Bunny McNuggets

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
JT_Hunter

JT_Hunter

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
200
Reaction score
0
Location
Wilmington, Oh
Big Momma, my psyco doe finally had her litter last night...6...maybe 8...can't tell yet...
When I got home last night and checked on her, I was happy that she had finally started to build her nest...in the nest box...instead of on the cage floor...she would not have any grass hay in the nest box...threw it all out..Oh well...it is her nest, not mine..I noticed a little bit of blood under her cage...and a small mass of tissue on the cage floor where she normally does her business...I could not see anything wrong with her physically, and she seemed happy enough...so rather than stress her out by flipping her big butt over to check her out...I decided that this may be just part of the birthing process...and left her alone...checked on her this morning...and surprise...Bunny McNuggets..6...maybe 8...I did not disturb the nest this morning...I will check on everyone when I get home tonight...she was not in the nest with them...and that concernes me a bit as it is only 40 degrees out...I may have bunnie popsicles tonight when I get home
2011-04-21_04-45-56_490 copy2.jpg
 
It looks like she pulled quite a lot of fur, so that should keep them warm enough as long as they are not in a draft. The material you saw in her potty corner was probably part of the placenta. Oftentimes a doe will consume this to clean things up and to reabsorb the nutrients, but not always. A bit of blood is normal too.

Mother rabbits do not cuddle with their kits the way a dog or cat will. The fur she pulls keeps them warm. She stays away except for feeding them. This is instinctual behaviour to prevent predators from finding the nest.
 
Thanks Maggie...I figure she knows more about this process than I do...I thought that the best thing to do for her was to not stress her out in any way...she is the one that is very territorial...always charges the door when I open it..My little NZ doe should kindle tonight
 
I also try not to stress a doe. Usually i'll wait a day with the nervous ones, then give them a treat and simply 'hand check' the nest. By that i mean just holding my hand close enough to feel the warmth of the bunnies. As long as there is warmth... i figure they are good. Calmer does, i will poke in the nest a bit to be certain they are all ok. We all find what works for us.
 
Random Rabbit":ogbwcz64 said:
As long as there is warmth... i figure they are good. Calmer does, i will poke in the nest a bit to be certain they are all ok. We all find what works for us.
Click to expand...

While I have no argument about "find what works for you", I will say that it can be REALLY NAUSEATING to find a maggot filled mess if you don't check the nestbox thoroughly. Uneaten placenta, stillborn kits and even just heavily blood-soaked bedding can all attract flies, rats, fire ants, etc. In colder climates, dead kits can suck the warmth right out of the living pile of babies.

Checking and cleaning any mess/dead kits may not work for you, but I highly recommend to everyone who is new to AT LEAST TRY to check for dead kits and bloody mess in the nest. Even if you need to bribe the doe with treats, wear gloves, etc. Trust me, you do NOT want to look in there after several days or weeks and find kits being eaten alive by maggots or ants.
 
Had only intended to wait until I get home tonight in the light of day to check the nest box...it was 4 am when I took this picture...
 
JT, waiting until this evening is not a problem. But I know what Moonkitten is getting at and she is absolutely right that dead kits and placental material are likely to cause problems with maggots, flies, rats and more. This goes double in warm weather.

A doe may get a bit stressed if you check her kits, but she'll get over it. She will learn in time that you mean no harm. Some treats and kind words go a long way to smoothing her ruffled maternal feelings.
 
I totally agree with you both...and will do so when I get home...I am pretty picky about keeping things cleaned up in the rabbits area...I ended up building the little dropping slide to go under the cages...you can see in the picture where she has thrown out all of the grass hay each day...it was while cleaning that mess up that I found the little bit of blood yesterday...this is a much cleaner method in my opinion...yep...that is the backside of my beagle...Gravy...she is eating anything that might have been missed...like a little vacumm cleaner in the straw...yes...they are in a tent...but the 2x4 rack has a tarp stapled to the top to keep any moisture from dropping onto the bunnies...just out that back door is forest...well...actually right there a huge brush pile...that had a skunk living in it...moth balls fixed that problem<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:35 pm __________<br /><br />My house...have lived here for 3 years now...In a private campgrounds with Cowan lake just a couple of yards away
 

Attachments

  • 2011-04-18_17-44-00_263 copy.jpg
    2011-04-18_17-44-00_263 copy.jpg
    63.2 KB · Views: 1,552
  • 2010-10-25_16-46-30_304 copy.jpg
    2010-10-25_16-46-30_304 copy.jpg
    87.1 KB · Views: 1,551
Sorry if I came across a little strong :oops:

On another list, someone posted that you should never touch the nest for at least 6 weeks -- and no one contradicted that!! Can you imagine how foul that nestbox would be just from kit feces and urine never mind the possibility of dead kits and leftover placenta.

Even if the OP had every intention of checking, I still like to voice a differing opinion when someone gives suggestions that I feel can be detrimental. Other newbies may be reading this list and thinking... oh good, I just leave that box in there and the blood, poop and urine vanish by magic. :eek:

Nice rabbit setup :up:
 
Congrats! And nice setup :) It does not catch ALL the poop, at least mine doesn't, but it does get MOST of it! Look forward to hearing more about your bunny mcnuggets!
 
JT_Hunter":2015c3y5 said:
That is why I have the beagle...she gets what is not caught in the gutter...great idea you had there
Click to expand...

Actually, I got the idea from Miss M, but you are right...it IS a good idea! :clap: Thank you Miss M!
 
I think I have my plastic slide at too steep an angle....will fix that after the babies and Moms settle down a bit...yea...Thanks Miss M...great idea..

__________ Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:01 pm __________

Moonkitten....no problem at all, not to worry, I appreciate your concerns, as I share the same sentiments....I am also not too fond of the way most people take care of a lot of things in thier lives...and raising bunnies is one of them...

__________ Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:04 pm __________

Soooo...I checked, and there are 8 McNuggets in there...Big Momma was surprisingly calm and let me check the nest...everyone seems healthy and wiggly...also popping their heads up and chirping...the nest seems very clean...by the way...the bottoms of both of my nest boxes have 1/2 x 1 cage wire bottoms...so any liquid should drain out easy enough....all ideas I got from reading this site...thanks to everyone for all of your help....<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:05 pm __________<br /><br />Tonight...my little precious NZ doe Little Momma...should kindle....Dang this is exciting...and fun...
 
Since the weather is still so chilly, you may want to cut a piece of cardboard the size of the nest box and slip it underneath for a bit of extra insulation. In my experience, the kits burrow down deep trying to keep warm and end up close to the wire and cold air below.
 
Excellent point Maggie...thanks...I did not have any cardboard...so I went in search of some...found it from my landlord...got it done....had to make it a bit smaller than the bottom of the nest box...as both of the does promptly pulled it out for lunch.....Big Momma...the one with the kits is now pulling fur like crazy...has it every where but in the nest box...maybe she will put it in there latter...
 
They ignored it once the edge was under the bottom where they could not see it...just gave em all a piece of carrot...Ibreak one up into 3 pieces...my buck yanks it out of my grip...my little NZ eats it out of my hand...my big psyco doe...with kits...I just toss it in her cage...she gets it herself...or I get attacked...

seems that the one with kits is putting the fur in the nest...Yea....
 
JT..........congrats on the healthy McNuggets, and the soon to be McNuggets! :D It is very exciting, isn't it!!!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top