# Help-abandoned litter - update / video page 3



## Roll farms (Apr 30, 2012)

I've found a few dead litters from new moms...but this morning I found 8 kits - 2 dead - 1 half-eaten, 1 cold / chewed up a bit, and 6 live.

She barely pulled any fur, they were scattered around the nest box, and half weren't cleaned off well.  All were getting cold.

I thawed some goat colostrum and gave ea. about 1/2 cc.  They are warming up now in the chick room.

Now what?

Can I try putting them back in w/ Mom and see what she does?  Should I hold mom down and let them nurse from her when DH gets home / can help me?

If I keep trying to feed them myself, how much / how often?

Thanks.....


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## sawfish99 (Apr 30, 2012)

I would try putting them back in with momma.  If she starts to attack them, you don't have a choice but to remove (and I would cull the mom at that point).  
I'm not sure about the answer on how often to feed if trying to raise away from momma.  I've never tried it.


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

How are they doing?

I've never had domestic bunnies.

In the past, I've reared wild babies by feeding them twice a day with a dropper, until their bellies are slightly rounded.  I used a can of kitten formula, and was sure to use a warm damp paper towel on their peritoneal area so they'd pee/poop.  Warm dark place until the eyes open.  I laid them on lamb's wool to simulate a nest.

I had only a 50% success rate though.  Baby bunnies are tough to hand rear.


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## Roll farms (May 1, 2012)

We ended up finding another one after DH got home and removed her nest box.  

We flipped mama over, pulled fur from her nipples so babies could find them, then let ea. nurse for 5 minutes.
They'll have to settle for goat's milk (the universal replacer - better than any store-bought formula) in the am feedings, since I can't handle her mean self and the 6 wiggly kits by myself.

A friend has 3 rabbits due in the next 3 days, says if they're small litters we can 'sneak' these guys in under them.  *whew*

I know wild rabbits are hard to raise, been there / done that..... but she (who has 50 or so breeding females) says domestics are a lot easier.

We've always either had good mamas or found them dead.  It's not in me to leave anything alive in w/ a mean mama and 'wait and see'.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (May 1, 2012)

I have no experience or advice, but I will good luck. If anyone can pull this off, you can


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## autumnprairie (May 1, 2012)

good luck


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> It's not in me to leave anything alive in w/ a mean mama and 'wait and see'.


I know nothing about domestic rabbits.........but I couldnt do that either.

I hope the surrogate moms work out for ya.


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## DianeS (May 1, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> A friend has 3 rabbits due in the next 3 days, says if they're small litters we can 'sneak' these guys in under them.  *whew*


I hope that works out! Soooo much easier to have them fostered to rabbits than to try to replace mom by yourself. Keep us posted!


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## popcornchicken (May 1, 2012)

Good Luck!!! I've gotta a couple of momma's w/ kits, but they're 9 & 10 days old not sure if they'd make it w/ them or not. - Call me!!!

I know this is hindsight, but good info for rabbit people: When breeding rabbits, breed a couple does to kindle (give birth) on the same day, so you can foster kits as needed due to poor mothering skills like this, or a large litter that needs split up, or any other complication that might come up.


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## Hens and Roos (May 1, 2012)

Good Luck !


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## Roll farms (May 1, 2012)

Thanks, Popcorn....we did breed 2 does....the other one (older doe who's never kindled) didn't take.  

Our next 3-4 afternoons are crazy.nuts.busy so I won't have time to run them down there to try it, but I appreciate the offer.


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## that's*satyrical (May 2, 2012)

popcornchicken said:
			
		

> Good Luck!!! I've gotta a couple of momma's w/ kits, but they're 9 & 10 days old not sure if they'd make it w/ them or not. - Call me!!!
> 
> I know this is hindsight, but good info for rabbit people: When breeding rabbits, breed a couple does to kindle (give birth) on the same day, so you can foster kits as needed due to poor mothering skills like this, or a large litter that needs split up, or any other complication that might come up.


Sorry to hijack your thread here Rolls!! PS-your babies look just like mine. Are they American Chinchilla? My other guess would be Silver Fox? 

So I have a doe due to kindle that didn't do well with her 1st litter (this will be her 2nd) and another doe that just had her first litter Sunday. She is doing wonderfully so far! Anyway if this doe has a hard time again can I foster the kits at all? She is due to kindle any day.  The 2nd doe does have 7 kits already though so I don't know if that would be too many for her? Or if she would freak since this is only her very 1st litter? Thanks.


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## Roll farms (May 2, 2012)

They are NZ x Silver Fox.  Not a white in the bunch....wierd.

I hope you aren't askin' me 'bout fostering.  We've been blessed w/ does who are good moms, usually.  Had a few kill / abandon 1st litters, but do good after that.  

From what I've been told, though...7 is probably about all I'd put on a new mom, not sure I'd stick more than 2-3 more in there, if I put any in at all.


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## that's*satyrical (May 2, 2012)

That is what i kind of figured, but I was hoping I'd have an option if she had a hard time again & only a couple of kits....


