First time mummy 🙁

[Joanne Armstrong]

So sometime last night Charlotte became a first time mum, she made a huge nest and stripped her tummy. All seems good so far, until I found her eating the last one this morning. I have no idea how many she had or why she's eaten them. None of my other have ever done this. She seems perfectly well and has been running around the garden today and is eating and pooing as normal. Any ideas why she has done this

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Sometimes first-time moms just get scared or stressed and they will eat their babies.

 

[Eve84]

It’s so weird that they actually eat them when they normally eat no meat at all....

 

[Blue eyes]

It’s so weird that they actually eat them when they normally eat no meat at all....

I think it's strange too.

Somewhat off subject here, but I had a rabbit when my kids were little that liked to scavenge under the dining table at mealtimes. We caught him eating sausage once and salmon another time.

 

[Hermelin]

Myself wouldn’t find it weird that bunny eats meat I have heard of bunny owners seeing their bunny chomping on mouses and eating their kits.

Often it can be the mom didn’t feel ready or really stressed. But that’s just what I have heard of other people that have been through the same thing. So it’s nothing weird for a bunny to eat their kits, it happens with some bunnies.

Off topic: My bunny Odin will steal meat and fish, the reason why I need to keep an extra close eye on him that he won’t eat anything he’s not supposed to do.

 

[Oreo and bella]

Deffaintly it could be that it was her first time and she was very scared and stressed when I was younger used to breed my rabbits now I don't sometimes the mother kills them.if they wasn't healthy enough so I heard anyway I can't be 100 per cent sure

 

[Preitler]

Were the kits alive? It would be rather normal that she eats dead kits. A deficit in nutrition could have attributed to that, in that picture she looks like she's in molt.
Rabbits are opportunistic carnivors, I've seen claims that people saw their rabbits slurp up earthworms.

Actually, I did not notice first time moms having more problems than average, of what I see here too much meddling, droning out that little voice that is their instincts, causes more problems, also age above 5 or 6 and obesity are more of a problem.

 

[clwillia55]

Hi. I'm sorry your doe reacted this way. Mine does the same although she has done this more than once, so I can't say it's because she's a 1st timer. She has had 3 litters but I have only saved 4 kits from her. They were perfectly fine and now 8 weeks old. My doe eats live healthy kits everytime. I have tried to give her a quiet safe place with huge amounts of food and water. She isn't a skittish rabbit and typically roams our home with no issues that I've ever noticed. What I did notice is she doesn't seem at all interested in the male when we tried to breed her. So maybe she doesn't have a strong desire to create more buns. In our case we decided she will be spayed. I think that is what she is hoping for. Raising the kits with her was a lot of work, and she never warmed to them in all the times we worked with her. Maybe not all does are mom material?

 

[Joanne Armstrong]

I don't know if they were born sleeping or alive as I only saw her eating the last one and that was dead as it was half gone. She is a very nervous bunny except with Oskar one of my bucks. She's not one for cuddles and stroking. She would rather just run and play. I kept her from a previous litter as she had eye problems and I don't want to give her to just anyone. Her eyes are all good now thank goodness. Vet said the problem was caused by seed going into her eyelid. She's almost 13 months now and this would of been her first litter which is surprising as she spends most of her days running free in the garden with another 2 does and 2 bucks. Thank you for all your ideas on why this could of happened. Just found it odd