Please help! Oreo just gave birth but there are only three kits

To my disappointment, my 7-month old Mini Rex/Dutch Oreo had given birth within the last 30 minutes, I assume, and there are only three kits.

I know that smaller bunnies tend to give birth to smaller litters, but I used to breed Netherland Dwarves and the smallest litter was 4 or 5 (she was barely old enough to breed and had just given birth, IIRC).

What happened was, I heard an excessive amount of noise for longer than 15 minutes (I though Gary was just chasing my other male, Bucky), then I heard what may have been a quick sequel, so I ran out and saw the two males chasing Oreo, which never happens for longer than a minute, because she NEVER wants to be mounted. Then I checked the holes in my futon that they tore apart and saw moving, baby bunnies! I immediately removed the males and locked them in my bedroom. I then counted and checked the futon and only found three babies. I checked the floor, other holes, the closet that Oreo ran into and no more bunnies. I saw some wet gel like substance near the nest, so does that mean she just gave birth and can birth more later? Or did something bad happen to the other babies? Honestly though, the kits are very lively, warm, clean and large, so I kind of assume they are more than a day old. But they are completely bald.

I pretty much knew Oreo was pregnant, so I cancelled her and Storm's spay appointments (Storm is also pregnant). Before passing judgement, I know I was irresponsible to allow two males to roam freely with females 24/7, but every time Gary (who I thought was a girl) tried to mount either bunny, they never let him. So I trusted that he never did it, since he is barely old enough to breed (4 months). As for Bucky, his testicles have not really dropped but I may not be keeping him.

I plan on getting Gary fixed first, then Oreo, Storm once she gives birth. I will also be buying two cages (RIGHT NOW) for the males and will only let them out for 4 hours a day until fixed.

Sorry for the long post, just worried that there are other babies.

Rabbits have two uterine horns. Which basically means she could still have some more babies coming if she just gave birth to those first three less than 24 hours ago. Also, how many babies a doe has depends on several factors, not just the size of the mother rabbit. There are even instances where only one kit is born. She may have more later, or she may have only the three. But do check very carefully for any stray kits. They have a knack of squirming into the most unusual places, including across the room to somewhere you wouldn't even suspect.

And testicles don't always get displayed--rabbits are one of several mammals where the male can draw them up inside.

I've heard that "normal" is anywhere from 2-12 kits (and I, too, have heard of only one kit being born on rare occasions). Be aware that since males were around when she gave birth, there's a very good chance that she got knocked up again right away.

If you don't want her having a second litter, talk to your vet about an "emergency spay" (basically the same as a regular spay, just done on a pregnant doe - since the uterus is removed during the surgery, it serves to terminate the pregnancy). I don't remember what the window of opportunity for an emergency spay is, but I wanna say up to maybe 16 days after conception? I could be wrong, though, and I'm sure it varies by vet. I recommend considering this route, as back-to-back pregnancies are extremely difficult on a doe's body (especially one that's not 100% full grown herself yet).

If you don't want to terminate the second litter, then it becomes even more important than usual to supply mom with oodles of extra nutrition. Alfalfa hay is a great supplement, providing extra calcium and protein. You'll want to add it somewhat gradually if you're not offering it already (don't just swap out her grass hay for alfalfa 100%).

Also, you'll want to set up some sort of nest box if you haven't already, move the kits into it and show mom where it is.

Best of luck with your kits! Don't forget to share pics .

Can I ask where you are from? She looks exactly like one of my Mini Rex/Dutch mixes I sold to Rural King.

Augustus&HazelGrace said:

Can I ask where you are from? She looks exactly like one of my Mini Rex/Dutch mixes I sold to Rural King.

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I am from Arizona

@JBun @Nancy McClelland @Imbrium

Thanks so very much for the advice and valuable help. I TRULY hope she is not pregnant again.

Is it possible to leave a bunny overnight after a spay, or come after closing time? I started a new job and sadly the vet closes before I get off and only does surgeries on weekdays

So, I should try moving them again? I bought two large cages earlier, then set up the nest and everything but Oreo became panicked and stepped on the kits...so I moved them back into the large hole in the couch. Please let me know; I decided to keep her free roaming and she does check on the kits often.

