Dwarf New Zealand White?

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So Junior here, has a story.

He was born on day 28 of his dams pregnancy, by himself on the wire. Mum had not made a nest or pulled hair but she did have loose hair and milk. So I pulled some of her fur and held her for him to nurse 3 times a day and kept him warm in the house.

On Day 31 of his Dams pregnancy along came the rest, 7 healthy siblings, bigger than junior though. Mum had made a lovely nest for them, so I marked juniors ear and placed him with the rest and allowed him to be raised by his Mum.

Should mention here, Mum and Dad both are pedigreed NZ whites with several legs. This was Mum's first litter there is no inbreeding.

At four weeks I had to wean the kits because Mum was being kinda rough, biting and humping them, so I separated them from Mum and began hand feeding them the Rabbit Milk replacer Formula I read about on here, with Goats Milk, KMR and Colostrum tablets.

So we're five weeksnow all are thriving and about on the mark for weight expectations for their age. However, Junior is "different". He plays, he eats as much as his siblings but he is less than half their size now, even his shape is different. This hasn't happened overnight, he's always been different. I've worried about him since he came into this world but every day he's in there binking and then eats well. (I know he looks rather listless in this picture but thats my poor photography skills.)

My husband and I think he looks like a Dwarf but I have read that NZ whites do not carry a Dwarf Gene. Interested in any and all thoughts on this little guy, Here he is pictured with a litter mate.
Kits050.jpg



 
That is weird! He does look like a dwarf...can you post more pictures of him because it's hard to see the sibling in comparison since he's way in the background. So odd indeed!

ETA: How many times was the doe bred? Did you wait a certain number of hours to rebreed? Could explain why the baby was born so early if the doe was bred one day and then bred again another...if that happened. :)
 
We put the Doe with the Buck and allowed them to pair up two times, took about five to ten minutes, then we returned her to her cage. An hour later we brought her back to the buck for two more coverings, which only took five minutes or so and that was it.
I really hope he makes it!
 
His being smaller is probably just because he was born early. He is certainly a trooper and it is a small miracle that he has survived. He is so cute too :)
 
I always just thought of him as a "runt" until recently. I wasn't sure if runts looked the same as their siblings but just smaller. Or like Nancy said, to look like another breed entirely. Which, to me, he has completely different characteristics all around.
Either way, this little miracle is cute as a button! Just curious to know whether this was caused by weird genetics and or, if there is a way to tell the difference between a Dwarf and a Runt.
 
does he behave any differently? have trouble with coordination or anything like that? his head shape makes me think of a rattling with hydrocephalus. does that occur in rabbits? or he could just be small and "different" because he was born prematurely and didn't develop fully.
 
Thanks Dragonflye.
I just hit google. Hydrocephalus does occur in rabbits, either by "a autosomal recessive,(back to google on that one) associated with dwarfing." or a Vitamin A deficiency in the dam whichshould show upas still born young.
But I think this may be barking up the right tree. He is not uncoordinated by any means though, he hops and bounces, stands on back legs and eats with ease, which doesn't sounds like hydrocephalus, although that may stillshow upI suppose.
What's interesting is that hydrocephalus seems linked to dwarfism and can be genetic, so is it possible he's a genetic mutation, NZ dwarf?

I had him out with his brothers and sisters in theirgrass run, he definitely is coordinated so far.

Kits116.jpg


Kits117.jpg

 
Wow! The size difference is CRAZY! He's so cute though <3
 
I had this happn with a lionhead litter. They were all born on time tho. Their were 2 does and one buck. He stopped growing at 4 weeks and stayed the same size untill he passed at a little over 4 months old. I loved the little guy! Sisters grew fine tho!He was a little under 2 pounds when he passed. Hope you dont mind but here is a pic!

3392106_orig.jpg

 
Awww, thats so sad. Thank you for the picture. hard to tell for certain but does look like our guy. I really hope he hangs in there. In any case he's going to come in and be a house bunny :) So far everything seems happy and healthy, so fingers crossed for his future!
 
I've had this happen a few times - once with a Californian litter - twice with flemish. In all three cases - the rabbits passed away by weaning age. Its like it just isn't meant to be - they don't grow right and at some point - their body gives out on them.

I don't mean to discourage you - I really don't. But I cried when I first saw your picture in the original post because I remember hoping and hoping that our little Californian girl would make it - or that my two flemish bucks would make it.

Love him and enjoy him while you can.
 
I really appreciate all the comments no matter what. Of course I will have my fingers crossed for that story of the guy who made it :) Can't help that... But in any case I am more prepared for a less than perfect ending than I was before. This last week I had become very hopeful for the little guy, felt we were getting out of the woods. It's healthy for me to hear the likely outcome. When he's six months old, we'll all celebrate, until then, fingers will remain crossed :)
 
I really appreciate all the comments no matter what. Of course I will have my fingers crossed for that story of the guy who made it :) Can't help that... But in any case I am more prepared for a less than perfect ending than I was before. This last week I had become very hopeful for the little guy, felt we were getting out of the woods. It's healthy for me to hear the likely outcome. When he's six months old, we'll all celebrate, until then, fingers will remain crossed :)
 

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