Every time one of our does kindle, we’re like kids in a candy shop. We watch the doe intently to see if she’s pulling fur yet. We constantly check the nestbox to see if she has started to kindle. Once the doe is in the box its like we start a little timer. Ok she’s been in there for five minutes. No one disturb the doe. Without a doubt though someone will be near her cage checking to see if they see movement underneath her in the nestbox. Hey looks like theres at least two babies in there!
We start to wonder if she’ll ever get out of the nestbox. Doesn’t she realize we are waiting with great anticipation to see just how many babies there are and what color they might be. We’ll review the sire’s pedigree and the doe’s pedigree and try to figure out the possible offspring phenotypes. Finally the doe, exits the nestbox and the mad rush to get the babies out begins.
Its like this every time one of our doe’s kindles a litter. That excitement about new life hasn’t changed since the beginning. We’ve been able to take that all in, because we have always spaced out our breeding so that only one doe is due at a time.
That all changes for us this week. I’m anticipating an overload of family hyperactivity as four of our does are scheduled to give birth Tuesday. Yes, instead of the simple one doe giving birth I’m envisioning a mini maternity ward at our house. I’m sure my cell phone will ring off the hook. Dad, Cinnamon is pulling fur. Dad, Mo is in her nestbox. Dad, Boo had 4 kits. Now Star is pulling fur. And so it will go throughout the day.
Sometimes when you get so close to something, or so familiar with it, you lose some of the excitment about those things. Take a child at Christmas. Wow, are they excited about that new toy. They can’t seem to put the toy down. It goes everywhere. Six months later it’s in the pile for the summer garage sale. That’s my fear about this week. Will having so many kits in one day bring down our level of excitement in the future? I hope we never get to the point where a kindling doe is just part of another day. Every time a doe is due, I hope we still all sit at the edge of seats in anticipation of the great event thats about to take place.
I feel the adrenaline building already. Four litters one day!
Rob Usakowski
Three Little Ladies Rabbitry