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YemeniRabbit

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Hello,
recentely one of my rabbit layed several kits, they are born healthy and hair started to grow, but today morning one of the kits managed to get out of the house I made them, it climbed a rock and outside a tiny hole to the open ground, the weather is cold here, so when I saw it, I took it back to the house, and removed the rock, but several hours later, I see no movment at all!, is it dead? does rabbits always has to lose some kits? :(
 
If a kit gets separated and cold, it needs to be slowly warmed up. Often holding it next to your body and skin until completely warm, is a good way to do this. You could still try doing it with this kit, but it may be too late.

Rabbits, and kits especially, are fragile animals. So yes, sometimes kits won't survive to adulthood.
 
I try to never touch them when they are young because that will change there smell and mother won't notice them again, I could use your advise in the future, december is coming and it's more cold, but how do I make it warm if one goes out again without changing there smell?
 
Changing it's smell isn't really something you need to worry about with baby rabbits. If the mother is used to you, then there shouldn't be a problem with you handling her babies. Plus it is important to check baby kits every day, to make sure they are healthy and that no kits have died in the nest. Good rabbit breeders handle their baby rabbits frequently for health checks, and it also helps them get used to being handled by people, which is something you want as they grow up. If handling the kit still concerns you, you could wash your hands before, and maybe rub some of the moms hay and fur on your hand, or even pet her before handling the babies, so you'll have her scent on your hands.

Feel free to post any questions you have. There are lots of people on here with a wealth of knowledge on rabbits, and are very willing to help out if at all possible.
 
Sadly I wook up this morning found all dead, they managed to live for more than 4 days.
Is it because its my first breed?, or is it because we are on cold november? or because the mother did not feed them milk?
First I thought they were 5, but after taking the dead ones, I found a sixth rabbit that was far under the hay, Is he the reason the other kits were dead? because from his dead body, he seems that he died in the first or second day with out knowing.

its my first breed, I really don't know what to do now.
 
I've heard of accidents that can happen with the first litter resulting in the loss of the entire lot. Hopefully the second litter will be more lucky. It's both a learning process for the doe and us slaves in how to take care of them to give them their best chance of survival.
 
It's very disapointing, not 1 survived, if 5 dead 1 survived it will be some how acceptable, I hope this does not discoruge the doe to have more kits again in the future.
 
I'm sorry about the babies. If your doe has babies in the future make sure you give her a good nesting box with sides that are high 7 inches high and lots of nesting materials- hay, shredded paper. Usually the mother pulls her own fur out from her tummy to line the nest and if she builds a good nest it will be warm and they won't freeze. You also need to feed her really good pellets and hay and green leafy vegies and a between a teaspoon and tablespoon of oats- so that she is getting lots of nutrients in her diet so she can produce the milk she needs- with lots of fresh water- they drink twice as much water when they are pregnant.
 
It sounds like your rabbits are outside. Keeping the kits warm is very important for the first two weeks, until they have a good coat of fur on them. It sounds like the cold may have killed them. If they made it to 4 days then the doe was nursing them.
 
Yes they are outside, because when I put them inside they change the house to a fertilizer factory in one day lol.
 
I'm sorry about the babies. If your doe has babies in the future make sure you give her a good nesting box with sides that are high 7 inches high and lots of nesting materials- hay, shredded paper. Usually the mother pulls her own fur out from her tummy to line the nest and if she builds a good nest it will be warm and they won't freeze. You also need to feed her really good pellets and hay and green leafy vegies and a between a teaspoon and tablespoon of oats- so that she is getting lots of nutrients in her diet so she can produce the milk she needs- with lots of fresh water- they drink twice as much water when they are pregnant.

Can dried bread replace oats?
I can only provide limited quantity of oats, but I have unlimited quantity of bread in my area.
 
They don't always have to loose kits but my rabbits always loose their runt. Was it the runt? One of my rabbits lost her whole litter because they froze! That's the last time I breed in the winter.

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The oats are good for pregnant rabbits because it adds protein to their diet and that helps with producing milk. I don't think bread has much protein and it might not be good for rabbits so I wouldn't give them bread. Maybe just concentrate on finding a good quality pellet and feed her more of that. Some people give rabbits a teaspoon a day of raw sunflower seeds or flax seeds starting two weeks before they have the babies- because they have lots of protein too and help produce milk.
 
Kits can't regulate their body temperature themselves until they're a couple weeks old and rely on mom's fur in the nest and snuggling together to stay warm. One thing to consider is whether your nest box is too large - it should be big enough for the doe to turn around in, but if it's too big then the kits might spread out instead of sharing body heat. Also make sure that the nest box is designed in a way that prevents the kits from getting out until they're around 3 weeks old.

Insulating the hutch to maintain as much warmth as possible and prevent drafts is even more important with kits than older rabbits.

Depending on your climate and whether the hutches are fully outdoors or in a barn/shed/garage of some sort, bringing them inside may be necessary (if not full time, then at least at night when the temperatures are lowest). You can bring mom and kits in or just the nest box (if you only bring the nest box, make sure it's not inside for too long as mom normally nurses the kits 1-2 times a day, in the late evening and/or early morning).

Make sure it's not too warm in the room if you bring mom inside, because she'll have a thick winter coat and can overheat easily at much lower temperatures than usual - monitor her for signs of overheating/being too warm.

Many people that breed who live in a place with cold winters and keep their rabbits outside don't breed at all during the winter (conversely, people may not breed outdoor rabbits during the summer in very hot climates) and plan their first litter of the year for the beginning of spring.

As Jbun pointed out, unlike some animals, mother rabbits will NOT reject their babies just because they've been touched by a human. Kits can be safely handled from the day they're born. If the mother seems agitated at all when you go to handle them, let her out of the cage/hutch and put her where she can't see it before handling the babies - they won't reject babies over your smell but may reject them if they feel stressed out.

Handling the kits every day is important - this lets you check to make sure they're warm enough, that they're all being fed and that none have died.

It's not uncommon for a doe to lose or reject her first (or even second) litter. Most breeders play by a "three strikes" rule - if a doe hasn't learned how to be a "mom" by the time she's had three failed litters, she's removed from the breeding program (ie retired from breeding and kept as a pet or placed in a "pet" home).
 

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