The “program” moves forward with another generation.
It is always both exciting and a relief when a litter is safely delivered! As almost any English Angora breeder will attest, getting these things to breed, then to get pregnant, then to have a litter the way they are supposed to, IN the nest box, etc., etc., are not things to take lightly. Yeah, the rabbits usually cooperate the way Nature intends for them, but not always; problems turn up often enough to keep us humble.
Tweety’s last litter, by a different buck, is a singleton, and I am very happy with him. This litter is Wicket’s first litter, and therefore especially exciting for me. There are six kits; three black, two tort, and one REW. Because their sizes are so varied, from large to quite small, I am not leaving them in the nest box. Instead, I have placed them into a small cardboard box and am keeping them in a safe place in the house. I will take them to the doe once daily to be nursed. I will place the smallest ones into the nest box first, to let them have a head start on nursing. After the doe has nursed for about half a minute, I will place the remaining kits into the nest. Past experience with this method has shown it to be a good way to help a litter develop more uniformly.
If all goes well, they will be ready to be my junior show team this fall.