Still on mixed feed and still loosing them!

[GBov]

So I got 25 new rex rabbits, between 12 weeks and 3 years of age two weeks ago.

Have now lost 5 of them to what looks like diarhea or bloat.

They are still on mixed feed - half and half mine and what they use to get - and lots of hay and water.

Why are they not adjusting to the new feed?

I have brought in new rabbits before, some as young as 5 weeks so new stock is not a new thing to me but these are just wrecking my head and my heart.

What, if anything, can I do to help them adjust to their new home?

 

[sungura]

Are they getting hay as well? Can you just give them what the previous owner was giving them? What's their living situation like?

 

[Zass]

My first guess is that those rabbits were sick to begin with, and it might have been part of the reason the previous owner was ready to let them all go.

Have you treated for cocci?

 

[GBov]

Are they getting hay as well? Can you just give them what the previous owner was giving them? What's their living situation like?

They came from open sided VERY HOT shed in all wire cages and are now in open sided DEEPLY shaded and MUCH cooler barn in all wire cages.

They get hay every day and twice if they eat it all.

Cant give what the breeder fed as it doesnt exist here so they MUST go onto new food.

-- Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:16 pm --

My first guess is that those rabbits were sick to begin with, and it might have been part of the reason the previous owner was ready to let them all go.

Have you treated for cocci?

Thou speakest my worst fear and suspishions.

How do I treat for cocci? My herd has always been good and I havnt needed to treat for anything. Culling alone has worked for me but if I cull this bunch for health my money is right down the drain!

I got 4 from her last October and they took the devils own age to settle in but once they did they became wonderful rabbits to have. This lot, not so much with the wonderful. <br /><br /> -- Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:18 pm -- <br /><br /> Spell check has gone AWOL so sorry for the spelling! :lol:

I do know the breeder advised me to give antibiotics when I had a problem with the first batch I bought so yeh, am thinking my "bargain" might not have been so good after all.

 

[Zass]

How do I treat for cocci? My herd has always been good and I havnt needed to treat for anything. Culling alone has worked for me but if I cull this bunch for health my money is right down the drain!

I'm not even sure, since I've never given anything to mine either.

I've been doing good with keeping them clean and culling for health like you.

I think if I was in your situation with so many new rabbits though, I probably would. I'm sure others on here will chime in with the proper procedure.

Have you been opening them up and checking their organs?

If you are sure it's feed based, you could try reducing their pellets altogether and giving some plain oatmeal along with their hay and a mineral lick.

Actually...if the other breeder gave antibiotics, perhaps it's probiotics that they need!

 

[GBov]

How do I treat for cocci? My herd has always been good and I havnt needed to treat for anything. Culling alone has worked for me but if I cull this bunch for health my money is right down the drain!

I'm not even sure, since I've never given anything to mine either.

I'm doing good with keeping them clean and culling for health too.

I think if I was in your situation with so many new rabbits though, I probably would. I'm sure others on here will chime in with the proper procedure.

I know someone will - its why I LOVE this place!!! - and I can get whatever it is in the morning. Well, if TSC carries it, I can.

The saddest thing is that the rabbits dont look bad, look like they are settling in, blow up, squirt out and die. Its horrible!

One older doe was different though, she dropped all her weight over two days, lost the use of her back legs, her eyes went gunky and I put her down. NEVER seen anything like it. And all four of her feet were red raw, even with a toilet cistern tank top and some plywood to rest on. (Ceramic toilet cistern tank tops are GREAT for nice cool resting places adn the curved shape keeps droppings from building up. My kids and I now keep a close eye out on trash day for new ones to give to the buns! )

The one who got an abscess on her nose though is fine, it burst and drained and has healed. In one of my NZs an abscess is a death sentance but, with loosing so many of the new rex, I didnt want to loose her too!

 

[akane]

Stop the pellets. If they need something more than hay give oats. You can get 50lb bags of rolled oats at feed stores or regular old fashioned oatmeal at grocery stores. Rolled oats are the same thing just not screened for consistent piece sizes and you get 50lbs for about the cost of 1 or 2 containers of human oatmeal. Straight oats or most other plain grains like wheat or barley can be used. Most rabbits prefer cut up oats and it will keep them in condition better with the rest of the diet being hay. You can go from oats to your pellets after they settle in much the same way you convert between pellet feeds.

Easiest cocci treatment is to use corid according to the regular directions for water. The formulas that go in water come in 2 different sizes of liquid container or a soluable powder. I'm not sure if you could get them to eat the formulas that mix with feed but since feed is part of your problem it would probably be best not to experiment. Corid must be mixed fresh daily for about 5 days, 5 days without, and then another 5 days. You can also measure out the daily amount per rabbit by mg if you like math and the time it takes to shove syringes down everyone's throat. (of course I did not do that)

 

[Miss M]

Yes, I absolutely agree with Akane and Zass. Stop the pellets -- theirs and yours. Rabbits can handle a sudden switch to oats and hay. Like Zass said, give a mineral salt lick (the red one -- you can get a bigger block and break it up with a hammer, put the pieces in crocks to keep them from rusting the wire). Treat for cocci.

