Accidental Pregnancy

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Zaiya

Allison
Joined
Nov 27, 2012
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Location
Walla Walla, Washington, USA
My friend's rabbit had her babies yesterday! 9 total (wowzie!!!). However, she ate the legs off of two and one died, so they're down to 6. They decided to separate the babies from her mother to prevent more deaths. Twice a day they take them to her to feed them. Are they doing the right thing separating them? I gave them a few tips already, but...

One more thing to add: she is a first time mother.

Thanks! If you need any more details, let me know. I'll be seeing them again tomorrow.
 
As long as the mom is feeding them when they take the babies to her, and they seem to be eating well, then it should be just fine. Mom rabbits don't really pay any attention to their babies for the first two weeks anyways, except at feeding time, so better to keep the babies safe. I often took the nest box out of my momma buns cage and kept the babies indoors with me during the day, and they did fine.
 
What breed is the rabbit that was bred? It is not uncommon for first time mothers to have difficult deliveries, especially if they're a smaller breed. Sometimes kits pass away unexpectedly. Sometimes the mother may either overgroom them after birth, which can result in lost limbs...or sometimes it's a birth injury. I wouldn't expect that the doe was intentionally killing or injuring her kits. That kind of behavior is rarely seen in rabbits.

I would personally leave the nestbox in with the doe, especially since there are nine kits. She may need to feed them more often to make sure they're all getting enough to eat.

It's also okay to take the box away if the owner senses a real danger. But when possible, I prefer to keep the kits with the mother.
 
With six left in the litter, it's really a judgement call. The problem with taking them away from her except to feed is that you won't really know what kind of a mother she'll be, and yes, first timers do get it wrong sometimes. Unless this is an important litter that she can't afford to lose I, personally, would give the doe a little longer and see how she does. I'd watch them very closely, but one dying right after kindling probably isn't her fault. Even if she accidentally stepped on it, considering the number of kits in the litter, I'd wouldn't count it as a strike against her.
 

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