Baby Help Again !! Sorry

[Vikki]

Can anyone help me please, I am the paranoid first time Mum who has already asked a million questions, my vet is also rather bored of the every day phone calls regarding diet etc x

I didn't think the nest box thing through, I thought that because my rabbit had made her nest in the side of the cage that was good enough, I now realise that it is impossible to clean it out and difficult to make quick checks.

Mummy is really really tame but over the last two days she has been a bit more protective, for e.g. after checking on the baby the other day,she sawI had opened the door and began to get more hay and fur to cover him up.

Three babied died and there was a lot of mess , I did get what I could out and cleaned out the main part of the cage but tried to disturb the nest as little as possible, again a nest box would have been so much easier. Last night baby also wandered into the main part of the cage found Mummy, lay on his back and drank some milk then went back to bed, I also thought that a box would prevent him from doing this and annoying Mum.

I guess you learn these things, anyway sorry going back to my question,I have a box aready with towels and fresh hay should I leave the baby and risk germs or put Mummy outside for a run and clean out the lot putting baby in the box but using some of the fur etc to keep the smell?

Also not to abuse all of your knowledge, I have been giving Mummy PRO-CProbiotic by Vetark to increase vitamins and digestive support, my vet was unable to say if this is safe for Mummy while she is feeding and I can't get hold of the manufacturer can anyone help.

Thanks in advance x

 

[aurora369]

I find that once babies eyes are open they do their best to try to escape the nest, whether it's in a nest box or not. So putting him in a nest box now may prevent him from getting out for only a day or two.

The best way to let mom "escape" from baby is to provide her with a shelf or somewhere she can get to that the baby can't.

I would switch baby to the nest box. I had to move my foster babies, as the shelter had them in a cat bed that took up half the cage! So I put them in my smaller nest box, and haven't had any problems.

When you switch, put some of the orginal nest bedding (the cleanest bits), so that the nest box smells like home for the baby.

--Dawn

 

[Vikki]

Thank you, this wont upset Mummy will it?

 

[aurora369]

I haven't had a mom upset by it.Rabbits are normally pretty good about nest issues. As long as it smells like her babies, she'll do her thing.

Just in case, you could try shoving her in the box for a few minutes(let baby sneak a quick nurse) so she knows what it's all about. She'll realize that it's the place to go to nurse baby.

Just hold her gently in the box, and let her go if she gets too upset and starts to kick or do anything that might hurt baby.

--Dawn

 

[Vikki]

Thank you for the reassurance, operation new nest box begins, I have already caught Daddy and put him in his cage, taken guinea pig out of the run for Mum to go in, I'll keep you posted!!! xxx

 

[Vikki]

Is this too small?

 

[Vikki]

here is a better pic of him does he look ok, he is a week old today??

 

[Vikki]

I forgot to say Mummy is a Netherland Dwarf so only very little x

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

I say that looks pretty good!

Not too small at all & not too big either... perfect!



~Sunshine

 

[Vikki]

Thank you it's like having a life line at the end of my computer, I can't thank you all enough you never know whether you are doing right, p.s in case anyone would like to see baby is the spitting image of daddy.

 

[aurora369]

Nest box looks good!

Baby looks very cute, and healthy! Nice and plump!

--Dawn