When they are stable, you can start adding in your pellets and getting them off of oats. Keep in mind that there is the possibility that they cannot tolerate your feed, and you may need to find another feed for them.

You can also measure out the daily amount per rabbit by mg if you like math and the time it takes to shove syringes down everyone's throat. (of course I did not do that)

:lol:

 

[GBov]

Thank you very much you lovely people!

Is the reason I have never had any problem settling in new young rabbits is that they didnt have a hidden problem already?

So just luck instead of skill on my part then?

Never mind, at least I had the luck when I wasnt infected with galloping rabbitosis, it might have put me off rabbits back then. :lol:

Is it better to give Corid in water bowls or the water system? The newbies are on their own system so its no biggie to do it via the system but the best way is what I will do.

Just so I am sure, do I just give a little bit of oats or the full feed right away?

 

[Miss M]

Is the reason I have never had any problem settling in new young rabbits is that they didnt have a hidden problem already?

So just luck instead of skill on my part then?

Probably. :lol:

Just so I am sure, do I just give a little bit of oats or the full feed right away?

Right now, take them completely off of pellets, and give them only rolled oats and hay and a salt lick. Oatmeal is easy on a bunny's stomach. You can't use it as their primary diet forever, because it's high in fat and lacking in other nutrients, but it can definitely help in a situation like this. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:55 am -- <br /><br /> And I would definitely do what Akane suggested, and get rolled oats at a feed store! Grocery store oatmeal for that many rabbits would cost a fortune! It's different when it's only one or two.

 

[GBov]

Rolled oats - 50 pounds - now in barn and bottle of corid in kitchen.

Am mixing it up now.

I forgot the salt lick but will get one tomorrow.

It was lovely in the feed store, the oats were 3 months in the store so he took $10 off them for me.

Cross your fingers for the buns for me, I really dont want to loose anymore!

 

[Zass]

Just so I am sure, do I just give a little bit of oats or the full feed right away?

One thing that occurred to me,
I don't feed oats as if they were equal in feed value to pellets. I usually give a somewhat lesser amount, with the assumption that oats have more readily available calories than pellets do. I expect them to eat more hay though, and so far they always do.

 

[Miss M]

It was lovely in the feed store, the oats were 3 months in the store so he took $10 off them for me.

Cross your fingers for the buns for me, I really dont want to loose anymore!

I love feed stores!

 

[GBov]

OMG my math is NOT up to this!

If its 16 fl oz to the 100 gallon is it .16 fl oz to the ONE gallon? And if so, how many ml is that per gallon?

I feel like a numpty in front of the class with a blank blackboard! :lol:

My best math gives me 4.73 ml to the gallon.

Is that what the rest of the class is getting too?

-- Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:04 pm --

It was lovely in the feed store, the oats were 3 months in the store so he took $10 off them for me.

Cross your fingers for the buns for me, I really dont want to loose anymore!

I love feed stores!

Me too! LOVE them! They even smell good to me. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:07 pm -- <br /><br />

Just so I am sure, do I just give a little bit of oats or the full feed right away?

One thing that occurred to me,
I don't feed oats as if they were equal in feed value to pellets. I usually give a somewhat lesser amount, with the assumption that oats have more readily available calories than pellets do. I expect them to eat more hay though, and so far they always do.

I gave each rabbit one handful oats, about a half cup. And made some more hay racks to keep hay off the bottom of the cage.

My overflow cages are half hung and half braced upon sawhorses so there is some manure contact for the buns. Having moved a healthy litter to one of those cages that share a bottom brace I have sick buns in that litter now to.

 

[Marinea]

I have no idea on the math. it's making my head hurt.

I just wanted to add *fingers crossed* for you and your buns.

 

[akane]

We could go calculate it or we could cheat and use the product info on the corid website which says 1 tsp or 5ml (5ml = 5cc on a syringe) per gallon.

 

[GBov]

We could go calculate it or we could cheat and use the product info on the corid website which says 1 tsp or 5ml (5ml = 5cc on a syringe) per gallon.

:lol: And a gold star to the smart one in class! :lol:

I was very close to that with my math so havnt overdosed anyone. I took them all off the watering system and gave them crocks instead. Mixed up two gallons and shall do the same this evening as bowls in this heat just isnt enough.

 

[CDiana]

I have a friend who has been losing kits from entritis (sp?) it was suggested to her to give her kits pumpkin. I know giving pumpkin to cats or dogs with digestive issues helps them, so was glad to hear that it will help rabbits too. I have no clue on dosage though.

 

[sungura]

OMG my math is NOT up to this!

If its 16 fl oz to the 100 gallon is it .16 fl oz to the ONE gallon? And if so, how many ml is that per gallon?

I feel like a numpty in front of the class with a blank blackboard! :lol:

My best math gives me 4.73 ml to the gallon.

Is that what the rest of the class is getting too?

Yup, that's what I got too. good luck getting them better. Sounds like they're living the high life now!

 

[grumpy]

Corid powder is 2/3 tsp. per gallon of water. I believe the powder has a
shade longer shelf life.

I hate metrics................ :evil: :evil: :evil:

You can do a search on the manufacturer's site and they'll give you the
exact dosages needed per gallon of water.

Good luck.

Grumpy.