Babbie Bunnies Help!!!

[KatieRenee33]

Well My bunny just had her 2nd litter yesterday. She Made a nest and everything for them and I thought everything was going good. Right now she is in a bunny hutch outside, (I put cardboard up against the wire sides where the nest is to block out some wind) I checked them this morning and all were in the nest and moving (I think she had 7...i didnt get to really check b.c i didnt want to touch them). I went back out 5 mins ago and she pulled two out of the nest and they were dead when I found them. One was VERY winkled, so i think dehydration? Is she not feeding them?? Could she have killed these two b.c I may have accidentally touched them??

Her first litter she had last summer and she had 12 of them, all died. I tried to hand raise the last one,kept him alive for 3 days, but he died too.

Anything I should do?!?

 

[paul2641]

KatieRenee33 wrote:

Well My bunny just had her 2nd litter yesterday. She Made a nest and everything for them and I thought everything was going good. Right now she is in a bunny hutch outside, (I put cardboard up against the wire sides where the nest is to block out some wind) I checked them this morning and all were in the nest and moving (I think she had 7...i didnt get to really check b.c i didnt want to touch them). I went back out 5 mins ago and she pulled two out of the nest and they were dead when I found them. One was VERY winkled, so i think dehydration? Is she not feeding them?? Could she have killed these two b.c I may have accidentally touched them??

Her first litter she had last summer and she had 12 of them, all died. I tried to hand raise the last one,kept him alive for 3 days, but he died too.

Anything I should do?!?

Hand raising should really be a last resort, I would advise that you put them into a warm box with a nest to keep them warm and about twice daily once in the morning and again before you go to bed flip momma on her said and put the babies on the nipples. Let them suckle for 5 minutes each time.

 

[anneq]

Unless mom really protests, I don't think handling them will cause her to stress too much to kill them - my doe had 6, and one was very cold when we found him, but I held him in my hands and warmed him up, and he's fine now. If there's anyway you can keep them inside where they'll be warmer, that would be good - I've kept mine inside and the doe has her outside run & hutch - since she only nurses 1x a day, I have just brough her inside when she normally nurses them and then put her back outside.
As long as they appear to be very fat & rolly-polly, that means they're getting plenty of milk. Does won't move the baby if they crawl out of the nest box and get stranded & cold, so as long as they stay warm, then they should be fine. (btw, my doe had 5 in her 1st litter, and they all died...I hear it's quite common, and now she's a great mom)