And I will take photos tomorrow; just worried about them getting too cold because it gets like 40 degrees in the morning. They are sooo cute! Two are black with pink (white?) noses, one has a pink spot on its head, and another has a pink arm (like Oreo's white arm). The other one looks broken or something; is mostly pink, I believe. Their dad is a Chinchilla Lionhead with gray eyes.

Thank you all again❤

Bunny_Mommy said:

I am from Arizona

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Well definitely not mine lol but they look exactly alike.

A hole in couch wont work. Make a nest for them in a container she can get to. Keep them covered to keep them warm like w hay. Moms check on them only 2 times a day just fyi. Keep them away from a dradt of wind. I have found cardboard boxes insulate well. After you move them don’t mess w them again for a bit after you see her check on them.

I would not recommend a spay on the doe who just kindled, at least not until the kits are weaned. You could safely wean them after 4 weeks, if necessary.

The hole in the couch is not the best place for a nest. Ideally, a nestbox with sides would hold the kits better, and protect them better. Hay and the doe’s hair do a good job of protecting kits from the cold.

So I did not plan on posting this at first, but I truly thank everyone for the kind words and advice.

WARNING, EXTREMELY HEARTBREAKING AND GRAPHIC:

So late last night, I checked on them at around 2:00 am and found blood in the nest. I thought Oreo had given birth to more, but unfortunately that was not the case. I panicked and found lacerations and wounds on two of the baby's backs, belly and one of the face. They were bleeding HORRIBLY as I was trying to clean them with wet paper towels and was going to apply lidocaine while calling an emergency vet. It was much more horrible than I am willing to describe...

I finally found one and rushed them to the vet while they were still alive, but sadly one passed (the one with the worst wounds) shortly after. 30 minutes into the appointment, I was told the other one had a 50-50 chance of surviving, so I asked to see it, and it was cold, very weak despite being in an incubator and being lively hours earlier. It was also still bleeding after the wounds were cleaned, so I made the horrible decision of putting it to sleep, then I gave it a kiss on the head before the vet took it...I knew that it would suffer for maybe one to two more days, then pass... I have been crying hysterically ever since I discovered their wounds, and I am genuinely traumatized by hearing the loud, agonized cries of the wounded baby who passed first... I will never get over such horror, and I wish that I had known how to help it peacefully pass, rather than suffering for an hour or so...

I am trying to find a counselling service or something so I can take care of my other bunnies and go to work tomorrow. I know that STORM did this either by stepping on them (her claws are about an inch long, and she sliced my arm in two places/nearly punctured a vein on Friday while I was holding her) or by doing the unthinkable. She was chasing Oreo and jumping on the futon while I was talking to the vet. I pray that she did not possibly attack the babies on purpose, but I swear to God that the baby looked like it had a bite mark on the face, and the Vet said that. Storm is now locked up in another cage, which is where she will be for weeks.

I apologize for the very long post...Words cannot describe the horror of all this, and I blame myself 100%. The other baby is fine, warm and full with milk, so hopefully it will be alright. I feel so bad for Oreo, as after I brought the last baby home, she went into the nest, started moaning and stomping for minutes... Why did this have to happen?!

I would trim her nails ASAP. Sometimes these things just happen, I still blame myself for letting a litter of eight get cold because I fell asleep and forgot to check on them I tried for two hours to warm them and only got one breath.

I’m so sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunately, you never know how other does are going to react to another doe’s litter. Those of us who breed have had our share of tragedies happen, and it’s never easy.

