Baby bunnies have soft poo

[Oando]

My doe had 4 kits back on July 8th (so they are 4 weeks old) and recently they all have had really soft poo (doe included). It is getting all over their cage, and all over them. I have so clean them off at least 2 times a day. The poo is not liquide, it is just mushy soft and very smelly. Are they sick? What should I do to get them to have normal poo again? All I give them to eat is rabbit pellets and hay and an occasional yogurt drop bunny treat. I have not given them any fruits or veggies for weeks.
thank you in advanced

 

[Marinea]

I would stop the yogurt treats, add lots of hay and some plain uncooked oats (not instant).

*Fingers crossed*

 

[MaggieJ]

Exactly what I was going to suggest, Marinea.

There are certain plants that can help firm up their poop as well:
the leaves of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry, as well as the lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_ovata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

 

[Oando]

Thank you both. I will give them some oats and more hay. Now the hay I give them is just hay from a big hay bale (like the same for horses) should I be giving them a better brand of hay ment for just rabbits? Or is the hay bale hay ok for them?

 

[MaggieJ]

Your bale of horse hay should be just fine. Those "special rabbit hay" packages are meant mainly for city-dwelling pet rabbit owners.

 

[Zass]

Your hay might be fine, but, watch closely to see if they are eating it readily, or just picking at it. Rabbits ignoring and picking at their hay is usually my first sign that there may be mold starting to grow within, even when it still looks and smells OK to me. Here where it is quite humid, hay that is just-starting-to-turn seems to be a common risk for kits.

 

[MaggieJ]

Zass makes an important point. I'm farther north and although it gets humid here, I haven't experienced that particular problem. A lot depends on where you live.

Please add your location (state, province or country if other than US or Canada) to your profile so we can give you advice geared to the conditions you must deal with.

 

[Oando]

Oh I did not know that about the mold. I have kept the bale in our garage (I keep the bunnies inside). They do seem to be eating it, just not a lot of it. Do you think I should get them new hay? I have had the bale in the garage for about a month and a half now. Is that to long to have kept it?

 

[Zass]

Oh I did not know that about the mold. I have kept the bale in our garage (I keep the bunnies inside). They do seem to be eating it, just not a lot of it. Do you think I should get them new hay? I have had the bale in the garage for about a month and a half now. Is that to long to have kept it?

That really depends on how humid it's been in the garage.

You can try sniffing it, or breaking off a chunk to look for mold dust. If it feels nice and dry, isn't dusty, and and it smells good, it's probably not the hay.