Help with Kits

[Cynthia Nieves]

My Doe Lucy gave birth yesterday. Pulled some fur and made a little nest but out in the open so i had to move them. Placed them into a litterbox, i made a very nice nest in with her fur. I checked on them this morning at 8am and they dont look like theyre fed. She also jumped on them very hard and made them squeel. She is 1 year old. What do i do, what do i need to know, how can i interfere.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, congratulations on your new bunnies! I can't see from your photo can't tell if they are fed or not, but some rabbits feed their babies only once in 24 hours for like 3-5 minutes and avoid their nest for the rest of time as don't want to draw attention of predators to it.

She should feed them just check later, they look healthy and fat to me from where are am but I can't see their bellies.

If you give more info and post more pics we can help you better, how many babies, what food is she getting she should get unlimited pellets while nursing to produce enough milk and if you feel babies are not getting enough you can sprinkle a teaspoon of rolled oats over her pellets it will help to produce enough milk. Is she indoor or outdoor?

 

[Cynthia Nieves]

She had 7 kits. Gets unlimited timothy hay, alfalfa pellets and food pellets and water. Outdoors!

 

[zuppa]

This sounds good, except I don't know about alfalfa as never used them but the rest sounds all good to me. She only has 6 nipples probably (some breeds have 8) so you may want to check later if one of the babies is thinner than others you may want to feed him manually by holding your doe and bringing him to her belly (not after she fed all of them as she won't have milk then). Are there other rabbits living with her in her hutch?

 

[Preitler]

Hi,

right, it needs sometimes some time for the milk to drop, up to 48h , most important is that the doe is not stressed, quiet and privacy is what they need.

Did you move the nest or is it in the place where she built it? Rabbits don't recognise their young by smell or whatever (makes it easy to foster kits), most important is location, kits that are where they built the nest are theirs. Ones that get out of there are out of luck.

I had to move nests now and then, from a earth hole in the garden to the hutch, I confined the doe to a space with the nestbox in one corner, just big enough for litter box, food and water, and to stretch out for about 3 days. Alone (I keep all my rabbits in pairs). I also dunked her nose into the nest several times, for a few seconds, so she could feel them wriggling.

Nipple number is irrelevant, my does have litters up to 14 kits, no problem. If you notice that some kits don't get fed, others well, you can take out the plumper 1/3 of the litter (keep it well insulated and warm) out every 3rd feeding, so the others have a better chance at the milk buffet. Normally one or two full bellies really make a difference. You could hold the doe and feed weak kits on her, but there are risks (tried it once, ended up with two fataly injured kits because the doe kicked out)

You can add plain kitchen oatmeal to her diet, about a tbsp twice per day, but a litter of 7 isn't that large, but nursing does don't get fat anyway.

 

[majorv]

If they’re in an open box try to move them towards the back so when she jumps in she doesn’t land on them. A nestbox is the best thing to use because it has a lip on it and protects the kits. If it’s getting cool there be sure the kits are covered with hair and protected from low temps.

Alfalfa pellets are fine as she needs extra protein while nursing. Most of our does nursed their litter within 24 hours of kindling.

 

[Cynthia Nieves]

Heres another question, they were wet this morning when i checked them. Are they peeing or did she pee on them?

 

[zuppa]

Heres another question, they were wet this morning when i checked them. Are they peeing or did she pee on them?

I don't know she shouldn't pee on them if she has her litter box but if you said you put nest into her litter box it is possible, they can pee as well but not that much in their first days. If you want to make a nest box you can even use a shoe box kits usually spend there about 2 weeks, so it is good to put under hay something what can absorb urine, like wood pellets or shavings or you'll have to change hay in there more often to keep it dry.

 

[zuppa]

Nipple number is irrelevant, my does have litters up to 14 kits, no problem. If you notice that some kits don't get fed, others well, you can take out the plumper 1/3 of the litter (keep it well insulated and warm) out every 3rd feeding, so the others have a better chance at the milk buffet. Normally one or two full bellies really make a difference.

I have to agree with that they keep moving fast from nipple to nipple so it's like who's faster gets more milk, just weakest often is not fast enough.

 

[Cynthia Nieves]

Is this an 0k replacement for those 2 that arent drinking. They look pretty skinny and they wont make it. This is all i have

 

[zuppa]

You have natural rabbits milk you can use it. Why don't you just remove a few fattest kits from the nest for 12-24 hours (keep them warm and safe somewhere indoor, put them in a box with hay and fur and maybe a bottle with warm water so they stay warm) so those skinny two can get more milk? Or feed them their mothers milk like in this video



If you think she doesn't have enough milk give her oats and she must have unlimited pellets, hay and plenty of water to produce milk.