Does feeding babies pls help!

[grumpybabies]

A few of my babies aren't getting as much milkas i would like, luckily last night i caught mum feeding so i could letthe weak ones feed but i need to know if they feed at the same timeeach night as i think i have to do that each night for the little onesto survive

 

[aurora369]

What you can do is take the big babies out ofthe nest box, leaving the smaller ones in, and put mom in the nest boxand let the little ones feed. Mom should allow them to nurse,and you can pet her and give her treats to try to encourage her tostay. Try to get her to stay on the nest for about 5 minutes.

I would do this once a day until the little ones are looking bigger andstronger. Continue to allow the mom to feed at what ever timeshe wants with all the babies in the nest, but giving the little onesan extra feed will help them to keep up with the bigger ones.

Good luck!
--Dawn

 

[grumpybabies]

thanks for the quick reply!!! thats what i didlast night i took the 3 biggest out and left the 3 smallest there, themum then fed the small ones which is great, but i'm worried that thenwhen i put the big ones back mum will have stopped feeding. i can't gether to stay there if i put her there so i have to go when she isfeeding herself thats why i need to know if they feed at the same timeeach night, and if their sides are flatish rather than podgy or sunkenthis isn't too bad is it? how long can they go without much food?

 

[aurora369]

Try to gently hold mom in the nest so the little ones can feed.

I wouldn't disrupt their normal feeding routine if at all possible.

The mom may want to jump right out of the nest box, but if you gentlyrestrain her (if she's really freaking out then don't force anything,just a gentle hand on the head/shoulder area), she should stay for alittle while.

The bellies being sunken and wrinkly are really not a goodsign. They should get round immediatly after feeding, youshould be able to see a big difference.

Mom's will normally feed around the same time each day, at least once, normally twice.

They may not be able to suckle, or are just not healthy enough tosurvive. I would do my best to give them a good chance, butpart of having babies is having some of them not survive.It's a tough thing to deal with, but it's a part of life.

--Dawn

 

[grumpybabies]

the mom won't stay there at all and i'm tryingnot to give them replacement food but i may have to. they haven't gotsunken bellies, what i mean is as they aren't sunken, but they aren'trounded either its not so bad is it?

 

[TinysMom]

I would still try to get mama to give thesmaller ones a 2nd feeding 8-12 hours before or after shenormally feeds everyone. I like to give a treat to mama while she's inthe box and it sometimes takes her 5-10 minutes to calm down enough tosay "oh yeah...I'm supposed to nurse now". So she stays in the box atleast 10 minutes or so whether or not she nurses. If she does nurse,she gets EXTRA treats when she's done.

I've got one doe who is an excellent mama (first time mama) and I'vestarted taking her a raisin or two whenever I check the kits. Now whenI walk by, she comes to the door and nudges at it to ask me for araisin and she looks at the nestbox and sort of tries to draw myattention to it. I share this because it is amazing what atreat can do for a doe!

But I think you need to understand that not every baby in every litteris going to survive. Sometimes we do all we can and they still passaway. It hurts - I don't usually cry much anymore because I can see itcoming. But it does hurt.

I think it is nature's way of keeping the strong and letting the weakerones pass on. We don't know if that baby could wind up having someproblems we don't know about....and that could be why it isn't eatingas well.

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

well she does love her treats i know that! i will just try and try and then accept nature i think!

 

[TinysMom]

Accepting nature is hard. I am crying todayalthough I swore I wouldn't. I lost the last of my teeny tiny litterthat was born. I had hoped it would make it and it was doing a good jobtowards catching up.

But it lost the battle just a few minutes ago.

Its moments like this when I ask myself WHY I breed when I am sotenderhearted that I cry so much. Then I go and look at a healthylitter or I go and look at my rabbits and think of the joy I can bringto others....and I say its worth it all.

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

You poor thing i'm complaining when mine arestill alive i'm sorry its selfish but you can't help but get worriedand upset can you? my thoughts are with you

 

[TinysMom]

You're not being selfish and you're doing the right thing - you want to give the babies the best chance they can have.

I just was feeling sorry for myself. I've lost three litters this lastweek thanks to mamas that were first time mamas and had babies on thewire or had teeny tiny kits...or other things. It just "happens". Youtry to avoid it - and I normally don't lose babies like this so to havethis happen just made me sort of whiny...

I just asked Art if I should look for some cheese to go with my whine today...

I really do hope your babies make it - keep us updated please!

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

well guys i went out at 10pm last night and allthe babies had nice round bellies you should have seen me smile!!! thismorning i went to see the babies and they weren't so rounded but iguess they have just digested it because mum is obviously doing a greatjob! the runt did have its hip bones sticking out a bit but they aren'treally now and its nearly as big as the rest now so i think they allwill survive! now my next worry is when they start trying to eat solidfood because death occurs quite often then doesn't it? anyway thanksfor all of your help i'm going to be able to just relax and enjoy themnow until their solid food eating i guess...!

 

[TinysMom]

After their eyes open, I like to put a bit ofhay and oatmeal in their nestbox for them to nibble on for a couple ofdays before they move on to food. To me it seems like it just helpsthem transition better.

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

i will do that then thanks, is it a dangerous period then?

 

[aurora369]

I haven't lost a baby at that age. Butthen, I don't do large amounts of breeding, I had one litter at a time,and now that I rescue I still only have one litter at a time.

Keep the cage clean, and give them lots of hay. They should be okay.

Just keep monitoring them carefully, and watch out for mushy poos or lethargy.

--Dawn

 

[TinysMom]

From the thread that is pinned at the top of the rabbitry section:

Between the 14th day and two months, you may notice anincrease in mortality. The vast majority of deaths in these youngrabbits is related to their intestines. For some reason, they are verysusceptible to inflammation of their intestines and they may or may notget diarrhea, and simply die for no apparent reason. Many rabbitraisers put Terramycin in their drinking water for two weeks, startingthe 14th day, in order to curb the alarming death rate. It is met withsome success, but, unfortunately, enteritis, as it is called, is a bigkiller. It's also a big killer of cattle and pigs at the same age. Inthem it is called scours. They are treated in the same way as rabbits.I think the reason for intestinal disease at this age is the changefrom milk to solid food. The intestines become somewhat allergic to thenew foods it is processing and sets up a reaction that can lead todiarrhea or constipation, in any case, causing intestinal inflamation.Terramycin helps by keeping bacterial build up from killing its host. Ibelieve there needs to be more research in this area.

I do lose some - but not many. I just watch for diaherrea and try to push hay and oatmeal.

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

I just googled Terramycin andjust on the first site i went to there are 2 strengths, 5% and 20%which is the right one? and is it a powder or liquid form? thanks

 

[TinysMom]

This is what I use. I get it from the feed store- but I don't use it with my babies at all....I'm not a big fan ofusing meds if they're not needed.

I will have to check my package later to see the strength.

Peg

 

[grumpybabies]

Thanks, maybe i shouldn't then i don't know yeti have asked on another forum too just out of curiosity what peopleadvise, i have a week to think about it! thanks again

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

I would NOT use Terramycin on babies.I don't believe there is any use for it at that age. Iusually don't give them any hay or food until they are about 2 weeksold. Even at 10 days, they are still too young.

Sharon