What to do with runts.

[Snowfie]

My doe had her first litter of 10 two weeks ago and most of the kits are doing fantastic. But there are a couple runty ones. They're developing but they are REALLY small and skinny. Should I be trying to hand feed them? And if so, what do you recommend as far as milk replacer? I thought that if they got to the point where they'd start nibbling solid food they'd be able to make up lost ground, but they don't seem to be interested in solid food (the bigger kits are nibbling hay).

Any suggestions?

 

[Queen Mum]

Are raising them as pet grade buns? Runts don't usually catch up. I would just let them catch up on their own. You can hand feed them with Kitten milk replacer and goats milk. BUT really you could end up overfeeding them. SO you would be better off leaving them on their own. Maybe dose them with some vitamins, though.

 

[Snowfie]

Are raising them as pet grade buns? Runts don't usually catch up. I would just let them catch up on their own. You can hand feed them with Kitten milk replacer and goats milk. BUT really you could end up overfeeding them. SO you would be better off leaving them on their own. Maybe dose them with some vitamins, though.

I'm breeding meat rabbits, so not pets.

 

[Queen Mum]

In that case, they are probably not worth the effort.

 

[CCourson05]

If euthanizing, what's the best way? I don't have rabbits, but it's useful information...

 

[oneacrefarm]

Are raising them as pet grade buns? Runts don't usually catch up. I would just let them catch up on their own. You can hand feed them with Kitten milk replacer and goats milk. BUT really you could end up overfeeding them. SO you would be better off leaving them on their own. Maybe dose them with some vitamins, though.

I'm breeding meat rabbits, so not pets.

Well, they will either catch up, or they won't....maybe try some kitchen oatmeal, the rolled oats, not the quick oats. Mine love that...

 

[Snowfie]

If euthanizing, what's the best way? I don't have rabbits, but it's useful information...

What I have been told (I've never done it myself), is if you need to euthanize a tiny kit, grasp it in your hand with it's head sticking out, and then whack it hard against a table so the edge of the table hits the kit in the back of the head.

Sounds unpleasant but it's supposedly the fastest, painless way to cull a newborn or young kit.

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Maybe you can let them catch up ... ??

 

[Beekissed]

I'd just let nature happen with those two...you never know how quickly they will catch up if they make it out of kit stage. I've had a few runts that you couldn't tell from the Baby Heweys by the end of grow out.

 

[2seth2]

if the runts grow up small, you can sell them as pets