Baby Bunny, need help, advice

[RockGardenRabbits]

Hello.

I adore my bunnies!Their babies are intended for show and meat, this is my first litter and I am doing as best I can. I am waiting on advice back from the breeder where I got this doe but I feel I need some support in the mean time...

I installed a webcam in the Rabbit Room so I could monitor the Doe as this is her first litter and as education for myself (old time Horse midwife, can't help myself but be on "Foal Watch"). We supplied a proper wooden nestbox on Day 28.As the breeder suggested, we had the bottom lined with shavings and then straw on top. My Doe showed no desire to nest at all, she rather kicked everything out of the box and dug crazily in the back.

So we kept movement down to just feeding in the quiet rabbit area, at feeding I would supply her with extra hay, straw and even shredded paper to hopefully make a nest, nothing...

The breeder had given me a baggy of extra fur, in case she didn't pull any after the babies had been born.

I stayed up watching the webcam all night because her behaviour changed to preening and cleaning, restless etc... I was concerned as she hadn't made a nest. Come 10:30 in the morning she gave birth to a baby on the bottom of her enclosure, it began crawling about and she just tried to stay away from it.

I went down quietly and placed a handful of straw in her box, then the baby, then the hair the breeder gave me. The baby was in good shape and still warm when I put it in the box (thanks to the webcam).

We continued to watch the camera because we thought for certain there were more on the way and to ensure that her digging in the nestbox would not continue now that the baby was in there.

But she did continue to trample about in there and after a few hours we checked the body temp of the baby and it was very cool to the touch. I know it is not normal for her to nurse right away, but she still has not tried to make a nest, pull hair etc... I haven't chekced her nipples because she seems agitated with anything out of the normal routine, if she has more to come I don't want to interupt further labour. So I watch from upstairs and am looking for advice.

Should also mention she is at 30 days right now, baby was born 3 hours ago, she is a New Zealand Doe, this is her first litter, Buck was a champ but not proven, she is in great health her weight gain has been great, she has a large cage with litter saver etc... She gets free fed 18% pellet now, (alafalfa based pellets)and timothy and local hay as well assome rabbit safe veggie treats daily.


Thank you very much

Erica

 

[RockGardenRabbits]

I just quickly want to add...
I didn't realize that my mentioning meat may be offensive to some people. I am an animal rescuer, have been most my life. I rehabilitate dogs so they can be adopted, have a horse rescue and have two foster cats currently living with me.
The choice to breed some rabbits for meat was actually a decision we came to in order to ensure that our protein came from a truly ethical and humane source. After a trip to a proccessing plant where beautiful local farms send their well cared for livestock, I could no long turn a blind eye to the meat industry.
I love my bunnies, I care for them beyond reason. I was not allowed chickens in my municipality. We are not vegetarians and we have lowered our protein consumption to the bare minumum and the manure for the garden is preventing us from using commercial fertilizers... It's part of a healthy sustainable living thing. Very very sorry, i understand this is hard for some to even see, I understand I once rescued two commercial chickens who fell off a truck on their way to the proccessing plant... I loved those chickens.

 

[LindyS]

Yep sounds like a doe that might not be a good brood. Id by her second litter she doesn't staighten up "pet" her in a new home. Some does were not ment to breed.

 

[lelanatty]

is this the doe's first litter as well? if so, she may just have first-timer syndrome. does with their first litters sometimes just haven't figured out what to do yet.

 

[RockGardenRabbits]

Yes it is her first time, we bred her at eight months.

Thats what I think the poor girl is going through, she looks a little bewildered. She has stopped digging in her box and seems to have accepted the baby is in there (who we just warmed and then placed back in the box). I plucked some hair from her abdomen, as she hadn't done any and it was very loose, I swear there was movement in her, I just want a few more kits to help keep this little guy warm... Is this at all possible, it's been five hours since the little guy arrived...
Thank you for any and all help.
Erica

 

[lelanatty]

It is very likely that there are still kits inside of her, the breeds you have usually have litters of at least 6 up to 10. It also may be that a kit is stuck in her birth canal, if this is the case then she may need to go to a vet. It is possible that she could still have more kits though. In order to keep your one kit alive he will need to stay warm and eventually be fed.

 

[RockGardenRabbits]

I've pulled hair from the doe, she was very receptive to this and the baby now seems to be staying warm, she fed him when I put him back from warming him up, I think she has accepted him. I have a vet on standby for the doe, right now she does not seem to be in distress, just not comfortable. She is eating, drinking and passing normal poops. She is just lazier than usual, her tummy is still taught and she is spending much time cleaning her underside. We will keep a very close eye on the cam to watch for distress and she will get Veterinary attention immediately if that situation arises.

 

[TinysMom]

I've had does give birth to a couple of kits or even a few kits and then give birth 24 or more hours later to more kits.

So yes - it is possible she has more.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Ive heard people say if she hasn't had any more by day 35 then she needs to be seen