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## currycomb (May 2, 2012)

well, if you were closer, i'd say bring em on down, have a couple does with new kits, and (knock on wood), have never had a mom refuse to foster any new kits. guess we have been super lucky too, our first timers are turning out to be great mommas. i am like you, can't leave babies with mean mommas, especially when it is in my power to move them


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## Roll farms (May 2, 2012)

I went and bought a little kitten bottle and fed them w/ that a bit ago.  WOW.  They took about 24 cc between the 6 of them, and it only took about 25 minutes, vs. an hr.  
It's been a bear-dog struggle every time I've fed them w/a dropper to get 1.5 cc in them.  

*whew* that's better.

We probably won't be messing w/ mom any more, either.  She's shredding DH and I and kicking the kits off.  We don't have enough hands to hold them and her 4 legs.


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## daisychick (May 2, 2012)

Sounds like you have some bottle babies.


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## that's*satyrical (May 2, 2012)

well, good thing with rabbits you only have to feed them twice a day!!!


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 2, 2012)

Just remember that with rabbits, sometimes the trick to getting their digestive systems going is mom's cecal pellets.  Or those from another doe.   If the babies start to do poorly, their gut flora may need replenishing.


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## redtailgal (May 2, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I went and bought a little kitten bottle and fed them w/ that a bit ago.  WOW.  They took about 24 cc between the 6 of them, and it only took about 25 minutes, vs. an hr.
> It's been a bear-dog struggle every time I've fed them w/a dropper to get 1.5 cc in them.
> 
> *whew* that's better.
> ...


Rabbit stew?


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## manybirds (May 2, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I've found a few dead litters from new moms...but this morning I found 8 kits - 2 dead - 1 half-eaten, 1 cold / chewed up a bit, and 6 live.
> 
> She barely pulled any fur, they were scattered around the nest box, and half weren't cleaned off well.  All were getting cold.
> 
> ...


if you have another doe with a litter that would be best. if not then hold mom down and let them nurse off of her. handraising day old rabbits with syringe and milk replacer is virtually impossible.


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## Roll farms (May 2, 2012)

I'm now using a bottle, and goat milk, not replacer. They've all got fat, swollen bellies and are quite active when hungry and content when full.

Our "plan" (ha ha) is to put them in w/ our Silver Fox doe when we wean her kits next week.

Here's a short video of one of them taking the bottle tonight.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150843442715100&notif_t=video_processed


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## that's*satyrical (May 2, 2012)

Omg, that is adorable.  The sound of the bunny drinking the bottle is almost as cute as the bunny itself lol.


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## Roll farms (May 2, 2012)

Forgot to add, thanks for the info on cecal pellets.  Wonder if, if the SF doe won't take them....probiotics would be any help at all.....

What's ridiculous?  I'm saving these guys so dh can eat them later.


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## Waterfall (May 2, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I'm now using a bottle, and goat milk, not replacer. They've all got fat, swollen bellies and are quite active when hungry and content when full.
> 
> Our "plan" (ha ha) is to put them in w/ our Silver Fox doe when we wean her kits next week.
> 
> ...


Lol, I thought it was a tiny puppy at first.


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## DianeS (May 3, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Forgot to add, thanks for the info on cecal pellets.  Wonder if, if the SF doe won't take them....probiotics would be any help at all.....
> 
> What's ridiculous?  I'm saving these guys so dh can eat them later.


The cecal pellets are important because that is how the kits' guts develop the bacteria they need to digest anything other than milk. Whatever the adult ate, the kits can eat, if they eat the cecal pellets during the exploration and put-everything-in-my-mouth phase. You can mimic it by taking soft poop from a rabbit's litterbox and putting it in the nest with the kits. Sounds yucky, but necessary. The kits will find it and nibble as they explore. 
It doesn't need to be mom's - any rabbit's will do. Start doing that when the kits' eyes first open. 

Hope that helps!


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 3, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Forgot to add, thanks for the info on cecal pellets.  Wonder if, if the SF doe won't take them....probiotics would be any help at all.....
> 
> What's ridiculous?  I'm saving these guys so dh can eat them later.


You are also saving them because they are pathetic baby creatures. Lol.  


  One of he main reasons "I found this wild baby bunny and it was ok and then it died" happens so much is that the babies aren't getting mom's cecal pellets and they get gut stasis and just shut down.    Another being that cottontails are flighty as heck but that's another story.  We've had adults before that were in transition from vet back to the wild and they go in a tote, in a closet and I only bother them to make sure they are eating and they they don't need another flea dip and they stay here about a max of 3-4 days.   Then it's off to the farm and good luck bunny! 


 Probiotics wouldn't hurt but they are designed to eat the cecal pellets and make use of them. Since you have a source I'd use those instead of a make do.  A rehabber near us comes to get them sometimes and she just melts them in with a bottle around about the 6-10 day mark to get them started. Then she leaves a bunch in the nest box as well for the everything in the mouth stage.


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## aggieterpkatie (May 3, 2012)

Wow, they're big!  Cute video!!


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## Roll farms (May 5, 2012)

I think I'm losing one of them.

She seems colder than the others, less active, and will barely eat.

I'm telling myself even mama rabbits lose kits sometimes....but it still bothers me.

Melted some cecal pellets into their bottles tonight.....


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## ThreeBoysChicks (May 5, 2012)

I am sure you have done your absolute best.  Like you said, even rabbit moms lose a baby.


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