Baby litters in the winter

[TwoAcreDream]

Plan here is to have lots of bunnies for the spring time.
So in order to do this, I started the breeding in the latter part of December.

First group of 3 was due Jan 21. The NZW and the netherland dwarf nothing.
But the mixed white doe had 6 and all are doing well. This is a second litter
for her here. She is a keeper. It has been BITTER cold temps. She pulled
lots of fur and she tucks them back in, after a feeding.

Have 2 due on the 28th. The white one I don t think took because I tried
her 2 weeks later, and that was a more positive breeding. She does have
a nestbox currently just in case.

Now the harlequin colored one has pulled lots of fur. It was looking real good.
This morning I check her and find 2 cold ones in the box. Pulled them out and
there was a 3rd one. Grabbed them up, stuffed them under my sweatshirt
and a mad dash for the house. Managed to get 2 of the 3 moving good.
Used the hairdryer again So been checking on her but almost think she
is done. Now I am not sure if I should give her back the 2 or not. Sheesh.
I am not sure of her age and not sure if she has had babies previous.
I just don t have a good feeling about her. PLUS she growls a lot at me.
She has not bit me, but I am trying not to give her that chance.
So I don't have a doe to foster the 2 babies. I only have the litter of
6, that I could possible stick them in with her. Those were born the 21st.

I have 6 more does bred. But the closest one is not till the 11th of Feb.
And she will be a first time mom. This is going to be interesting.....

 

[ladysown]

I would plunk the in with the six. I'd see if I could get them a feeding on their own though.. or plunk them in with the six and them pull them out to let mom nurse them once a day. That might be your better option. (keep her nestbox ready for her and just give it to her once a day).

 

[TwoAcreDream]

Good idea
Give them to the Harley and watch and see if she will feed them.
Then tuck them in with the 6 for the rest of the day.
Repeat the next morning same thing.
And as they get bigger, then maybe the Harley can keep them 24/7.

I'm worried most about the bitter cold.
Rabbits are in a addition on the garage. Protected well from the weather
but I have no control over the cold temps.

__________ Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:25 am __________

Well I got the 2 little ones warmed up nicely and after about 2 hrs took them back out to the bunny room. Had them in a towel. Put them back in with mom. Covered them with fur. Watched her for awhile. Nothing. She did not hop back into the box. So I went with my gut reaction and put the 2 littles ones in with the litter of 6 that are a week old. I checked on them later in the day and both looked to be doing well. So I left them with the foster doe for the night. Still bitter cold here.
This morning I checked and the 2 littles were doing fine. So I then checked out their real mom and I find 2 more babies. She must have had them first thing this morning. Both were on the wire stone cold. One was half eaten. SIGH. So I probably will breed her back shortly and give her another try. She is still grumping verbally. She did pull lots of fur and that was in the box.

I have to leave the 2 littles with the foster mom.

__________ Sun Feb 09, 2014 4:29 pm __________

Just to update this to show off the 2 littles. They are doing well
The litter has 2 black, 2 broken and 2 brown. The big kids
The little 2 are 6 days younger.

The little 2 move fast and hide under the rest of them.