Advice new babies

[Jessy]

Hello so we got unexpected babies from my supposed two female rabbit (obviously someone lied) so due to the buck and doe ( as i have learned what they are called) not being separated the doe had a small two kit litter which one was eaten by the buck and the other died from either the heat or neglect. We had the rabbits at a friends house because we were moving and didn’t want to move the rabbits too much and at this point we dis not know we had a buck and a doe. When i got the phone call I immediately had bthem separated and asked them to keep the kit away from the doe because she had not prepared herself and was not guaranteed to care for he kit with all this poor mama had been through. They did not listen to me and placed the baby with the doe. She did nest a little that night i got off work and came and checked on the squiggling Little guy and he looked ok. So i left it there within the next two days it had passed away. We had very high temps so cause of death undetermined. I asked my friend to keep them separated but close together so they can touch and not be so lonely again did not listen bi went to pick them up and bring them home and low and behold they are in the same cage... again. So now im at the point were i now have them at the house im staying at and unfortunately i had no clue how long they have been in the same cage so im Thinking i have a few days to get the other cage moved over And separate them well the cage didn’t come fast enough and boom we have babies again but this time my cat got involved and w only lost one kit to the buck and one was deformed so we have two surviving kits. The doe was pushing them
Out of the cage before i could get to the cage. I separated the buck and doe using a dog crate. This time she built a good nest within hours of birth injad just fed them at about 5pm and midnight she had them. Soninplace the kit with the doe in the dog crate in all the fluff and she still kept pushing them away from the nest. So now im hand feeding them and they are only 24 hrs old urinating and defecting with stimulation and eating only about 0.5ml. Is this normal? They keep themselves warm and they are in a cat carrier and are kept in the warmest part of the house no ac and fan or draft near them. Ive fed them twice today only because i had to go find goats milk after speaking with a wild life rescue for advice and the vet the recommended using just goats milk. Am i doing this right? They wiggle and flop alot. Hope thats a good sign. I am worried about the size difference between the two.

 

[Preitler]

I would worry about meddling way too much and just make a warm nest in a nestbox (a cardboard box with just a single hole will do) and keep that with the doe in a rather small cage for a few days, and leave the doe and kits alone, also, buck out of sight. Or, if she is still confused just place the box in her cage twice a day for nursing. Or block off that section of the cage except for around dusk and dawn until she nursed them.
When I need to move or replace a nest I stuff the does nose in there 2 or three times to show her, then leave her alone, in a small space just with litterbox, water, food and just enough room to stretch out. After 2-3 days feeding is routine and I remove the blocks to the rest of the hutch (big, several rooms and levels)
A doe needs food, rest and privacy, any stress can drone out that little voice in her head that are her mothering instincts. Some will not nurse as long as someone is around. Give her some peace to calm down.

Oh, btw, if the buck was with her when she kindled she's quite likely already pregnant again, be prepared to seperate the kits at about day 26. Be prepared. Back to back litters take their toll on the doe, you don't want another accident.

Hand feeding is a last ditch resort in an emergency, chances that it ends badly are pretty high, if there's no real need it more likely does harm than help. Read the stickys there for Information on this topic:
kindling-and-care-of-does-and-kits-f47.html

When she has milk you can nurse the kits on the doe by putting them on a towel between your legs, and holding the doe on top - or some flip the doe and put the kits on her (can't do that with mine, no way they wouldn't put up a fight)
It does have risks too, care must be taken that if the doe struggles she doesn't hurt the kits with her hind claws.

Single kits have a very hard time to keep body temperature up, even in a decent nest and warm weather, when they chill they can't nurse or digest and die, guess that happened to the first kit. If, as Golden Rabbitry said in the other thread (please stick to this tread now, multiple threads don't get you better answers, that's just confusing and frustrating) that one is a peanut be sure that they stay warm - I use a 3-5W electric heating pad under one corner of the nestbox, so the kits can wiggle to and fro to their gildilocks zone.

Normally the buck is so horny that he has just one thing in mind, impregnating her right again and often not even waiting until she's done delivering, that can lead to kits trampled or outside the nest, or to a confused and stressed out doe.
How do you know the buck ate the kits, never heard that. Does, on the other hand, do eat dead kits, that's normal.

:good-luck: