My rabbitry promblems....

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
D

dark.lapin

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
114
Reaction score
0
My doe recently came down with head tilt because of an inner ear infection. She has recovered from ear infection and she has started acting like herself agian.
Her head tilt has improved and her balance but she is still geting used to having head tilt...would it be okay to rebreed her? She is amazing mom and I know it will take some time for head tilt to improve. I am not planing on rebreeding her anytime soon...I am also having promblems weaning kits...Whole litter died except pick of litter...How do you deal with promblems of weaning? All babys stomack have been bloated and one I lost yesterday had dirrea...the only suriving kits stoped having dirrea after I gave her some paypa enzyme...How do you treat this? The breeder who I got doe from has been having same promblem...thanks
 
The best way is to leave them with mama as long as she will tolerate their nursing. It's important to introduce them to solid food slowly and not have it too rich. Good quality timothy hay is usually a safe food. Starter pellets should not be too high in protein at first; about 16 or 17% is a good start. You can switch them to higher protein for faster growth as soon as you are sure their systems are up to it. Greens should be introduced slowly. Greens are usually where the problem lies. They have to have the proper intestinal flora to be able to digest them properly and sometimes it takes a while to get it built up. Fruits are a bad idea and rabbits don't need fruit anyway. It's just an occasional treat.
 
I don't agree with greens being the problem. If the kits have access to hay and greens (safe weeds, not garden vegetables, preferably) from the time their eyes open, they will have no digestive problems as a result of eating them. This is because they will nibble and taste and develop the proper gut flora as a result.

Most GI problems in weanling rabbits are a result of not being able to handle the pelleted food. Abrupt weaning aggravates the situation. Weaning should be a process, not an event.

Since the breeder is having the same problems, I suggest you consult with him. If you are both feeding the same pellets, changing brands may help. Adding grass hay is the best single thing you can do. If symptoms show up, take the pellets out and feed grass hay and kitchen oatmeal (Like Quaker Old Fashioned) until the problem resolves. The leaves of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry and the lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse will help as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
 
Sounds like the kits are suffering from Cecal Dysbiosis. Mostly caused by a poor transition to pellet feed. Were the kits weaned too early? Weaning should be a gradual and smooth transiton to pellet feed. I agree with everything MaggieJ said. Try the oats and wet them slightly in the beginning if you must. Then add the pellets with the oats, etc... to make the transition to pellet food smoothly.
 
I wonder how much the soy products that are in almost every formulation have to do with it? My opinion is soy in any form does not belong in a rabbit diet. JMHO.
Maggie it seems we agree and disagree at the same time. Greens are good but for weanlings only in very small amounts till they get adjusted and even then high fiber greens like grass are best as starter food. High protein things like clovers should be used very sparingly at first. The temptation is to see them nibbling greens and try to shift them to a high greens diet too soon. Nibbles are what they need at first till their system adjusts to them. This from a guy who feeds his adult rabbits almost entirely on greens. They turn up their nose at pellets most of the time.
 
I had to wean kits earlie because they caused mama to over heat...My main concern is if I should rebreed her...Should I ? I took the last kit off pellets and I am feeding her hay and oats...thanks for all of your help ..Hopefully I will be more sucessful with my next litter because now I need to add 2-3 more rabbits to herd...at least one will be white flemish giant and she a big doe...
 
What Maggie said.

It works much better, also, to move the mother to another cage than to move the kits.
 
avdpas77":a67ptspk said:
What Maggie said.

It works much better, also, to move the mother to another cage than to move the kits.
Click to expand...
Now that's a trick I hadn't heard before. It makes sense; there would be less disturbance to the kits that way.
 
dark.lapin":8agcr3ol said:
I had to wean kits earlie because they caused mama to over heat...
Click to expand...

The kits caused the doe to overheat? What does this mean? How old were the kits when you took them away from the doe?
 
can't say I understand that one either...of kits causing mom to overheat.

But generally speaking...get your kits well started on hay before weaning them. Remove mom to a new cage (practice the all in all out philosophy). Don't wean prior to four weeks unless you have strong need to do so.
 
If she has a problem with "overheating" then don't breed her. She has head-tilt! An ear infection would cause her to shake her head and ear a lot not keep it totally tilted. She has a serious disease and though she may live I wouldn't think you need to pass this on to any kits.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top