HELP what should I do

[preciousgurl63]

Have a little problem. Have a SF doe that just had her first litter last night. She was hay stashing and building her nest like she should but once the babies came she still was digging and gather hay in her box. While she was doing that she would step on the babies. She only pulled a little bit of hair as well. I decided before I went to bed since she was stepping on them to take them out for the night and return them in the AM. Well I did but it seems like she doesn't want nothing to do with them. All she is doing is laying down ignoring them. I tried to put her in the nest so she could feed them but all she did was step on them and try to lay on them. So what should I do? I get since its her first litter it takes a bit but how long should I leave them with her before I keep them out and force her to nurse them? This is my first litter of SF so I really want them to all make it. So any advice would help. Thanks.

 

[Susie570]

Don't Panic!!
You did the right thing by taking the nest box. Keep the kits nice and warm. Maybe see if you can hold the doe and pull some of that loose fur from her belly for them.

Bring the nest box back tonight, see if she hops in to feed them. If not, try again in the AM. If she still doesn't fee them on her own in the AM, you will need to put the kits on a towel in your lap (make a little hammock for them, between your legs) and put the doe in your lap over them, then hold her there and pet her to help her relax. The kits should be able to get a feeding from her in this way.

 

[Marinea]

Leave her be. She may not nurse with you around. Rabbits, being prey animals, will not bring potential predators to their babies.

Check the kits tonight. If they have been fed, fine. If not, you may have to take further action. But for now, I would suggest giving her privacy.

 

[preciousgurl63]

Well she is in my room with the door closed so the dog doesn't bother her. I do have a cat that stays in my room but she has no problem with him. She tried to pull his fur for the babies lol. He doesn't mess with them. His to lazy too. I have tried to flip her and pull some fur of the babies. Only got a little bit though before she started to kick and scratch up my arm. I will let her be and check on them tonight. Fingers crossed that she takes care of them. <br /><br /> __________ Thu Apr 09, 2015 12:21 am __________ <br /><br /> Well last night I put the nest box in with her in hopes that during the night she would take care of them. Well I woke up this morning and checked on them. I believe that she nursed them some time during the night. I noticed on one kit though that is has a cut on his cheek. How can I heal that for him? Also there are 2 runty looking kits in this litter. How can I make sure they survive? The only formula I have is kitten but I don't know how to mix it up the right way for them to want to take it. So any help/advice would help.

 

[katiebear]

With the cut, if you think it needs it use some Blu-Kote, it's fairly cheep at any feed store. Kits heal up pretty fast..
. Kitten formula is not really good for buns...If you can get caned condensed goat milk or even fresh goat milk will do 1 cup add an egg yolk and about a tablespoon of corn syrup or molasses. warm it up and feed with a dropper or a medicine syringe.I have read on here that you can freeze what you don't need..put it in an ice cube tray and then put the cubes into a baggie, that way you can defrost only what you need..

 

[Miss M]

If it's a pretty big cut, you can actually glue it with super glue. Just don't glue yourself to the bunny. And let it dry before putting it back in the nest.

If it's a little cut, you probably don't have to do anything. Like Katiebear said, kits heal up pretty fast.

 

[Susie570]

You are far better off trying to get a supplemental feeding from the doe that trying to use formula. Most formula feed kits die and they need very little milk from momma to survive. However, if you have to feed formula, there is info in the forum on how to make a decent formula from goats milk. I'll see if I can find the link.

I see that Katiebear already mentioned it above, but...
http://rabbittalk.com/post262751.html?hilit=goat milk#p262751

 

[Miss M]

Yes, I didn't really spell out the formula there, though. It's 1/2 cup evaporated goat's milk, 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 egg yolk.

This has worked well for a number of members, particularly if the kits were getting some milk from their mother. I would not expect that this formula would save newborn kits as a sole source of food. I've never had to try it like that, though.

 

[Zass]

Yes, I didn't really spell out the formula there, though. It's 1/2 cup evaporated goat's milk, 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 egg yolk.

This has worked well for a number of members, particularly if the kits were getting some milk from their mother. I would not expect that this formula would save newborn kits as a sole source of food. I've never had to try it like that, though.

It's worked well for me. I always make sure the kits get as much nestbox time and as much of a does milk as possible.

I think most other animal's milk and formulas intended for other species have far to much water for rabbit kits, and I've started to suspect, their kidneys may not be developed well enough to handle high volumes. I recently processed a lactating doe (she was biting me, the kits were 6 weeks.) The milk inside her was thick. More like syrup than milk.

 

[Miss M]

Yes, I've processed a couple of lactating does (the accidental litters we had). The milk is thicker than we usually think of milk being, for sure.

I hadn't thought about the kidney part. I just figured that it wasn't nutrient-dense enough for baby rabbits. Like starving to death on a full tummy. Except that fresh goat's milk works for some... maybe because it's fresh, not pasteurized.