baby rabbit

[jie]

i hope someone can help me... i have a newly born rabbit and i dont know how to care them.. my mother bunny is ignoring her babies.. is there someone could help me?? i don't know what to do... please....

 

[Pipp]

When were they born?

How many kits?

Did the mother make a nest?

The mother will ignore them or appear to ignore them, they only feed them once or twice a day and they don't stay with the kits.

Don't worry if its only been 24 hours or less.

You can tell when they're fed, their bellies get very fat, like ping-pong balls. They'll be
shrunken if they haven't been fed.

You really don't want to hand feed them, the survival rate isn't good at all.


sas :clover:

 

[jie]

now its 6pm they born i guess 5am.. she have 4kits,
she did'nt make nest, instead she scratch her feather to make soft like cotton.. so, i don't need to seperate them to their mommy??? i really don't have idea.... T_T

 

[Pipp]

They make the nest from their own fur. Here's something from our Library:


[*] Step 1. Separate the parent rabbits so that the male can see/hear/interact with his mate, but not mate with her.

• [*] Keep the male nearby and able to nuzzle his mate through a physical barrier, if possible. Rabbits form very strong bonds with their mates, and separation can not only create unwanted stress and sadness for the rabbits, but also make it difficult to reintroduce the parents once they are spayed/neutered. Be sure mama and papa are able to interact, though they must not be allowed to mate again. Rabbits are "induced ovulators": the very act of mating induces ovulation, and makes pregnancy almost assured.[*] You're separating papa not because he might harm the babies (many rabbit fathers are very gentle and loving with baby rabbits), but because he can impregnate the mother again within hours after the birth. Because rabbit gestation is only 28 - 31 days, this means she'll give birth again before her first litter is weaned. It doesn't take much math to figure out that this is not good for the mother's health, nor that of either of her litters!

[*] Step 2. Provide mama and her babies with a quiet, sheltered place where they will not be disturbed.

• A seldom-used bathroom with a darkened corner for the nest box is ideal.
• If mama has pulled her fur, it's because she is planning to use it to line the nest. If she hasn't made the nest yet, you can do it for her, and then place the babies in the nest. If mama has already made a nest, then leave it intact, and simply move it to the nest box.
• A covered litterbox (the type used for cats) makes a good nest box. It should be lined with a towel on the bottom (but make sure the towel has no loose strings or holes, since babies can get tangled and strangled!) topped with a layer of soft hay or straw. The babies in their nest should be placed on top of the hay. Make sure mama sees where her babies are, and then let her choose what to do.
• The box should be high enough so that the babies can't crawl out, but low enough to allow mama to easily hop in to nurse and hop out when she wants to get away.
• NOTE THAT MAMA WILL NURSE ONLY ONCE OR TWICE PER DAY, AND THEN "IGNORE" THE BABIES. This does not mean that she has abandoned them. She is merely following her instinct to stay away from the nest to avoid drawing the attention of predators.
• Don't assume that because you don't see her feeding the babies that she has abandoned them. It is her natural instinct to stay away from the nest. If the babies are warm and wiggly, and their bellies are round, you should not interfere. Bottle feeding almost invariably does more harm than good!
• If the babies seem cold, shrunken, lethargic, and are more bluish than a healthy, pink color, mama might not be feeding them. Only then should you consider what to do about feeding an orphaned litter.

 

[jie]

tnx dude... i hope this will help.. ^_^v

 

[tonyshuman]

Hi, I moved this to the Rabbitry because although Pipp gave you tons of good info, there are others who frequently read the Rabbitry section that have taken care of many litters like yours.