Makan anak dan beranak kali pertama

Salam sejahtera,

Fenomena makan anak pada ibu yang pertama kali beranak berlaku pada kebanyakan ibu muda dalam peliharaanku. Baru-baru ini, Stopok-white (anak kacukan English spot dan baka kampung) telah melahirkan anak buat pertama kali. Agak malang kerana aku hanya sempat melihat 5 kepala anak-anaknya sahaja didalam sangkar. Ia telah dikahwinkan dengan Badang, baka NZW pada usia sekitar 5 bulan lebih.

Perkara yang sama juga berlaku pada Sheera sebelum ini dimana aku telah saksikan sendiri ia sedang mengunyah sebahagian dari badan anaknya. Alhamdulillah, bulan lepas Sheera telah melahirkan anak buat kali kedua dengan 4 ekor anak. Kini anak-anak Sheera dah berumur hampir 3 minggu dan semuanya sihat walafiat.

 

Fenomena makan anak ini aku dapati berlaku pada penternak lain. Aku terbaca dalam website Debmark mengenai perkara ini dan dinyatakan maklumat berikut. Secara dasarnya sebab atau cara mengelakkan dari perkara ini berlaku tidak diketahui.

 

Mother Rabbits Eating Their Young.

 

Question: If you could possibly help me with some answers I would really appreciate it. I'm raising angora rabbits and I've got 1 female I can't trust with her babies. She eats them. She has plenty of food and water, but there must be something I'm not doing, or something she needs. If you have any ideas or information I would really appreciate it.

Thank you for your time.

 

Sincerely,

AnnaBelle

 .

Answer: People that raise a lot of rabbits occasionally come across a doe that eats her young. If this is her first or second litter, she may be forgiven for she knoweth not what she doeth. But if she eats babies with each litter, there's no sense in breeding her anymore. There is no known cause or cure. The problem is that rabbits do not have the same motherly instinct as dogs or cats who will protect their young. Some does will simply neglect their young and let them die. The majority of does, however, once they get the knack of things, will take care of their babies to the extent that their limited instinct will allow them. For instance, baby rabbits must remain in their nest box and not come out of it until they're ready because the mother will not take them back into the box.

As far as any rabbit eating a baby rabbit, sometimes it will think that a baby rabbit is a mouse or something and destroy it. Sometimes stress may cause a rabbit to eat its young. Some think that there is something lacking in the diet. In case this is so, offer some alfalfa hay occasionally. If the doe eats the babies as she is giving birth, I think it is because she doesn't know what is coming out of her and will eat the babies as she would her afterbirth. This is caused by inexperience being a mother, though, and she should be given another opportunity.

 

In any case, do not tolerate a doe eating the young after her second or third litter.

 

Dr. Mark Waldo

 

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