Can you foster the kits of one doe to another?

Fostering the kits of one doe to another is an accepted practice in rabbit care and management. When a doe is unable to care for her kits due to various reasons—such as being inexperienced, having a small litter, or health issues—her kits can be transferred to a more able and caring doe. This practice helps ensure the survival and growth of the kits, as they will receive the necessary nourishment and warmth from the fostering doe.

It’s important that the fostering process is done thoughtfully, keeping in mind that the foster doe should be in good health and able to handle the additional responsibility. This approach also helps to balance out litters when does have different numbers of kits, promoting overall wellbeing within the population. The key to success in fostering is ensuring that the kits are introduced to the new doe in a calm manner, ideally shortly after birth, to increase the likelihood of acceptance.