New To Rabbitry

[lee&lyric]

Hello,

The husband asked me to find out what makes a rabbit eat their young? We are new to this, have some NZ's, two Flemish adults, and seven flem/rex mix bunnies. We're wanting to provide the best for them. We think some are pregnant (but that's another topic).

Thanks.

 

[brentr]

A doe might eat her young out of stress, fear for personal safety, to protect other kits (if noisy kit is perceived as a threat to the safety of the nest, for example), or because she is just plain psycho (in my opinion).

Sometimes first-time mothers go berserk and are bad mothers, but on the second litter they perform like champs. That is why most folks advocate giving a doe two (and maybe even three) tries to prove she can raise a litter before giving up on her.

 

[Petit Jean Bunnies]

I have had this problem when breeding the with meat rabbits, and although I no longer raise the meat breeds, here is some info that has helped me.
Give doe dried Red Raspberry leaf throughout her pregnancy, I usually give just a pinch in with her feed every two days. This helps the hormones during pregnancy and birth, and also prevents too much bleeding during the birthing process. I continue to give the dried Red Raspberry leaf after she has had her litter to to help her as a nursing mother, at least for the next week or so after she has kindled.
The next thing is the most important when it comes to the mothers eating the young. Give the doe salt. I don't like the salt blocks because they usually get wet and then rust the cages, so I just use table salt and sprinkle it in her feed. I like to use a natural sea salt that has not been bleached and preferably has some added minerals in there as well, so not really table salt, but you get the idea. The number one reason that does eat their kits is due to a salt inefficiency. So give the doe some salt during and then after she has had the young, I like to do it twice a week, and then for three days straight after she has had the litter, and then go back to twice a week. As a general rule it is good to give all rabbits salt, but especially the does.
Now I am not saying that is is the miracle cure, but it definitely has reduced and nearly diminished the problem of mothers eating their young in my rabbitry.

Good Luck in your rabbit raising and I hope that is info is new and helpful to you!

JessiKa