Peanut or Runt...Is there a difference? Picture attached

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Ardara_Hill

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Hi Everyone -

On June 4th, my absolute favorite Holland doe gave birth to a litter of 3. All looked to be peanuts and two died within a few days time, however, one looked to be well fed and continued to hang on. A day before, my daughter's Netherland, who is the best mom in the world, had a litter of 2, one a peanut, so we fostered this still living little Holland baby with her. We decided to just hang in and see what happened.

Well, it's now June 23rd and the little guy is still with us - he has grown, but not as much as a normal kit would. He is the cutest little thing and so full of energy. He and his Netherland sister have started going in and out of the nest box on their own togetherand he's just as active and playful as his foster sister is.

What is going on? This is getting a little rough because I'm now attached to him and hoping that he lives and lives comfortablyand is just a runt. I will keep him as a pet if so because we've all grown extremly fond of the little guy.

Could he be a runt and not a true peanut? Is there a difference? Do peanuts actually hang on this long and act so 'normal'?He has done everything he should on time except grow to normal size. I have researched as much as I can and what I'm finding out is that weaning could be his downfall at this point, so I plan to keep him with his Netherland foster mom a little longer than normal so he can get a little stronger. He is definitely well fed now - he's with the best momma doe we have.

Has anyone been through this before and if so, can you please give me some advice? Should I supplement him with anything after he is weaned to help him along?

Ugh, I swore I wouldn't get attached to him, but the longer he kept holding on and acting so dang cute, well, it was impossible not to. :(

Thanks in advance for any advice - I'm going to attempt to attach apicture of him.......

DSCN4054.jpg

 
If you could get a clearer pic of his face, that would help. There is definalty a difference between a runt and a peanut. A runt is just born smaller than the others, and will usually grow normally, etc, but will probably just be a llittle smaller than it's siblings for it's whole life. A peanut has a double dwarf gene, meaning he got it from both parents. UNfortunalty, the odds of a peanut living even to weaning ageis pretty small, the longest one has ever lived is 18 months. Since he didn't have any littermates that lived, you don't have them to compare too, but does his head/face look "normal" to you? Here is a pic of apeanut I had that lived longer than most, he was four weeks in this pic and died about a week and half later. The larger one in the picture is a normal littermate.

DSCF0337.jpg

 
A peanut is a runt, but a runt isn't necessarily a peanut. Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism in rabbits - a dominant homozygous lethal. (The same type of dwarfism most common in humans).

However, there are over 300 forms of dwarfism known.

Pam
 
Thanks. Here are a few more pictures of him if it helps- he was just chewing on some hay and looking as content as ever. Sigh......I want him to live. If these pictures aren't good enough, I will take some more of him tomorrow. The black baby next to him is a Netherland, two (maybe three)days older than the little one and a little on the pudgy side.

DSCN4052.jpg




DSCN4053.jpg



 
The main difference I have found is that a peanut hasextremely little ears and a very big head. Your little guy does look like a peanut but I am not an expert. I hope he proves me wrong.

Sharon
 
Awe, he is really cute! I have to agree with the others though, he does look like a peanut.:?I *really* hope I'm wrong but his ears so tiny and hishead is large. Geez I don't know. I'll keep you andthe little one in my prayers.
 
I think he is too, although I really hope he's just a runt. He is still going strong - hopping out of his nest box, running around the cage and nibbling on hay. His Netherland foster mom is taking good care of him.

I've been calling him Half Pint and as I keep telling myself not to get attached to him, I realize more and more that it's way too late. I was holding him today and he's just the cutest and funniest little thing......ugh, this is the part about raising rabbits that kills me. I'm just hoping that by some miracle, he'll just be a runt and will be able to live a happy life as my house pet.

I'm going to keep him with Kristie (foster mom) a little longer at weaning time and may supplement him a little afterwards.

I have these happy thoughts of him living in the bedroom in a nice indoor cage with hubby and me - I hope it happens.

Thanks for everyone's support - I will keep you all posted on him.

Steph
 
If it was me, and it was possible, I would let the little guy wean himself. Let him nurse as long as he wants. He'll probably benefit greatly from it.

Weaning is the most difficult time for bunnies. The slower and longer the process takes, the more likely your little man will be to survive.

I believe the one peanut, owned by Barbi Brown, that lived a really long, was nursed for a very long time. She was passed around to a couple of mothers, but I think staying with one will work too. Here's a link: http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/micro.htm

--Dawn
 
Thanks so much Dawn - I'm praying that this little one can live a happy little life too. He can definitely stay with him mom for as long as he needs to. Kristie is an awesome mom and fosters for us all the time. She's as crabby as can be with humans, but she will nurse and care for any baby we give her. We put Half Pint in with her because we knew that if anyone could bring him through, Kristie could. We gave it a week, figuring that he would pass away, but he kept going even after all of his peanut siblings passed. He now jumps in and out of his nest box, binkies around his cage and is just the friendliest and cutest little guy.

If he makes it, and I so hope he does, he'll be my house pet. It should be no shock that I've already gotten myself extremely attached to him, but I "tried" not too.....ha! I love when I try to kid myself, lol.

Thanks for the encouragement and for that website - sadly Micro passed away (but he lived for quite a while!) and now there is another peanut named Pixie that is still thriving.

I love my Hollands and Netherlands, but the whole peanut thing is such a heartbreaker. It's bad enough when they pass at a few days old, but when they hang on this long and you get really attached, it's all the worse.

I'll continue to keep everyone posted on Half Pint .:)

Steph
 
I'm so sad to report that the little one passed away this weekend. He was snuggled up in the nest box with his foster brother and looked as if he went while he was sleeping. My heart was broken, but he didn't look like he ever suffered & he was a happy little guy right until the end.

This is the only part of dwarf breeds that I don't like. :(


 
Oh I'm so sorry to hear that,:( I was following the thread, hoping he would make it.

Binky free little baby. :rainbow:
 
I'm so sorry to hear that. I read your post and gathered from others' replies that he probably was a 'peanut', but I hoped he would keep on growing.

He would have felt loved for all of his short life due to your care and kindness.

RIP sweet little bun :rainbow::rose:

Jo xx
 
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