I need advice, please! I have a Momma bunny who gave birth to Litter 1 on June 6. (Removed and neutered Dad the next day!) Today I found a second litter!! The babies from the first litter are not weaned yet, and they are sometimes walking over Litter 2! What do I do? Do I separate Momma and confine her to Litter 2? I can't, right? Because Litter 1 still needs her milk! Will the older babies harm the new babies? Yikes, I need advice quick! Thanks in advance!
Help! Two Litters in 3 weeks!!
- Thread starter Harey
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KenoshaRabbits
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Sorry to hear that you've experienced the classic scenario of accidental pregnancy and the doe being rebred the same day as she kindled. I'm guessing this is a case of you thought you had two female rabbits?
You need to separate the two litters, and you need to start weaning the first litter ASAP. The first might still need milk but the second litter cannot live without it. The doe can only produce so much milk at once. Luckily, this is what often happens in nature (does having another litter 31 days later), so the older litter will be able to do fine without nursing. And while the older litter isn't going to attack the new kits and there is a only a small chance the first litter could do some damage by accident; your main concern is the new litter getting the mother's attention.
It's not an ideal situation but you can make it work. How many kits are we talking about in each litter? What breed of rabbit?
You should separate the two litters; Mom + Litter 2 in one cage, Litter 1 in another. Start giving the kits in litter 1 as much pellets as they want. They were probably trying out mom's pellets once they started leaving the next box, now it's time to move onto solid food. Keep the doe with the new kits even though she'll only be feeding them once or twice a day. Check to make sure everyone in the new litter is getting fed. The doe should be fed all the pellets she can eat. You might want to check out some other posts on the site for suggestions on increasing milk production for your doe. To ease the weaning process you can put mom into the cage with the first litter for a little while, they will immediately try to nurse. But keep it brief and only for a few days. You might try something like putting her in for hour tomorrow, then 15 minutes the next few days, and try to completely separate them by next week.
The main takeaway is the older kits can survive on their own at this point. Yes it would be better if you could have weaned them at 8 weeks instead of 4, but they can survive. Ease the transition from nursing to pellets over this next week, however the main concern is that the new batch of kits are being fed.
Best of luck!
You need to separate the two litters, and you need to start weaning the first litter ASAP. The first might still need milk but the second litter cannot live without it. The doe can only produce so much milk at once. Luckily, this is what often happens in nature (does having another litter 31 days later), so the older litter will be able to do fine without nursing. And while the older litter isn't going to attack the new kits and there is a only a small chance the first litter could do some damage by accident; your main concern is the new litter getting the mother's attention.
It's not an ideal situation but you can make it work. How many kits are we talking about in each litter? What breed of rabbit?
You should separate the two litters; Mom + Litter 2 in one cage, Litter 1 in another. Start giving the kits in litter 1 as much pellets as they want. They were probably trying out mom's pellets once they started leaving the next box, now it's time to move onto solid food. Keep the doe with the new kits even though she'll only be feeding them once or twice a day. Check to make sure everyone in the new litter is getting fed. The doe should be fed all the pellets she can eat. You might want to check out some other posts on the site for suggestions on increasing milk production for your doe. To ease the weaning process you can put mom into the cage with the first litter for a little while, they will immediately try to nurse. But keep it brief and only for a few days. You might try something like putting her in for hour tomorrow, then 15 minutes the next few days, and try to completely separate them by next week.
The main takeaway is the older kits can survive on their own at this point. Yes it would be better if you could have weaned them at 8 weeks instead of 4, but they can survive. Ease the transition from nursing to pellets over this next week, however the main concern is that the new batch of kits are being fed.
Best of luck!
It would be 4 weeks, and imho you can wean the older litter right away, move them to a different cage without any opportunity to raid the milk buffet again.
Had this happen last year, was no problem. This year I had to wean a litter at 4 1/2 weeks. In nature that happens all the time. They don't really need the milk anymore.
Offer the weaned kits some kitchen oatmeal, maybe somewhat damp, and unlimited hay and whatever else you've fed. Also easy access to water, like a small, rather flat bowl.
The older kits wont attack the young ones, but they have no sense about what they are sitting, trampling, pooping or peeing on, they just don't care. They can ruin a nice, warm nest in minutes.
Had this happen last year, was no problem. This year I had to wean a litter at 4 1/2 weeks. In nature that happens all the time. They don't really need the milk anymore.
Offer the weaned kits some kitchen oatmeal, maybe somewhat damp, and unlimited hay and whatever else you've fed. Also easy access to water, like a small, rather flat bowl.
The older kits wont attack the young ones, but they have no sense about what they are sitting, trampling, pooping or peeing on, they just don't care. They can ruin a nice, warm nest in minutes.
