Somebody kick me good!! (LO-ONG)

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

birdlover

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
127
Reaction score
0
Location
Fairfax, Virginia, USA
What is that expression: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me?

I don't expect sympathy, believe me. I have been keeping an unneutered male in a small upstairs bathroom off my bedroom. I never intended to keep him at all but he was residing under our balcony and when the huge blizzard arrived just before Christmas, I brought him in. (It's a whole other long story). So my four pet buns live in my laundry room - a neutered male, his girl friend and two daughters (not by him - she arrived preggy and I didn't know it - that's the fool me once part). Well, I let them out to hop around the house every day and they've gotten really good about going back in the laundry room to do their business! (sorry - off topic) I started letting the upstairs bun out into my bedroom for exercise and, one time, ONE TIME, I forgot to shut the door when I was in the bedroom and one of the daughters (now 6 months old) snuck in unbeknownst to me. I left the bedroom and shut the door, locking the two of them together. You know where I'm going with this, don't you??!!

Okay, she had 5 babies yesterday in a corner of the laundry room. It wasn't a surprise really. She'd been making her nest for several days and, yesterday, she tore a bunch of her fur out. Sure enough, the next time I looked, the fur was wiggling and there they were. Go on! Kick me! Kick me hard!!!

One of the babies was not doing well at all. It was wrinkly, cold and the fur had stuck to him. I cleaned him off best I could and snuggled him between the other four. I haven't seen him today. WILL THE MOTHER RABBIT EAT ONE THAT'S DEAD because I can't find it anywhere amongst the nest material.

I know it's a no no but I am letting nature take it's course. I have not isolated mother and babies and the main reason is we have 3 feet of snow on the ground and I can't get under my balcony to get the dog crate. I have a folding dog fence just outside our sliding glass doors but it is frozen solid in ice. I can't budge it. I have no where else to move her or the other three but I have been keeping a solid watch on what's going on and they all seem to be adjusting fine. The other two girls (grandmother and sister) go over and snif the nest periodically as well as the mom and she goes over the most to check on them. Here is the interesting thing. I was probing around in the nest material trying to find the baby I think is dead and GRANDmother ran over and attacked my hand! The first time I thought I was imagining it but she did it again when I ignored her. I thought that was really interesting that the grandmother protected the nest and not the mother. Does anybody know if this is typical behavior?

The four bunnies are all different colors: 1 black, 1 chocolate, 1 blue and 1 light reddish brown. I'll try to get pictures when they're just a little older. Thank you for letting me share my tale of woe with you. I have no idea what I am going to do now. Sorry this is so long.

Ellen (aka birdlover)
 
UPDATE: I tried to edit my post above but it wouldn't let me


I WAS ABLE TO HAMMER OUT THE FOLDING FENCE FROM THE ICE. I SAW GRANDMA RABBIT BEING MEAN TO THE MOM (HER DAUGHTER) SO THAT GAVE ME ADDED INCENTIVE TO SEPARATE MOM AND BABIES. I HAVE GRANDMA OUT OF THE ROOM UNTIL I CAN GET ALL THE ICE OFF THE FENCE AND SET IT UP. Honestly! I'm learning something new every moment.
 
I'm not sure if the mother would eat the dead baby or not. In most cases, you want to remove any dead babies or left over placentas because they will rot and make the other babies sick.

I would move the nest into a nest box (empty shoe box will work, or dish tub) so that it is easy to check on. Just put a little bit of litter in the bottom, lots of hay on top with a hole in the middle and transfer the other nest to the box. Mom will figure it out and go in the box to feed her babies.

I would pull the new mom out of the room and put her in the pen. Put the nestbox in one corner and litter box in another.

You will need to make some baby bumper guards for the pen as the babies will be able to squeeze out. Use some card board or something, and line the bottom of the pen. About 6 inches should be enough.

-Dawn
 
I dont know much about rabbits, especially about having baby rabbits but I do know that when everanyone around my house has a baby, we always seperate mom and babies from everything else.



Moms are funny creatures and you just never know what they may do.



It kinda sounds like grandma is trying to take over the babies?
 
Thanks so much for your responses! Dawn, I already put the nest in a box and they are all settled in to a "nest hole". The bun I think must have died was not dead when I put it with the others last night and, this morning, as I said, I could not find it. I put the fence across an area of the room so mom can be with her babies and not be disturbed by the others. The nest box is in the same corner where she kindled and I put a litter box in a separate spot. At first, she seemed agitated not to be able to hop around freely but, this evening, she seems settled in and peaceful. I will definitely make bumper guards when the babies start to move about.

Txsouthrngirl, I thought Grandma was acting too possessive too and that's another reason I put up the fence. What if she wouldn't let mom in the nest to nurse??!! So, for tonight, at least, everything is under control.

Thank you again for your responses.
 
Sounds like she has a good set up. Separate, but not moved.

The baby might have been chilled, but not dead. Warming up the a chilled baby will often lead to them surviving. So he may have warmed up from the body heat of his siblings.

You should post some pictures of them!

-Dawn
 

Latest posts

Back
Top