help

[crazymandolinist]

My female lionhead's just had her pups (3) and I found her on the other corner of her cage and she just doesn't seem to be at all interested in her babies. What do I do? I really wasn't expecting her to deliver yet and she's not even nursing them at all.

Ian :nerves1

 

[Flashy]

How is she acting? Is she eating? Lively?

It's actually very normal, and what most buns do, to ignore their kits. They may take up to 24 hours + to feed them, so try not to worry yet, if she has just had them.

Are they in a nest? Are they all together? All moving? In a nestbox?

 

[crazymandolinist]

SHe seems very healthy/normal. She's eating just fine. They're all jiggling, and moving around and there's a lot of fur in there to keep them warm. I didn't have a nestbox ready so she made a nice big tall nest and lined it tightly with fur. I'll wait a while and check up on everyone.

Thanks

 

[TinysMom]

She isn't going to appear to be interested in her babies and she will probably stay away from them because that is what she would do if she was in the wild. She wouldn't want to draw attention to them...so she'd stay away (to a certain point).

Rabbits don't get in the nest with their kits and just hang out there and lay down beside them like a dog or a cat will do. They'll wait till no one is around and then jump in and nurse (takes maybe 3-5 minutes) and then jump back out and stay away from the nest until it is time to nurse again.

Many rabbits will only nurse once a day - some nurse twice a day and I've had some mamas that nursed a few times per day....as long as the babies have what is called "ping pong bellies" - meaning that their tummies almost look like a ping pong ball because they are so round...then mama is feeding them. (They won't look as round later in the day as the milk is going through their system).

I'll try to find a picture of a baby with a ping pong belly and post it here in a bit.

 

[TinysMom]

Here is a ping pong belly picture..

 

[irishbunny]

A baby rabbit is a kitten (kit for short), not a puppy

 

[BlueGiants]

I would pick them and their fur nest up and put it in a nestbox. Put the box back in the same corner that she had them in. It will help keep the babies together (so no one misses a feeding) and help keep them warm (the nest should be around 91 degrees F, which the babies maintain by themselves if they are all together).

She should nurse them sometime before tomorrow morning. Check them in the morning to see if they have full bellies (like what Tinys Mom pictured!). Sometimes it take a full 24 hours after kindling (birth) for the mother's milk to come in. Have patience and let her take care of them. Don't try to suppliment or feed them anything until you see if she is handling it. (I usually wait 36-48 hours after birth to assess how the mom is doing, as long as she isn't doing them any harm.)

 

[crazymandolinist]

That's all real interesting. Thanks. It all makes a lot of sense now. Everyone still seems happy and I might post some pics in a few days. So far as I can tell, there's a blue one, a chocolate one, and a patchy one. I don't know who the daddy was so I really don't know what they are. I'll most likely have to sell them as "mutts" unless I get attatched to a particular one because I'd like to keep some good blood going. Hopefully they'll all find some very good homes.I've got more babies comin around this time next month. How long would you wait to wean lionhead babies?

 

[irishbunny]

They can be weaned at six weeks

 

[Erins Rabbits]

Don't worry....

Rabbits only feed their kits once or twice a day, as to not draw attention to the nest. It's perfectly normal for her to ignore them.

Check their bellies daily. As long as they are not caved in, she is doing fine.

 

[crazymandolinist]

Checked them this morning and there be ping pong bellies galore! I cannot WAIT to see what they're going to look like when they get older!

 

[crazymandolinist]

By the way here's what mommy looks like. I call her Jazzy. :bunny17:

 

[Dublinperky]

What a cutie! She is adorable! Is that a male in the next cage over? If so you may want to put a barrier to prevent unplanned pregnancies (they can mate through bars occasionally.


Aly!

 

[irishbunny]

Do you still not know who the Dad is? Was she in the same cage as a buck for awhile?

 

[crazymandolinist]

Like I said I got her at a chicken swap (we like chickens, too). She was with another female rabbit when I got her so I have no idea who the daddy was or even where he is now. I may be able to buy him too. As for those rabbits in the other cage, I have no idea even what they are. The lady I got them from said they were Netherland dwarves but they look rather big and fuzzy to be those. I'll post some photos tommorow. There's a male and a fermale and they seem to get along real well. No one's bothering anyone. The boy's a real sweety and I hope he finds a good home.

 

[irishbunny]

Cool I guess you'll just have to wait and see what the babies turn out like You may want to separate the male and female though, cause she could have babies anytime.