First Time Mom

[BeachBC]

I have a doe that was due to have her first litter Saturday...she has a built-in nest box that I filled with hay but sometime Sat. night she took the hay out of the nest box and made a tiny nest on the wire with the little bit of hay that didn't fall through the bottom of the cage while she was moving it around. When I got up Sunday morning I destroyed the tiny nest and filled her nest box with hay again. I also put a cardboard box in the corner she was trying to nest in just in case. I was gone all day, but came back in the afternoon to let the dogs out and check on the rabbit and sure enough she had moved the cardboard box, rebuilt her makeshift nest, and kindled her litter...9 babies total, 2 in the nest box, 1 in her makeshift nest and the rest were scattered all over the cage. I wasn't able to be home for more than about 40 mins, so I quick took all the babies into the house and warmed them with a heating pad then arranged the hay best I could in the nest box and put them all in with lots of fur on top. As of this morning, all 9 are still alive although one is really tiny.

If the doe couldn't get her act together yesterday, will she know to feed the babies or should I try and find the supplies to hand feed them all?

Other weird thing she's doing, I gave her the usual handful of hay with her breakfast this morning and she stuffed it all in her mouth and is still trying to make her little nest in the corner of her cage...

This is only the second litter I've had so I have no clue what's normal and what's not!

 

[Homer]

Let her build what ever she wants as long as 4 or 5 babies stay together they'll stay warm. Check their tummies to see if they are getting fed. Wrinkled tummies are not getting fed, round one are. I've had Does that their milk didn't come in for a couple days so don't panic yet. By the end a day 3 I'd intervene. I've had some Does that don't get the idea the first time until I take the babies and hand feed them a couple times. Maybe the smell of the formula on them after they are returned to the nest triggers their brain because they all caught on after that.

Feed the Doe old fashioned oatmeal flakes and black oil sunflower seed (BOS) daily to help with milk production. Hoe much depends on the breed. My Flemish Giant Does get about 3 tablespoons a day of each in their treat bowl.

I always keep my supplies on hand to make hand feeding formula because you never know what they are going to be like caring for their litters. Here's a link to the formula I have worked on and had amazing results with. http://rabbittalk.com/updated-hand-feeding-formula-t27372.html

 

[SarniaTricia]

I've had an experienced doe "forget" to feed her kits....

I put the nest box in my lap, place said rabbit on the nest. Hold her/ pet her for 5-10 minutes while the kits feed.... seems to help mama remember her job....
I had to do this with a first time mom too, but she caught on great after one "forced" feeding.
Her kits are currently HUGE. She also did nothing with the nest box until the last minute.

 

[BeachBC]

Came out this morning to find my other first timer had her litter! Thankfully she had them on the hay I put in her nest box, although she never made it into a nest and never pulled any fur to cover them. My other doe that kindled Sunday keeps pulling more fur every day...can I take some of the extra fur from first doe to cover second doe's kits with? Will a doe care for kits covered in fur that smells like another rabbit?

 

[KenoshaRabbits]

Came out this morning to find my other first timer had her litter! Thankfully she had them on the hay I put in her nest box, although she never made it into a nest and never pulled any fur to cover them. My other doe that kindled Sunday keeps pulling more fur every day...can I take some of the extra fur from first doe to cover second doe's kits with? Will a doe care for kits covered in fur that smells like another rabbit?

Yes you can use the extra fur. It is highly unlikely she will care that another doe's fur is covering the nest. (Although being a first time mom who knows what will and won't set her off. And she might not take care of them for other reasons.)

If you are worried you can 1) put a dab of vanilla extract on her nose to reduce her ability to smell.
Or 2) you can start pulling her fur for her. The hair on her belly and chest should pull out easily and just do that.