Help! - "Buck" had babies

[Pippin&Oreo]

HELP PLEASE!



I had been speaking to a breeder and we aranged for me to have his 2 bucks - botb brothers.
I got my first ever 2 "bucks" 25th July. They where all fine, but I noticed one "buck" did not have any testicles. I told my Dad and he said that maybe he isnt mature yet. Anyway. When I was putting them away they started to fight. They had never done this before. The next morning i went to let them out and there was all fur in a nest shape. I new somthing was wrong as it felt tense in there. I thuaght they had faught really bad and one had fur missing, which it did from "her" stumock. My dad kept a close eye on them whilst i was at school but nothing was happening to them. Then lasg night my "buck" had 3 kittens or whatever you call them. They where dead. Before "she" had them she was extremely friendly and just wanted to lick you. Now when you put your hand in her hutch she goes to bite you. They are now seperate and will be forever! Any ideas on what i can do cos this sounds really bad but I don't want her if she is gonna be visciouse. I got advised by the breeder not to get a Doe and i have a Doe and Buck now brother and sister ...

 

[Miss M]

I'm so sorry this has happened with your rabbits!

Bucks usually have descended testicles by the time they are 16 weeks old. Before that, it is easy to make mistakes sexing them, even as an experienced breeder.

The doe is probably in nest defense mode right now, with raging hormones. She will hopefully calm down after a few days or a week or two. It is possible that she will forever be moody, though, unless you get her spayed.

The doe will pull fur from her chest and abdomen (and sometimes everywhere) to make a nest for the kits. Kits usually wander and chill in an open nest like that with no box, but they may have been born dead. It is possible she is not finished kindling yet, and you may want to give her some sort of nest box -- even a small cardboard box full of shredded paper will work, if you don't have hay. Put the fur in it, if you still have it.

If she has no more kits, it would be good to give her some fresh mint to eat, to help dry up her milk so she doesn't get mastitis.

Welcome to RabbitTalk! I'm sorry it had to be under difficult circumstances like these, but you're in the right place! <br /><br /> -- Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:45 am -- <br /><br /> Oh -- one more thing... I don't know what sort of living arrangements they have, but they can breed through a wire divider. If that is how they are separated now, you should give the doe a nestbox again in 28 days. They are usually very willing to breed for the first few days after kindling.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree with everything Miss M had to say.

I am hopeful, however, the the doe will calm down within a week or two. She's hormonal and confused right now. Her instincts tell her to protect her babies but there are no babies and she is a bit freaked out. Give her a little time, please.

She could well be pregnant again. I had one buck that was a very aggressive breeder when a doe was kindling. So please do get a nest box ready for 28 days from when she gave birth.

Don't worry about the fact that they are siblings. It should not cause any problems at all. Rabbits can inbreed extensively before there will be any birth defects.

:hi: Glad you found us. Stick around and we will help you through it.

 

[Pippin&amp;Oreo]

Thank you both very much i really appreciate it I spoke to the breeder and he said he is extremely sorry and embarrassing. Im guessng it must happens a lot then? He told me to put sugar in her water to give her energy which i have done, and she won't stop drinking! What scares me is I only got them 4 1/2 weeks ago! I have taken the kitts out of the hutch because they where dead, is that the right thing to do or should i of leaved them with her for longer?

 

[MaggieJ]

Removing the dead kits was certainly the right thing to do. Dead kits soon become a health hazard and they attract flies. You don't want that.

Give your doe a bit of time, maybe give her treats through the wire (dandelion leaves are good but only a few if she isn't used to them) so she knows you are friendly. She may settle down nicely in a few days. Hope so!

 

[Miss M]

Im guessng it must happens a lot then?

Yes, it's not unusual at all. It happens frequently enough that when a doe turns out to be a buck... or a buck turns into a doe... we say your rabbitry got a visit from the SCF (sex change fairy). :lol:

He told me to put sugar in her water to give her energy which i have done, and she won't stop drinking!

It doesn't need to be much sugar, and it can even be Pedialyte or Gatorade. Unsweetened tea is often taken well, too. You shouldn't need to continue it for very long. You can switch to ACV (apple cider vinegar) at 1 - 2 Tablespoons per gallon if you think she still needs a little sugar. The ACV has other health benefits, and you could continue it indefinitely.

I have taken the kitts out of the hutch because they where dead, is that the right thing to do or should i of leaved them with her for longer?

You did the right thing. Dead kits should be removed as soon as possible, which is why most of us will thoroughly go through a nestbox as soon as possible after kindling, and some of us count heads every day after that for a week or so, since that's when most losses will occur. A dead kit can cause disease in remaining kits. In your case, with them all dead, leaving them with her would not have been beneficial to her, and removing them is always the right thing to do.

 

[Pippin&amp;Oreo]

Thank you very much! Sorry about all of these sill sounding questions! This morning she came running to me and wanted me to stroke her which is really good. I am due to clean oit her hutch today, should i clean out all of it or just the nest? She didn't even use the nest to have the kitts in, she had fhem scattered around the hutch. Thanks again

 

[kacklingkelly]

I'm so glad that your "buck" seems to have calmed down. I'm sure that whole experience was alarming to her too. You've done a great job! I recently had a similar issue. I thought I had 2 sisters sharing a cage. Thelma and Louise. They were fighting, so I separated them. All seemed well until...I came back from vacation to find pulled fur and babies scattered also. Luckily they had been born that day according to our animal sitter. Unfortunately, the litter did not survive. However, my doe became nicer after she had a chance to settle down. Just wanted to give you some encouragement and know that these crazy things happen.

If you are confident that she is complete having babies, then I would think it is fine to clean out the nest. I left my doe to settle in a bit after her kits didn't make it. I removed the "after the fact" nest box they were in for a short time. I didn't clean out the cage right away - she had cleaned all the afterbirth up so there was nothing to clean in the cage) It took her a day or two to stop sniffing around for them. I fed her more hay than pellets which was suggested by someone to me. She dried up quickly and maintains positive interactions at this time.

All the best to you

 

[Miss M]

Sorry about all of these sill sounding questions!

That's one reason we're here! Everybody with rabbits was a newbie at one time, with newbie situations and newbie questions. Your questions aren't silly at all, they demonstrate that you want what's best for your rabbits. If you stick around here, you'll be answering others' questions before long.

This morning she came running to me and wanted me to stroke her which is really good.

That's awesome! Take advantage of this time. Give her lots of love and some healthy treats while her post-kindling feel-good hormones are running, and she may be a sweetie for life.

I am due to clean oit her hutch today, should i clean out all of it or just the nest?

That's really your call... you can see if she seems nervous about you cleaning, and do only what's necessary for the moment, if she is.