I'm so sorry, that's incredibly traumatic! I went through that once with our doves... it was a proven mating pair, but they had two babies about to fledge when we found dad dead at the bottom of the cage one day! I tried my best to help mom out with feeding and such, but a couple days later I found one of the babies dead. I thought maybe after that, she'd be ok taking care of the other one, but a day or two later, I found it in the nest with an obviously broken neck yet very much alive! It looked confused... not panicking, surprisingly calm, but it knew something was wrong and kept cheeping at me like it was asking me to fix it... which, of course, I couldn't. I had to put the poor thing out of its misery so that it wouldn't linger for hours or even a day, probably slowly starving to death. That's always going to break my heart ><

My Lionhead bunny gave birth to 6 babies on Friday 2/15. I am worried she is not feeding them as often as she should, I know she has fed them one time because their bellies were round on Saturday 2/16. I haven't seen their bellies look that round since, I checked them this morning and they are very active in the nest and act hungry, so i know she hasn't fed them today. Will doe's stop taking care of their kits randomly like that? She also sits very close by the nest in one spot. I have been feeding her unlimited pellets, alfalfa and timothy hay and some mixed dark leafy greens.

Nikki Siltz said:

My Lionhead bunny gave birth to 6 babies on Friday 2/15. I am worried she is not feeding them as often as she should, I know she has fed them one time because their bellies were round on Saturday 2/16. I haven't seen their bellies look that round since, I checked them this morning and they are very active in the nest and act hungry, so i know she hasn't fed them today. Will doe's stop taking care of their kits randomly like that? She also sits very close by the nest in one spot. I have been feeding her unlimited pellets, alfalfa and timothy hay and some mixed dark leafy greens.

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I’ve only had a couple of does abandon a litter...it doesn’t happen very often. Newborns can’t go more than 36-48 hours without being fed because they’ll become too weak to nurse.

Is your doe eating? Acting normal otherwise? I ask because on rare occasions a doe can develop ketosis. We almost lost one doe to that. She hardly ate and just sat in one corner of the cage or in the nestbox. She stopped nursing also. We were able to foster the kits to another doe and got her to a vet in time to save her.

majorv said:

I’ve only had a couple of does abandon a litter...it doesn’t happen very often. Newborns can’t go more than 36-48 hours without being fed because they’ll become too weak to nurse.

Is your doe eating? Acting normal otherwise? I ask because on rare occasions a doe can develop ketosis. We almost lost one doe to that. She hardly ate and just sat in one corner of the cage or in the nestbox. She stopped nursing also. We were able to foster the kits to another doe and got her to a vet in time to save her.

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Her appetite is a little decreased since kindling, however she is still eating a little here and there. I've tried to give her a wide range of fresh veggies, 2 types of hay, unlimited pellets and some blueberries. I do notice she sits mostly in one corner if her pen but does move around a little. I don't know if I'm just being overly paranoid. I notice the babies are always warm but not as round bellied as ive seen in pictures online and they are starting to grow a little fur.

Nikki Siltz said:

My Lionhead bunny gave birth to 6 babies on Friday 2/15. I am worried she is not feeding them as often as she should, I know she has fed them one time because their bellies were round on Saturday 2/16. I haven't seen their bellies look that round since, I checked them this morning and they are very active in the nest and act hungry, so i know she hasn't fed them today. Will doe's stop taking care of their kits randomly like that? She also sits very close by the nest in one spot. I have been feeding her unlimited pellets, alfalfa and timothy hay and some mixed dark leafy greens.

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Bunnies feed their babies once or twice a day, for about 5 minutes. I have rarely seen a bunny nurse her babies, but that is fine as long as the babies have full (or not wrinkled) bellies and are warm, lively. If you truly know they are not being fed well, then you can carefully hold the doe and place the baby up to the nipple until it latches on. I did this the other day only because I was watching her for almost 10 hours straight and the baby seemed a bit hungry. Maybe because I was around too much. I pray for your bunnies ❤

I would continue to watch her. Try to feel her to make sure she isn’t losing weight. Make sure she always has fresh water so that she continues to produce milk. You can always take her to the vet if you grow more concerned.

majorv said:

I would continue to watch her. Try to feel her to make sure she isn’t losing weight. Make sure she always has fresh water so that she continues to produce milk. You can always take her to the vet if you grow more concerned.

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Thank you for your advice, it is greatly appreciated.