Babies Dying once weaned

[PigeonHillRabbits]

I am posting this for my dad, so I might not have all the details needed right away.

He is raising meat rabbits and is having a problem with them getting diarrhea which turns into a clear mucus and then they die.

He weans them at 7 weeks.
The cages they go into are cleaned and disinfected before they are moved.
They get pellets that are 17% protein and hay (timothy & grass mix) 2x a day, along with fresh clean water daily.
They have good ventilation and the rabbit barn is very clean, waste is removed daily and cages are cleaned every few days.

The babies don't get much in a change except for losing the mother, food is all the same as well as bedding and the cages are all setup the same as well.

Every once in awhile an adult rabbit gets the same thing. They are then taken pellets and hay a for a day or two (can't remember how long), then he gives them hay until it stops and reintroduces the pellets. He doesn't lose the adults.

Does anyone have any suggestions for him?

 

[skysthelimit]

Oh no. Several of us are going through the same thing, and have loss significant numbers of kits this summer

 

[Dood]

At 7 weeks they should be self weaned but try putting the doe back in every other day then every 3rd day etc.. to prolong the weaning process, it might help.

Some people have luck clearing up enteritis by feeding hay and oats, groats or oatmeal.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I am posting this for my dad, so I might not have all the details needed right away.

He is raising meat rabbits and is having a problem with them getting diarrhea which turns into a clear mucus and then they die.

He weans them at 7 weeks.
The cages they go into are cleaned and disinfected before they are moved.
They get pellets that are 17% protein and hay (timothy & grass mix) 2x a day, along with fresh clean water daily.
They have good ventilation and the rabbit barn is very clean, waste is removed daily and cages are cleaned every few days.

The babies don't get much in a change except for losing the mother, food is all the same as well as bedding and the cages are all setup the same as well.

Every once in awhile an adult rabbit gets the same thing. They are then taken pellets and hay a for a day or two (can't remember how long), then he gives them hay until it stops and reintroduces the pellets. He doesn't lose the adults.

Does anyone have any suggestions for him?

Weaning enteritis....try finding a feed with a lower protein %. I dropped from 18% to 16% for my weanlings and that stopped me from having any issues with weaning enteritis. With kits, you have to also treat the bloat or it will kill them. Pull pellets and feed hay and rolled oat only, give some probiotic paste or add the powder to their water, give them baby gas drops or simethicone strips (gas-x makes them) to break up the intestinal gas.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Great advice so far- I just have a couple of things to add.

Since he feeds twice daily, I would suggest that one feeding be hay and oats only and pellets the next... hopefully this way they will not be gorging pellets on an empty stomach.

The stress of moving may be a contributing factor. If he can move the doe instead that may help.

You mentioned bedding- am I correct in assuming that they have a bedded area off of the wire, or is it the trays that are bedded? Chilling of the gut can be a factor. I give my kits plastic cat litter jugs stuffed with grass hay and/or shavings so they have a warm shelter to hide in. Having a hiding place also lessens stress, which can only help.

 

[squidpop]

Mama Sheepdog- that is such a cute picture!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Thanks, Squidpop! The doe looks like a country bumpkin, chewin' on a piece of straw!

 

[Secuono]

I don't understand how anyone has weaning issues if the food is available to kits from when they jump out of the nest....
What about those of you who feed just greens or just grain, do you also have issues at weaning??

 

[Cottie]

Oh no. Several of us are going through the same thing, and have loss significant numbers of kits this summer

Yup. Present. My rabbitry is closing down because of it. I've lost 24 kits in 3 weeks, and 15 before then. I haven't had a single kit make it to maturity out of nearly 50 born this year.

I've seen a lot of chatter about this on Facebook, as well.

Sounds like he's doing everything right. I don't really have any advice other than ride it out.

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't understand how anyone has weaning issues if the food is available to kits from when they jump out of the nest....
What about those of you who feed just greens or just grain, do you also have issues at weaning??

I only had two kits have a problem before this season, and a bit of dandelion and gas drops cleared that up. And those two were removed from the barn later on.

 

[PigeonHillRabbits]

Thanks for all the responses! I will pass on this info and hopefully it will help

 

[MaggieJ]

I don't understand how anyone has weaning issues if the food is available to kits from when they jump out of the nest....
What about those of you who feed just greens or just grain, do you also have issues at weaning??

On a natural diet, incidents of weaning enteritis are very rare, almost non-existent. My understanding of this is that the pellets are just too rich for some kits to handle and they are unable to make a successful transition to just solid foods.

In theory, giving grass hay in addition to pellets should help prevent this, but for some this does not seem to be enough.

I stand by the several useful and safe plants that help regulate the bowels and prevent or treat diarrhea. The lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse and the leaves of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry are all excellent. For those who expect to need them over the winter, now is the time to dry some or pot them up for winter use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/shepherd.htm

 

[ladysown]

i thought about providing hidey holes like what you have MSD but I hesitate since I wonder .. if you have a kit that isn't feeling well and wants to hide away in a jug.... how on earth do you get them out if they don't want to come out and YOU NEED to get them out so that you can either isolate them (to prevent contagion), cull them if suffering, or just help them get going again?

You certainly wouldn't want one to get stubborn (or too sick to move willingly) and refuse to come out and then die in there. Much less have a kit get runny poops in it....

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Ladysown,

I haven't ever had any kits get sick from weaning enteritis, so haven't had a problem. The walls of the jugs are very thin and easily cut. You could pre-cut a flap on the side that will be against the cage wire as an "emergency door". Or just use cardboard cartons instead. I like the jugs because I can clean and reuse them, but really any enclosed area would do.

I have also sometimes just tipped the jugs with the mouth near the cage floor to get them to come out. They don't like trying to balance on a steep incline. It doesn't always work though.

 

[ladysown]

query... has he treated or checked for a coccidia load?

oh .. and thanks for the additional input MSD.