Another update on Maple and her litter

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Shara

Shara

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I brought them in the house. I would have spent all day wondering about them, and checking on them, even if there were NO WAY for them to get out and die. So I decided to put the rabbits (maple and Co) into the cool room in my house. It satys probably 10-15* colder in there than the main part, espessially if we shut the door. Maple was very scared at first, and I decided this would be a good tiome to tame her, too.

I am flipping her to let the kits nurse, for now at least. She thought my nest building skills sucked, and so she put EVERYTHING on TOP of her kits, and I thought that wasn't very good nest building, either, so I decided she can't have these little guys yet. Next litter Spooky will be gone and she can kindle and raise her kits in peace, but this time I am taking over. Everyone seems to be doing well, and Maple is very relaxed now. She keeps rolling over and stretching, and it is good to see her calm. Maybe she will become tame, too. That would be nice. I will be putting future updates on this thread.
 
Glad to hear you found a solution! I'm crossing my fingers that the next litter goes much smoother!!!
 
Babies seem to be doing fine. I put them in with mom just to see, since I would really rather HER raise them, and she is doing well. They have a litte sheen of fur on them, and I am amazed at how quickly those babies heal, since only two of the five have noticable injuries left. they are very squirmy and lively when i take them from their nice, warm nest, lol, and i think i will have at least one screamer in there. lots of squeaking from a couple of them...
 
one isn't, but i am just gonna flip her for any that look skinny...

__________ Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:33 pm __________

Flipped the doe and had the babies nurse. They were very hungry, so I am not sure how often or if she is nursing the popples. They are now FAT healthy guys, and I think I am going to do that three times a day, unless it is obvious they don't need it, to err on the side of caution. I reckon in a couple of weeks it really won't matter anyways. A week after that, I think is when I will move the kits back to the colony, although I am not sure when Maple will go out there. I am leaning towards everyone, mom and kits, at the same time. Any does, I might end up keeping in, so I can keep them baby tame. ALTHOUGH....I may have a hard time convincing hubby to let me do that, lol.

__________ Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:34 pm __________

Oh, I pulled the nest again. She was using the box as a litter box, so I made a new one for them, and they are warm and happy. I love their little fuzzy-almost-fur!<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:15 am __________<br /><br />Maple has become a sweet little pet bunny, lol! She lays there and lets me pet her, plays in the house.

On a sad note. We lost another kit, and it was the one that I thought was hurt, but I couldnt tell. No skin was broke, so I think it was internal damage. :( Not sure if the rest are gonna make it, but they seem healthy.

Maple has made such a complete turnaround since i have been holding her so much! She went from a fearful rabbit into a sweetheart!
 
imagine how tame she will be in two weeks!<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:15 am __________<br /><br />Looks like the whole litter is gonna die. I don't know what to do. They seem weak. I guess I did it. I don't know. They seemed fine this morning and last night, but they are all very weak now. :( I wanna cry.
 
I wish I had some words of wisdom! I don't know anything about colony raising. It seems though that you've done all you can do. It isn't until you've trudged through the crap that you can figure out what works best though.
 
Ya, I have tried. They are in the house now. I don't know whats going on, but I guess at some point you have to say, I have tried.

__________ Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:17 pm __________

one dark colored kit is still alive. the rest all died. i guess its going to live in my bra or the next coupl weeks...if it lives.<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:52 pm __________<br /><br />So in browsing the web on how to keep my lonely only alive, I found that you have to stimulate them to potty or they will die. I wonder if that is what killed the litter. I guess their bladder will explode. :(

So I will be doing that, and I already got the baby to pee. I will certainly not be able to butcher this baby if it lives, so if it lives and is a buck, it will be sold live. If it is a doe, she will stay here. But that is assuming I can entice it to live. I am going to have a VERY busy couple of weeks. :( Hoping the little guy makes it.
 
lol, mischief is my middle name! Didn't have a cotton ball, so used a baby sock. Worked great! Peed ALL over! lol! Do I need to do it until it poops, too? or does it do that on it' own?
 
mmm...I guess if it won't, then i can't force it...I will definatly try, though. Little guy is gonna be such a pet! lol.<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 05, 2011 10:04 pm __________<br /><br />Thought id update again, since the status changes so quicky. Baby is doing well. It is strong and alert when eatig, but i have been watching it a lot closer than i was. it seems o get hungry very often, every few hours, actually. Then I potty Baby and stick him back in my bra (sport, so nothing can squish the little dude). Then the little guy sleeps for a few hours, before he wakes up again. I am feeding until his belly is full, and it is taking a while. i assume with a litter the doe's milk comes down faster. When he begins quirming, I check his bely very half hour, until it looks skinny again, and pop him back on the doe. He is ALWAYS very hungry and eager following this scheduele, and nce he eats and his tummy is round, he gets drousy and stops searching frantically, although he ould stll be happy to sit there, I am sure.

Did you know baby bunnies suck on their feet? It is so cute! He sucks his feet when he is falling asleep. He curls up in my sirt and just sleeps away the hours. :)

He is adorable....I really hope he makes it and is a doe....
 
Oh my gosh. they suck their paws?! I better never tell the girls that...actually, of course I am gonna tell them, but then they will want to keep one even MORE!
 
Glad he's doing well, Shara. We just have to take it one day at a time with these babies... sometimes one HOUR at a time.

Our little guy has discovered the joy of goose down. He lounges in his little nest, but ducks into the burrow he made in the hay if anything startles him. I'm off to bed in a moment, but I think I'll put a bit of water in a jar lid and leave it near him. He has a bowl of water but I don't think he's discovered it yet.
 
yeah, i figure i update often so if it dies on me, i dont forget to tell you all the neat things I am learning. sounds like your little guy is doing well, too, right now!

Paula, i will post pics tonight while i am up with the little baby!

__________ Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:26 am __________

<br /><br />__________ Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:27 am __________<br /><br />The young kit is still alive, still eager to nurse. I woke up and it wasn't in my shirt anymore, and it took a while for me to find it, but I did. Hs was just fine...
 
for the elimination-- stimulate the bum,too. the poop will be a brownish fluid at this point. soetimes, just lightly 'tossing' the kit back and forth is enough to get them to empty- especially when their eyes start to open anyway, thats what worked when I was handling baby cottontails at the rehab center....
 

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