# im expecting baby bunnies, how cold do you think they can handle?



## flemish lops (Mar 8, 2011)

I have two bred rabbits, one holland lop and one flemish giant. They are do any day and when I went to go feed them this morning my holland lop had her babies. The babies were moving around and looked fine so I left the mother to have some quiet time with them. But this after noon I went to go check on them  and the babies were dead. I found them in the nest like that. I don't know if it was from the cold or what, the temp. was 33 ish all day. 

I am expecting my flemish giant to have her babis tonight/ tomarrow morning and don't wont the same thing to happen. Does any one know how cold baby bunnies can handle?


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## Beekissed (Mar 9, 2011)

We raised NZ rabbits and we never worried about the cold and never had babies die from it unless they were newborn~still hairless~ and got out of the nest and on the wire for some reason.  This was a rarity.

The temp you mentioned wouldn't cause them to die unless there wasn't a good amount of fur in the nest and mother didn't cover them when she got off the nest.  Is she a new mother or experienced?  

My NZ does always pulled so much fur it was difficult to ever visualize a kit and one would have to count them by feel until they were bigger and more active.


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## flemish lops (Mar 9, 2011)

She has had babies before so she made a regular nest with a lot of hay and had pulled out a lot of fur. The babies were covered when I came there yet for some reason they didn't make it, mabey it was just a bad litter. Well thanks for the info I hope I have better luck with my flemish giant. The temp should be around higher 30s so I hope every thing gos well.


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## Beekissed (Mar 9, 2011)

I'll be hoping with you!  Did you happen to examine the dead kits for any sign of reason of death?  It would be interesting to know why they died, wouldn't it?  

I've never had a whole litter die and wouldn't even begin to know why one would unless she wouldn't let them nurse or she had crushed them.


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## TigerLilly (Mar 9, 2011)

Beekissed said:
			
		

> I'll be hoping with you!  Did you happen to examine the dead kits for any sign of reason of death?  It would be interesting to know why they died, wouldn't it?
> *I've never had a whole litter die and wouldn't even begin to know why one would unless she wouldn't let them nurse or she had crushed them*.


Some rabbits just dont have the mothering instinct; they're no different than any other species--humans included. If she loses another litter I would not let her breed again, unless you have a surrogate mom that you could foster the babies to. But that's me. Keep an eye on her as far as pulling fur & preparing the nest. 
Hope everything turns out better with this litter.


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## flemish lops (Mar 10, 2011)

Well, my holland lop has had babies before and they had all lived. She has always been a good mother with pulling alot of fur out and making a good nest so I don't think it was her that did any thing wrong.
 When I looked the dead kits over to see if something was out of the ordinary, the only thing that I noticed wrong was that they were all diffrent sizes. I have seen alot of baby bunnies before and they did not look like the usual sized to me. Some of them were really small and some were twice the size of usual kits. Not sure what caused that but hopfully it wont happen again.


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## Beekissed (Mar 11, 2011)

Now that IS strange!  Maybe hormonal or nutritional fluctuations?  Isn't it too bad we don't have access to info on stuff like that?  I find it very interesting.


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## flemish lops (Mar 11, 2011)

I feed her pellet, oat, and hand fulls of hay, so I don't think it would be not getting the right nutrition. It could be a hormonal thing. I guess it will just be one of those un solved misteries of every day life.


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## Mitransplant (Mar 13, 2011)

I am waiting for my new bunnies to be born before I get into raising rabbits. I should have them by the first week of May.
Been reading on here about you all feeding hay to the rabbits, someone even mentioned Timothy. Where do you get it and how is it sold. Bays or bags. About how much does it cost?
I am getting excited and won't be getting them for 6 weeks or more. Have my plans all drawn up for cages and most of the materials that I will need.
Can more than one rabbit be housed in a cage of say 36x36x18? Thought about getting just two does and a buck but might want more so didn't know if I would be alright cage wise.
Thanks for any and all information.


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## savingdogs (Mar 13, 2011)

I highly suggest you look for a rural area selling hay by the bale. In pet stores, a small bag costs about 12 dollars. In a feed store, an entire huge bale is 13 dollars. Buy it by the bale!


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## Bossroo (Mar 13, 2011)

Cute aren't they   ... Rabitts, especially females are terratorial. Keeping mature females in a cage that size , I would expect WW3, and one may not be alive for long after the tiff.       I wouldn't recommend keeping mature males together to maturity , or male + female together in a single cage as fur will soon fly.       Also, take the female to the male's cage for breeding , not male to female's cage, or she will attack the male and injuries are sure to follow.


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## Mitransplant (Mar 13, 2011)

I live on a non working farm of 20+ acres. We have a man that comes and mows and bales the hay on the acreage. I have no idea what kind of hay this is but am wondering if I could use this stuff. He bales it in those HUGE bales and sells them to different people around for their horses as well as the cows. Maybe I can catch him one of these days and see what kind of hay it is and if it would be alright for the rabbits. If so I will be saving a HUGE amount of money. THANKS.


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## Mitransplant (Mar 13, 2011)

Thanks Bossroo. I did know the part about taking the female to the male's cage. I just wasn't sure if I could get my little 6 week old bunnies and keep them all in one cage for a while IF I get more than the three I originally said I wanted. Once I get there and start looking at them I have a feeling I won't be able to stop at just three. LOL


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