Figure A. Can have a large head but will have a slightly longer muzzle,
slightly longer body, and look like photos of kits in other breeds of
rabbit. You would have a difficult time telling this kit from a photo of
a Mini Rex kit, polish kit, or other none wide headed breed.
Figure B.
kits are extremely short, compact, fat, with large round
almost dome heads much like a peanut's head, unlike a peanut they have a
wide short muzzle and generous folds of skin were a neck would be.
Figure C. is a peanut. They are normally smaller than their litter
mates. They have bulging eyes and a dome shaped head and small muzzle.
Peanuts are born with two dwarf genes and die a few days after
birth. Figure D. Is a large
fetal giant. This kit will be born
long and stretched. It's head will often be elongated from being pushed
through the birth canal. They are born dead or die shortly after birth.
A fetal giant is due to prolonged gestation, a kit born with no
dwarf gene or a doe that's been overfed high protein or rich feed.
If the
mother is overfed rich food or high protein foods sometimes the kits
grow very large while still inside their mother. A kit can grow large by
going over their due date. Going over their due date is more common in
older does at the end of their productivity.
Some breeders give the
older does a dose of Oxytocin on or just before their due date to avoid
this problem. Oxytocin is a vet prescribed drug and is a bit controversial.
I'm told if the doe isn't in labor or isn't close to labor that the Oxytocin
dosage won't work. If Oxytocin is given and causes too strong contractions before the doe
is dilated or if a kit is stuck, it can cause injury or fatality. I'll
leave it to the vets.
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