How did this happen????!!!!

[Millimanm]

came out awhile ago to feed mama and her (4) 6 week babies and I found 6 brand new kits....... I tried warming them up but unfortunely I think it was too late. I was set to remove other babies on Sunday but I'm wondering if I should move them now? I didn't even know how to could get pregnant again, no nesting box.... Nothing??? Major bummer!!! Is there anything I can do to help mama??

 

[MaggieJ]

If the new kits are alive, I would remove the older ones. If they didn't make it, I'd leave the 6 week olds in there to handle the new milk supply. Giving the doe some sage, mint or catnip will help dry up her milk.

As to how she got pregnant . . . is her cage right next to the buck's? It's not unknown for rabbits to breed through the wire. Another possibility is that someone (do you have kids?) decided to let the rabbits visit each other when you were not around.

 

[Millimanm]

It was something i never expected. her cage is right next to two bucks, but the walls are wood. I had to put wire up for the holland because he kept jumping over and she literally just had her litter of 4 in the nesting box. so should he herbs be fresh? i m going to walmart in a little bit. also,how long should i wait to remove the other litter? Thanks for you help, <br /><br /> -- Wed Oct 29, 2014 12:48 pm -- <br /><br /> I also put a box with hay in it just in case she wasnt finished? the 6 week olds are having a hayday with that box and hay....

 

[MaggieJ]

I'd leave the older kits for a few days at least and feed the herbs I mentioned to help her milk supply dry up. My preference would be for the fresh herbs, but whole dried can be used as well. The powdered herbs would be difficult to feed, I would think, unless they were stuck to something moist like a slice of apple.

It's a good idea to plant a few herbs if you can and to dry sprigs for winter use. In addition to mint, sage and catnip to dry up milk, lavender is useful to clear out a doe's uterus in the case of retained kits or placental material. Catnip is also useful as a fly and mosquito repellent. The lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse are super to combat diarrhea. Those six will take you a long way in fighting common rabbit health problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

 

[Miss M]

I'm confused... why are we drying up a doe with a new litter?

 

[MaggieJ]

Millimanm implied that the new litter was too chilled to survive, Miss M. The advice to dry up the doe only applies if the litter did indeed die.

I thought I had addressed this in my first post on this thread. Apologies if I didn't make myself clear.

If the new kits are alive, I would remove the older ones. If they didn't make it, I'd leave the 6 week olds in there to handle the new milk supply. Giving the doe some sage, mint or catnip will help dry up her milk.

 

[Millimanm]

Maggie J I read loud and clear. my 6 that were born last night were indeed too cold, I tried warming them up for 40 minutes to no prevail. Sad day in the rabbitry, they were not anticipated and I did not know she was pregnant again.

 

[MaggieJ]

Very sad day for you, Millimanm. But don't beat yourself up over it. If you didn't have any reason to think she was pregnant, naturally it would not occur to you to give her a nest box.

Did you figure out how it happened? :?

 

[Millimanm]

Nobody's talking. I'm guessing my oldest (he's 8)thought it would be nice if the two of them had a play date. Not sure why mama didn't nip his hand off since she just had the babies(6 weekers). Although, black widow (holland lop) could've very well jumped the wall before it was finished...... Either way we have a new hutch (two open spots)and those two are moving faaaaaar from each other.no more breeding til after the snow melts. <br /><br /> -- Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:34 pm -- <br /><br /> Nobody's talking. I'm guessing my oldest (he's 8)thought it would be nice if the two of them had a play date. Not sure why mama didn't nip his hand off since she just had the babies(6 weekers). Although, black widow (holland lop) could've very well jumped the wall before it was finished...... Either way we have a new hutch (two open spots)and those two are moving faaaaaar from each other.no more breeding til after the snow melts.

 

[akane]

If you don't plant your own herbs horse treats are cheap with lots of mint and safe grains. I throw one or 2 manna pro peppermint treats for a dwarf rabbit everyday. There are other flavors you could feed nursing does but they don't like them as well and wouldn't touch butterscotch.