Missing kits found but malnourished - need help

[kukupecpec]

Yesterday when I went out in the afternoon for the second feeding and to just check everyone and play with the bunnies two of my kits were huddled outside the nest box and two more had gone missing - born 3/17/13. I searched and searched and couldn't find the missing kits anywhere. Checked again when I was out this morning and found nothing. This afternoon while down on the ground doing some gardening miraculously I found the two missing kits thanks to the little white one flinching - they were buried in some dirt in an impossible corner under the hutch, I'm astonished the chickens didn't get them! Anyway, they have been hiding out down there for a minimum of 24 hours but could have been out there for up to 48 as I don't count them every day. They are very obviously skin and bones, and almost half the size of their well fed siblings. I dusted them off and put them back in to snuggle in the nest box but I worried they won't make it to the next feeding. What can I do to help save them?

 

[JBun]

You need to make sure they are warm for them to be able to have a chance at eating. If they are cold you need to warm them up, but not too fast. One way is using your own body heat by holding them against your skin.

Once warm you can try holding mom and seeing if you can get them to nurse off of her.

 

[kukupecpec]

Does she always have milk available? So i could just hold her still for them to nurse off her?
It's actually quite warm here, almost 90 today, the bunnies weren't really cold, and they should be warmed back up to the temp of the other by now.

 

[JBun]

Whether or not she'll have much milk depends on how long ago it was since she last nursed the other kits. If it's been since morning, then she should have at least a little milk available.

The easiest way may be to hold her on your lap and bring the kits from under your legs and under the mom, to nurse.

 

[kukupecpec]

I'll give that a try!

Do you have any experience bringing in the nest box? I've been having trouble with kits getting dragged out after nursing (I think) and finding dead kits when we return. Bringing it in, or even just removing it to an empty cage, could be super helpful but I'm worried that the doe will reject them. She doesn't like when I touch them, she will thump if she smells me in the nest box and I have even seen her chase a kit that I was holding right after I put it back and it smelled like me.
It's funny, momma's used to people and very friendly, oddly enough more so when she has a litter, I don't understand her aversion to my being in the nest box. I just don't want her to reject them.

 

[kukupecpec]

Alright so I held her for the kits to nurse and they kept switching from teat to teat. Does this mean that she was dry? Or is that just how they always feed? They would suckle for a second and then jump around to another and suckle, and move again over and over for about 5 minutes. Then I just put everyone back.

 

[JBun]

If your mom is so easily disturbed by you messing with them, I don't know if it would be good to remove the nest box. Maybe use a nest box with a higher lip, or you may just have to check on them more frequently. Keeping them in an empty cage right next to her might work, but you will need to make sure you get them in with her at the right time for feeding.

That's great they were energetic enough to nurse. Really the only way to know if they got milk would be by checking to see if they have full bellies. I would think they at least got a little, probably enough so they will be ok til the next feeding.

 

[kukupecpec]

I could probably even just close the door to the nest box they have now. This would at least keep the wiggly little things from escaping. They are all over the place in the nest box.

They were wild! It was funny to watch, they were definitely hungry and I'm so glad they had so much energy! I hope they get a little more when mom feed them tonight. They didn't look like they got a belly full from my helping them, but hopefully you are right and they at least got enough to hold them over.

 

[majorv]

You could've supplemented the two with some KMR or goat's milk. That would at least give them some energy. If they get too weak they won't be strong enough to nurse.

We've brought the nestbox in overnight before, but more due to cold than anything else. We didn't have a problem with the doe rejecting them.