Dottie just had 10 babies!

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tomorrow264

tomorrow264

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Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Ive had her and my male seperate but apparently I didnt do a good enough job because she just gave birth to 10 kits today. Out of the 10 one of them didn't make it. She seems to be doing everything right so far. She made a nest, pulled out hair to cover them, cleaned them all up so I feeling a little less freaked then I was originally. My question is do you think she'll produce enough milk to feed all nine? I was shocked when I counted that there were that many. Maybe this can account for her odd behavior lately. She didn't love me checking out the babies but I'm glad I did since one had passed and needed to be removed. Another question. I had her to the vet 10 days ago or so, shouldn't he have noticed she was pregnant when he went to listen to her heart? Time for a new vet?
 
She should be able to produce enough milk to feed all the babies. However, keep checking them to make sure they are getting fed.

You can give mom some treats to distract her when you check on the babies.

Moving the nest and babies to a nestbox can make checking on the babies easier. You can then take the box out to check them. I've used a shoe box before. Just put an inch or two of shavings/bedding in the bottom, then fill with lots of hay, make a hole in the middle and move the current nest to the nest box.

--Dawn
 
Yesterday when I checked them out I gave her a carrot but as soon as that carrot was gone I got the "And what do you think youre doing" look. Im going to move them into a box tonight when my kids are in bed and things are calmer around here. I assume I should put the box in the same corner of the cage that she had them in. Is that correct? Everyone looks good today. I can't tell if she fed them yet but the are all started wiggling around when I peeked in on them and they don't look wrinkled. Im already in love with the little guys/gals. Their little squeaks are so darn cute.
 
Congratulations on such a BIG litter! Wow! 9 babies!

Yes, put the nestbox in the same corner that she had them in. Check them as you put them in, make sure they are clean and plump. If they were not getting fed, they would be wrinkled and their skin would look loose on them.

After feeding, their little bellies usually look white and round, like they swallowed a ping pong ball, and the will usually sleep a few hours. But it can take 2-3 days for the mother's milk to come in full force (especially for 9 babies). So if they look OK, not too skinny or wrinkled, she's doing fine.

If you move slowly and talk to the Mom, she should let you handle the babies. You do have to check them daily to make sure they are staying clean and dry. You can give mom time out of the cage to play and run around. That might make it easier to handle them.
 
How long can a baby survive without eating? They all look good except one. It's stomach is kinda sunken in and it seems to tire sooner then its siblings. Should I leave it be or should I get formula and try to get something in it? Im really worried!
 
You can try to get the skinny baby to suckle without any sibling interference. Put mom in your lap on a towel. Tuck the baby underneath her near a nipple and see if it will latch on. With that big a litter, the others may be pushing him away.

If you want to try and supplement it, you can use a kitten formula (I like the First Born by Farnam, contains colostrum)
It's not the best thing for rabbits, but it's commercially available and better than nothing at all.

The baby may have something wrong with it. It may not be able to suckle or may not be able to digest it's nutrients.

What breeds are the parents?
 
Theyre mixed breed, not sure what. They are 6 months old and they weigh around 9lbs. Heres a pic of mom from about a month ago.
8-3-09021.jpg
 
She just got done feeding them and the one I was concerned about has a nice plump belly now. I am so releaved. This is stressing me out more then when I had my kids.:)
 
Congrats on your new lil' babies! We had a surprise birth like that once, and you are right. Once you get over being freaked out, you fall in love!!:inlove:

It sounds like Mama is taking good care of her litter. You're going to have so much fun the next few weeks!
 
She fed them again this morning and they look good. I'm so proud of how good a mother shes being since this is her first litter. Heres a pic after breakfast today.
bunnies9-16-09.jpg
 
They are looking good!! And there's so many of them, incredible.

Make sure to take lots and lots of pictures. They grow up so fast. In just 3 weeks, they'll look just like little minnie bunnies.

--Dawn
 
How is everyone this morning???? Momma's good? Babies OK?
 
The babies look awesome! I'm a little concerned about momma though. She does'nt seem to be cleaning herself. Her bottom is really dirty. Should I try to wash her? Also she seems to have lost weight. When I pet her I can feel her bones a lot more then before. Her diet right now is unlimited pellets and hay, few carrots and greens here and there. I just went and got her some alfalfa and gave her a big handful of that. Im sure feeding 9 babies is taking a lot out of her.Is there anything elseI should befeeding herwhile shes nursing? Thanks a ton!
 
Is she eating the pellets? the Hay? the Greens? Is she drinking? (ARE YOU SURE?)

Raising 9 is no picnic... it takes a lot out of her (some breeders won't let a doe raise that many... they will foster a few onto another doe.)

If you want, you can split the litter into two groups. Let her nurse one set in the morning, and one set at night for a day or two to help her gain some strength. The babies will be OK for a day or two like this... if she looks better in a day or so, return the whole litter to her.
 
She's eating all right. She emptied her feeder in 2 days when it normally last about 4 daysand her water intake has doubled I'd bet. She eats the carrots out of my hand and her veggie bowl is alway empty.
 
Then I would just give her time to adjust. (Just a thought, is she feeding them more than twice a day? Do you see her in the nestbox during the day at all?)
 
Ive only see her in the nest box at night and morning but I'm gone at work 7 hours a day so she could be when I'm gone and I not know it. What about giving her some avacado? Can rabbits have avacado?
 
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