Baby bunny emergency...

[DianeS]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but you DID do exactly the right thing in putting them with the other litter. Mom won't care, might not even notice. And with those numbers the new kits do stand a chance of getting to nurse and of living. Congrats on two living kits!

 

[Bitterroot]

How are they doing today? Fingers crossed!

My first time momma is doing excellent. I'm shocked, she's handling it like an old pro. I've been bringing the babies in at night since she seems dead set on eating all the hay in their nestbox and ignoring her overflowing manger, but other than that, couldn't ask for more out of her.

 

[LadyIsabelle2011]

Thanks guys,

The 2 little ones are still doing good. Active as ever but their tummies aren't as full as I would like. I'm thinking on fostering them to powder since her kits were born on the same day, but I'm worried 8 kits might be a bit much for her and I don't want to sabotage a good thing so I might just leave them with the older kits.

@Prairiechick -I actually did have a little bit of fur that I had collected a few weeks before, it wasn't as much as I needed but it certainly helped with warming them up at first. For some reason rabbit hair is very heat conductive.

@Bunnylady - I know what you mean, normally I can just pick up a baby animal and know something isn't going to go right with it. This one was a lot limper than it's siblings and just didn't have much of a spark. I felt sad when it passed though, it was the only broken colored kit that I had pulled through and was a little special to me already. :/

@DianeS - Thank you She noticed I was up to something and came to investigate, even took a questioning sniff at the nest once I was gone but I don't think she ever figured it out.

@Bitterroot -That is awesome to hear Bitterroot, my other first time mom powder had a litter of 6 the other day and is doing a wonderful job at it as well, she is even more attentive than the older doe. But she also has the habit of snacking on her nest hay.


Thanks for the replies everybody!

 

[Bitterroot]

If you need more nest lining, try dryer lint. I've had to whip some out of my stockpile the last couple days and it works well.

 

[LadyIsabelle2011]

Cool, but thankfully the girls are doing a wonderful job keeping their nests lined. Older doe even pulled more fur the other day because of cool weather, I was kinda proud of her

 

[Prairiechick]

My daughter's Holland Lop kindled last week. We lost all the kits, but not for lack of momma trying to keep them warm. She pulled so much fur that I thought was as going to be bald before she stopped! I saved some of it and put some in a nest that didn't seem to have enough for the weather we were supposed to (and now do) have.
I had a litter of 8 Californians this last week too. I never kindle during this time of year for fear of losing litters, but with the exception of the HLs, they are all doing quite well.

 

[DianeS]

The 2 little ones are still doing good. Active as ever but their tummies aren't as full as I would like. I'm thinking on fostering them to powder since her kits were born on the same day, but I'm worried 8 kits might be a bit much for her and I don't want to sabotage a good thing so I might just leave them with the older kits.

I wouldn't mess with the setup you have already, since it's working OK. But you can keep an eye on the size of Powder's kits vs the size of the orphaned ones. (They're the same breed, right?) If Powder's get noticably larger than the orphaned ones, you could swap two for two - put two of Powder's largest in with the older litter and put the two orphaned in with Powder. Or... if you're feeling creative, put two of the smallest older kits in with Powder, and two of Powder's in with the older ones and the orphaned ones. Whatever works! But what is happenning now is probably just fine, and personally I would not change it unless the two orphaned ones get significantly less milk than they "should". Three days age difference is nothing to worry about, a few more days and it won't matter at all.

 

[LadyIsabelle2011]

My daughter's Holland Lop kindled last week. We lost all the kits, but not for lack of momma trying to keep them warm. She pulled so much fur that I thought was as going to be bald before she stopped! I saved some of it and put some in a nest that didn't seem to have enough for the weather we were supposed to (and now do) have.
I had a litter of 8 Californians this last week too. I never kindle during this time of year for fear of losing litters, but with the exception of the HLs, they are all doing quite well.

Poor momma she tried her best, but good to hear that everyone else is doing good. I was also a little worried but we have had pretty mild weather, nothing below the 30's but a few frosts here and there, it gets into the 60's during the day. Sometimes you don't even know it is winter here.

@ DaineS - The size difference is actually pretty noticeable now. For some reason one kit just doesn't seem to be growing much at all, I'm not sure what to do, even powders babies have passed these guys in growth so I don't know what to think. :/

 

[LadyIsabelle2011]

I got a good look at the orphaned kits. One is starting to look more like the older ones and is growing good, but the other one looks small and shriveled :/ I took him out and compared him to powders kits and even next to them he is tiny. I got powder out and let the little one nurse to his content and then transferred him to her nest. Praying he makes it

 

[lexibot]

I always have great luck placing babies in with another mother, usually if they are still bald (under a week old) they are okay even if the babies are a bit bigger. Lots of litters end up having some BIG babies (double the size) and all the babies end up living.

All you can do is try.