smaller the litter, the larger the babies. When one in a small litter is a peanut, it seems to get worse. When we're talking small breed rabbits, especially when the doe is a true dwarf the mortality rate can be quite high with smaller litters. This is why I try to keep my does in production a lot of the time. Since she is getting older, she may have a lower conception rate than she used to. If you want to try again, I honestly would breed her back sooner rather than later. They are generally much more receptive after kindling/raising a litter. Larger litter = smaller babies = easier birth, normally. |
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| ZRabbits | Nov 30 2013, 09:36 AM Post #5 |
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Love My Lions!
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So basically its the age of the doe? And the fact that she's having smaller litters? KAZ |
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| sidd-says-gimme | Nov 30 2013, 10:47 AM Post #6 |
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sidd says stay gold
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I can't say for sure, but there's a pretty good chance that right now her age is causing her to have smaller litters (and therefore, unsuccessful ones). She was having trouble before though, which could have been caused by a number of things. It could also be the time of year... mine have been having small litters with DOAs when that's not the norm. Also, to Manders, nice to see you back. I hope you're having better luck with your other bunnies. Would love to hear how it's going.
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| ZRabbits | Nov 30 2013, 11:21 AM Post #7 |
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Love My Lions!
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Thanks Sidd, since she did have successful litters at the beginning, age and time of breeding could be the answer. Hi Manders, would love to hear about your rabbits as well. KAZ |
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| fuzzypatch | Nov 30 2013, 03:49 PM Post #8 |
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Baby Gandalf ❤ R.I.P.
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I kept getting them. Two of my rabbits kept having litters of fetal giants, and neither of them were what I would consider old, and one of them was a proven doe. I switched my feed, and stopped having issues with them. I was feeding Purina. I've had rabbits have had only one kit, and some that have two. The ones with two were always one peanut, and a normal kit. The only fetal giant litter that I can remember was with two giants, and one normal baby. None of them made it. I think, it's been a while, so it's hard for me to remember, I had a litter with one fetal giant, and a normal baby that lived. But, that fetal giant wasn't quite as big as the others. I still think it was my feed. I was having a lot of fertility issues at the time, and they all stopped when I switched to Pen Pals. |
![]() -::- Kristina -::- Jersey Woolies in Florida -::- Website -::- Facebook -::- Blog -::- The Hoppin' Circle -::- | |
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| ZRabbits | Dec 1 2013, 06:08 AM Post #9 |
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Love My Lions!
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I thought not having the proper food could lead you down the path of fertility issues in your rabbits. That's why I kept Luna on Alfalfa based pellets until after she weaned her first litter. Actually her only litter. I'm planning on doing this with my Flemish Doe. KAZ |
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| fuzzypatch | Dec 1 2013, 03:23 PM Post #10 |
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Baby Gandalf ❤ R.I.P.
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Feed is so important, and it's one of those factors that is often over looked. It's amazing the improvements people can see just by switching to a better feed. Pen Pals fixed my fertility issues. It was like night, and day. It was amazing. No fetal giants, my kits started gaining weight properly, no more issues with Enteritis or fader babies, and a few rabbits that weren't taking finally had litters. |
![]() -::- Kristina -::- Jersey Woolies in Florida -::- Website -::- Facebook -::- Blog -::- The Hoppin' Circle -::- | |
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I hope you're having better luck with your other bunnies. Would love to hear how it's going.


2:10 PM Jul 11