Need advice/help warming COLD kits

[Xerocles]

Born last night, this morning. Found at 7:30 this morning. 8 scattered all over the nest box, no two touching. All moving, but barely. Temp was 55f at the time. Sparse fur pulled, little hay put in nest box. Felt COLD to the touch.
Added hay. Collected all the fur I could (2nd litter, so no "extra" on hand.) Made a nest, piled together, and covered. Had to go out off town. Returned after 5. Found them in a "spread out pile" touching, but not "on" each other. Cold to the touch. Current Temp 54f. Slight movement from each, but if possible less than this morning. One or two questionable if they were actually moving.
Now, I'm a cold hearted, pragmatic type of animal keeper, and have vowed nature knows best, and not to interfere with the process, no matter the outcome. Yeah, right, up till now. I grabbed a basket, lined it with soft hay, gathered them into it, covered with such fur as I could, and they are on my bathroom floor with an electric space heater (a few feet from them, not blowing directly on) bringing the room temp up.
What next? Assuming they, or some of them at least, warm up and start wiggling. I know they need Mama to feed them (no plump little bellies right now.) When do they go back to the nest box? Can I add cotton batting to supplement sparse fur? Any other ideas? Btw temps aren't supposed tho drop below 50f tonight.

 

[Beekissed]

If you had a heating pad they could lie on it might warm them up a little quicker. Sounds like mama isn't going to be a good mama this time round. I'd hold her down and let them nurse and get a full belly once they warm up enough to be lively.

If you don't have a heating pad, the quickest way to warm up a little animal is with your own body heat, skin on skin. A nice, fleece hoody,blanket or bathrobe for you and little babies on your belly/chest underneath it.

Got any feather pillows? Feathers will provide more warmth than the cotton batting.

 

[Xerocles]

If you had a heating pad they could lie on it might warm them up a little quicker. Sounds like mama isn't going to be a good mama this time round. I'd hold her down and let them nurse and get a full belly once they warm up enough to be lively.

If you don't have a heating pad, the quickest way to warm up a little animal is with your own body heat, skin on skin. A nice, fleece hoody,blanket or bathrobe for you and little babies on your belly/chest underneath it.

Got any feather pillows? Feathers will provide more warmth than the cotton batting.

Thanks a ton. Would a seed starter mat work as well? They only get to 70 or so, but no heating pad. But the bathroom is probably over 80 already.
Mama's 3rd litter. Not a good mama with any of them, on her way out.
If it wasn't raining out, I could get a ton of first molt feathers from the ducks, as they are going through first molt.... but no feather pillows, all synthetic.
Not sure about holding Mama down for nursing, but easy enough to close the opening to the nest box with her inside. How long?
And once they begin to wiggle just a little, I'll do the "belly bundling".

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks a ton. Would a seed starter mat work as well? They only get to 70 or so, but no heating pad. But the bathroom is probably over 80 already.
Mama's 3rd litter. Not a good mama with any of them, on her way out.
If it wasn't raining out, I could get a ton of first molt feathers from the ducks, as they are going through first molt.... but no feather pillows, all synthetic.
Not sure about holding Mama down for nursing, but easy enough to close the opening to the nest box with her inside. How long?
And once they begin to wiggle just a little, I'll do the "belly bundling".

That seed mat would be fine and you could turn your heat in the room down a little so they could warm from the bottom and top but without overheating. I'd hesitate to lock her into the nest box if she's not wanting to take care of them....she may just crush them as she moves around. I've had that happen with a bad mama doe.

Don't know if you'd have to tie the doe's legs in order to do the nursing, as you likely don't have anyone to help you, do you?

 

[Xerocles]

Moments later. 5 wiggling good. 1 sorta. 2 no movement. Sorta and no are on my belly and under my sweater. They are quite cold. But....not dead till they're WARM and dead.....right? Writing this from my phone so they are on my stomach.

 

[Xerocles]

That seed mat would be fine and you could turn your heat in the room down a little so they could warm from the bottom and top but without overheating. I'd hesitate to lock her into the nest box if she's not wanting to take care of them....she may just crush them as she moves around. I've had that happen with a bad mama doe.

Don't know if you'd have to tie the doe's legs in order to do the nursing, as you likely don't have anyone to help you, do you?

Alone. And she's skittish as heck....not mean, just doesnt like handling.
On the other hand, locked in the nest box, maybe they get fed. Otherwise, no chance at all. Yes, she crushed her first litter.

 

[Beekissed]

Alone. And she's skittish as heck....not mean, just doesnt like handling.
On the other hand, locked in the nest box, maybe they get fed. Otherwise, no chance at all. Yes, she crushed her first litter.

Then she'll likely crush this one as well. I'd keep the kits in with you and bring her in to let them nurse. She can be skittish all she wants, but if you tie her legs and hold her down, not much she can do~tuck her front end under your arm and hold the back feet with the same hand, then place the kits for nursing with the dominant hand. Or, and this could help you....go onto FB pet and livestock pages and advertise them as bottle bunnies for free and you'll get any number of animal lovers who would dearly love to be burdened with bottle feeding a litter of kits.

Then kill that mama and eat her.

 

[Xerocles]

Then she'll likely crush this one as well. I'd keep the kits in with you and bring her in to let them nurse. She can be skittish all she wants, but if you tie her legs and hold her down, not much she can do~tuck her front end under your arm and hold the back feet with the same hand, then place the kits for nursing with the dominant hand. Or, and this could help you....go onto FB pet and livestock pages and advertise them as bottle bunnies for free and you'll get any number of animal lovers who would dearly love to be burdened with bottle feeding a litter of kits.

Then kill that mama and eat her.

Win, lose, or draw, Mama Has sealed her fate, either soon, or if she nurses, after weaning.
Thanks for the suggestion, but bottle bunnies ain't gonna happen. I'll do what I can to revive them (Pretty sure two will be dns) but then it's up to mama. They're mutts and not worth extreme measures. Cold, but that's the way it is.
Thank you so much for your suggestions and help.

 

[Beekissed]

Win, lose, or draw, Mama Has sealed her fate, either soon, or if she nurses, after weaning.
Thanks for the suggestion, but bottle bunnies ain't gonna happen. I'll do what I can to revive them (Pretty sure two will be dns) but then it's up to mama. They're mutts and not worth extreme measures. Cold, but that's the way it is.
Thank you so much for your suggestions and help.

I understand. I have a tough love farming style as well and it's thought of as hard by others but it's the only way to produce a strong, sustainable system here.

 

[Xerocles]

Probably final update on this thread. New stuff will go into my xerocles rabbit thread. But for those who don't go there.....two are dns. Warm (my body temp) and no movement. 6 wiggling like crazy.
Returned to mom with extra cozy. She immediately went into the nest box, but definitely not long enough to nurse. It's in nature's hands now. They'll survive or not. Either way, Mom will soon be dns. At Almost 2 years, I guess she will be a slow roast in some type of sauce.
Again, thanks for advice and help.