new kits and one isnt moving around

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Mrsmegary

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I have one kit (litter of 6) who doesnt seem to be crawling around like the rest of them, it doesnt feel cold and its breathing. Sorry if this is a stupid question, i am still very new to this. but should i be worried? should i bring it in? Or should i just wait and see what happens?
 
Mrsmegary":dfedzd3c said:
I have one kit (litter of 6) who doesnt seem to be crawling around like the rest of them, it doesnt feel cold and its breathing. Sorry if this is a stupid question, i am still very new to this. but should i be worried? should i bring it in? Or should i just wait and see what happens?

I'm not sure if there is anything wrong with your kit. Maybe it's asleep! :countsheep:

I pretty much let nature take it's course simply because Mama rabbits know if/when their babies are not normal. If there is some issue we aren't aware of the mother's know. Just like any other animal.

I know a lot of people go through just about every hoop to save a litter, including bottle feeding it. However, I'm of the mind that only the strong survive and that's what you want your herd based on. Good, strong breeding stock and good strong kits.

The only time I've intervened is when a kit ends up outside the nest box or if it is out of the cage, which has happened a couple of times.

Then, I will warm the kit up and put it back into the nest and hope and pray mama doesn't reject it. Some do and some don't.
 
It's not a stupid question at all. :)

I would be concerned if I saw this in a kit in a litter of mine, as well. It would tell me things. It would tell me that the kit is probably not as robust as the others. It may be weak or have internal damage (maybe it got stepped on) or internal abnormalities.

I would keep the kit with its siblings, because their heat will help that kit stay warm, and their energy will stimulate him. I would move him to the top of the pile at every opportunity, so that perhaps he will still be there at feeding time. I would pull him out morning and night to check him tummy for fullness.

He may not get as much as the others, but as long as he has a nice little roundness to him, I would let him go it on his own. If his tummy is sunken, then you will have decisions to make. You can supplement him with formula, you can bring him in and see if you can get the doe to feed him while on her back or in a box over him, you can see if he gets his strength back on his own (unlikely), or you can put him down.

Hopefully, he'll make it! :good-luck:
 
Is it a brand new litter? If it was born that way there isn't much you can do. Just leave it where it's warm and wait to see if it starts moving enough to drink.

If the litter is a few days old or more it may just have not eaten enough and is getting weak. You can give a boost with some syrup or honey in the hope it will feed well the next time the doe jumps in the box.
 
I'm moving this thread to the Rabbit Care forum where it will attract more attention.

I tend to agree that there may be something wrong with the kit or it may just be a bit less robust than the others... but I think its best chance of survival is leaving it with the rest of the litter. I don't intervene in such cases, except if the kit is chilled from being separated from the rest of the litter. I know it sounds hard and cold, but you want kits that are robust enough to survive without heroic measures being taken.
 
Thanks everyone! It was dead, I wasn't sure when I posted but I had put it back with the others and just hoped it was sleepy, checked on it a couple hours later and it was in the same spot and no breathing. :( It's belly didn't looked sunk in, so maybe it was a stillborn? The doe kindled this morning. <br /><br /> __________ Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:23 pm __________ <br /><br /> I said it was breathing in the original post because my daughter swore it was, but I really don't think it was now that I think about it. It was the same limp but warm from the others
 
Oh, okay, it does sound like it was probably stillborn, and just warm from being with the other kits. I have a couple of does that will actually remove stillborn kits from where the other kits are.
 
Miss M":1h6fqyqr said:
Oh, okay, it does sound like it was probably stillborn, and just warm from being with the other kits. I have a couple of does that will actually remove stillborn kits from where the other kits are.

I've had does that do that too. I'm not sure about my current breed but in the past with other rabbits they have.
 
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