Help!

[savingbuns]

Rusty had a baby bunny today - she had a nesting box and did not do anything with it - she made a nest in the corner of her hutch to sleep but decided to drop her baby out in the pen along with the placenta that she just left. She obviously cleaned off the baby.

I did not know she had it until we heard this weird squealing. I got the baby and the some leaves and popped it into the proper part of the hutch in her little ball of leaves she gathered and hay. He was very cold to begin with so I warmed him up first and then put him back.

Rusty is very familiar with me now and I rubbed her lots before touching the baby and vice versa.

I can't tell if she is going to care for it.

So if she does not - my first question is what can I use as a substitute milk for tonight as the pet stores are closed to get any sort of kitten replacement milk - all I have is a grocery store with only about 40 minutes of open time.

Can someone help me out here. I do know how to syringe feed and all that - just not sure how to tell.

The other issue it is cold here now and I have no way of heating up her hutch all night for a small single baby - and since Rabbits do not "sit with their young I am afraid the baby will freeze if we do not bring him in.

 

[JBun]

If you haven't put the baby in the nesting box, you will want to do that. Just move the whole nest of hay and fur and put it right into the box, then if you need to, use your hand to make a hollow or depression towards the back, that the baby can nestle down in, then put a fluffy layer of the moms fur over it.

It can sometimes be 24 hours before a momma bun will nurse it's babies. It's pretty easy to tell if the baby has eaten as it will have a very fat ping pong belly. You can also usually see a lighter patch of skin where the tummy full of milk is. If after 24 hours she still hasn't fed the baby, you could try hand feeding, but it is extremely difficult to successfully hand raise baby rabbits. Often they will aspirate the milk and die from it. If after 24 hours she still hasn't fed it, you may just want to try assisting her in feeding it. It would be much better for it anyways. Some people will flip the doe on her back and place the baby on the belly to nurse, but that also risks the baby getting thrown off if the mom struggles. I like the method of sitting the momma bun on your lap, then bringing the baby bun from up underneath her to nurse, from the gap in your legs. It may work better if you have someone to help with this.

It's possible that she could still have more babies, but if she doesn't it is going to be hard for a single baby to keep warm. I would say bring it inside, but that may complicate getting the mom to feed it. If you have some sort of warming pack, that may help to place it on one side of the nesting box, under the fur and hay at the bottom. You only want it to cover part of the space in the nesting box, so that if it gets too warm the baby can wander to a cooler spot.

If you still end up needing to try to syringe feed, you could try goats milk with some plain heavy whipping cream added to it. Here's some info on hand raising orphaned baby cottontails. The info on syringe feeding will work for your baby.

http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm

Here's a pic of what you want the nesting box to look like. And you want it so the baby can nestle right down into that fur to keep warm.

 

[savingbuns]

HI thanks for all the info!

First Mom has not plucked any hair at all She just pushed a bunch of leaves and hay into a corner. She just jumps in the nesting box and poops and pees in it and does not do anything else.

Now we think she dropped this monster baby - it is about the length of my hand - which is about 6-7 inches - he has fur already it is no more than born late last night or early this morning as we have been checking her all the time. If he is the only one then he would have had all the nutrients mommy has been eating - so we could have a bunny from jurassac park.

So since no hair we put him in a bit of a blanket but it was rubbed in all the leaves first. Shredded some newspaper and put that part over top of him - but have now put a trouble light on the outside of the hutch in that corner - scooped all their stuff into a cardboard box into the corner so Mom can get in and out no problem. Rubber padding underneath so they should be just fine - I hope - if not well nature will do its thing. I will check on them around midnight and if I feel he is too cold in there I will just have to bring him in.

So what do you think this fella is really big - keeping in mind Mommy is a fair size NewZealand Red.

 

[JBun]

Well the fur should certainly help keep him a little bit warmer. I've read of it happening with kits born a little late.

Since the mom didn't pull fur I would suggest flipping her over and pulling some from her belly. It will hopefully stimulate her milk and also clear some of the fur out of there for the baby to nurse. It should still be pretty easy to pluck out of there.

He's cute Hopefully he makes it. I don't know if he's a normal size for that breed. I've only experienced little dwarf babies. He's probably a little bit bigger than normal, just from the fact of being born late.

 

[savingbuns]

Well looks like Mom might be looking after him - I changed out the nesting box with a new one. Slid everything inside it. Sort of pushed the blanket a little flatter and into the hole I laid the shredded newspaper around him and a bit over top but not much. Wanted to see if the nest would be tampered with in a couple of hours. Just went out and he is nice and warm and all the newspaper is over top of him - no sign of any more babies either. Put some more hay in the hutch for Mom and brought another tarp over to stop any drafts from underneath the hutch. It is a tray kind and we put a foam matt inside the tray.
Will see how he is in the morning. And try that out with plucking some hair - maybe she will pluck tomorrow???

 

[savingbuns]

Well guess it all was not meant to be. Rusty had another baby, but it was still born and was just left out of the nesting area. The little fella died in the night - not feeding at all.

Freddie has stopped the hustling around digging holes and such - not sure if she will have any babies tonight, but will let nature take its course.

The male buttons is separate now from the females. We will set them all up in the shed three girls together and Buttons on his own but will be able to be in with the girls just not in the same pen - but can see them and lie next to them in the pen if he wants without a chance of doing the deed.

Rusty is doing fine today - no sign of any more kits. So she was let out for a good bit of exercise and stretch her legs again. Weill move her in with the girls tomorrow. But if Freddie has any kitts in the night then she will move to the nursery or we may move her into the basement - will see.