My first set of babies!!!

[mshill90]

5 Days ago, my female flemish gave birth to 6 babies! This was not planned, and very unexpected, as I am not the breeding type.. but nothing I can do about it now except learn what I can, and enjoy the little guys!

So, here's the pics of what I could get today.. they move around so much. haha. No peanuts, but there is a runt.. not sure how he's gonna make out.

I'm thinking I'm gonna have to hold momma down so the little guy can feed a bit.. he gets food, but I don't think he gets enough, but he's grown since birth, and that's a good sign I've been told.

Not sure what color they are going to end up, as I don't know the origins of the grandparents...

I'm thinking I'm gonna have blacks, and some agouti.. and the runt looks like a black/orange mix right now.. he is the only one who isn't all dark skinned. In the second pic of the babies, he's the one on the far right.

Here's pics!

Mom is the orange, and Dad is a agouti.

 

[CosmosMomma]

Ohh they're so little! I love babies! D:

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

Soo cute! I wish I could take my kits out of the nest for a pic but it's soo cold here I don't wanna risk it

 

[mshill90]

Yeah, it's been cold here too, but today was a record of 80, so I took them out while it was still warm.

Was so excited!

 

[ldoerr]

They are sooo cute To nurse the runt flip the mother over and hold her with 1 hand. Hold the baby with the other hand making sure that it does not fall off the mom. Show it a nipple and help if need be. You can give the mom some fenugreek. It will make her produce some more milk. You give them a dropper full a couple of times a day in the mouth. I have had mothers that were not producing milk for their babies so I gave the mother some fenugreek and within a day she was full of milk.

 

[mshill90]

She's got plenty of milk, she is just a shy rabbit to begin with, and very on edge since having the babies. The other kits easily topple the little guy, and he gets pushed under all of them.

She's a very feisty rabbit, which is why I was not able to hold her on my own as I don't want to get hurt, nor do I want her to get hurt.

I did get her to the point where the kit was nursing, but she started flipping out, and I quickly removed the kit so that it was not injured.

I have to bring mom in to remove a bot fly larvae (oh fun!) from her chest, so I'm hoping I can get her into the sleep state that I was able to do with my boys.. That way I can let the kit nurse and then remove the bug once he's done.

He isn't going completely without, but he definitely could use more.

I was told by a friend/breeder of mine to let them be and feed on their own, as nature will take its course and not all of them always survive, something about it making the mom rabbit a stronger breeder, and something else.. but I am not going to let a poor kit starve to death when I can help it.

I know nature has to run it's course, but even nature hits a speed bump!

 

[mshill90]

Well, the runt looked even worse today, so I flipped her over and let the little guy nurse off of her.. I don't know if he's just not nursing correctly or what, but he didn't get any it seems.. Or he got very little.

I did try to "milk" her and nothing came out at all, but the other babies are FAT and definitely fed..

So, just in case, off to the store tomorrow to get some fenugreek...

Is there anything else I can do for this little guy? Is there a type of formula I can buy and bottle feed him?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

ray:

 

[Imbrium]

KMR with acidophilus mixed in can be fed (http://www.mybunny.org/info/newborn.htm ) but they do SO much better on mom's milk if you can continue to coerce her into nursing. they only nurse 1-2x a day for a few minutes, so the baby can easily hold out for you to show up and assist.

 

[JBun]

The problem you might be encountering when you are trying to help the baby nurse, is the time when you are trying to do it. If you do it soon after she just nursed all the other kits, they've pretty much sucked her dry. You'll want to try a little before she's ready to nurse the kits again, that way she'll be pretty full. If you do try to feed it yourself, just be very careful and don't force liquid into it's mouth or it could aspirate the milk and die. You want it to lick the liquid off itself.

 

[ldoerr]

I have never had any luck hand feeding a kit. I have tried a few times for various reasons and it NEVER worked out. The kit(s) ended up dying. Good luck getting this kit to live. Sometimes they just will not make it.

 

[mshill90]

I tried nursing last evening around 7... so I assume she would have milk available..

However, checked on them today, and it does look like he did eat when she nursed them today/last night.. so, I am going to just make sure he keeps looking fed.

I did give her some fenugreek, as I assume it can't hurt. She was like "om nom MORE!!" but I only gave her a syringe full of what I had made up.

 

[Imbrium]

excellent news!

 

[Hyatt101]

Yay! i hope the little guy is all right!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:clapping:

 

[mshill90]

UPDATE: We had 5 blacks, and a sandy. Now only 4 blacks and a sandy.

Unfortunately the largest kit wandered out of the nest last night and didn't find his way back, and froze to death.

Mamma rabbit seems pretty depressed about it. (laying in the back of the pen, not being responsive to me being in the pen like usual)

Building a nesting box today for them. I thought her nest would be fine, but apparently it's not.

Ugh, I feel so stupid for not making one sooner.

 

[Hyatt101]

Its okay... :hug2: A nestbox will help, and i'm sure your rabbits will be okay. These kinds of things happen all the time, so don't be hard on yourself

 

[mshill90]

I was just so proud that I helped 2 to get back on the mend..

First was the sandy whom I THOUGHT was the runt.. and then yesterday the one kit I noticed had tons of poo and fur gunked up on his nose and on his anus area.. had to cut it off and use warm water to get the stuck part off, then I had to give him some replacement formula because he looked so starved. He's half the size of the other guys. But he's doing a lot better now.

I just hate when things happen that I could have prevented. I really thought about bringing in some Continental Giants from Europe and breeding them next year, and trying to get them recognized, but -sigh- I know kits often die and I dunno.. it's just really sad. I keep thinking about him being out in the cold alone and just slowly dying and then the momma rabbit..

I went back out once we came home from errands, and mama rabbit was doing good, and acting normal, but she did not like me being around her babies... she charged and bit me. Then she went back over to where the baby was found.

But we made the box, and all babies are safe and sound in it!

 

[Hyatt101]

I'm glad your kits are better! I'm sorry about dying kits, believe me, I had two litters in which all babies died before I got a successful litter. Please don't get discouraged. Everything will be okay, and first time moms often have a rough time :hug2:

 

[Missy]

:inlove: They are adorable!

Sorry for your loss