First time - unexpected litter

[Michelle1101]

Hi all! I am new to forums and would love some input if you wouldn't mind. My husband and I purchased a female bunny about a month ago. A beautiful 6 month old, blue eyed mini rex as a pet. Last Saturday, while she was out of her cage we noticed her plucking the hairs from our other animals (cats & dogs). I did some research and found that does can go through a false pregnancy so I played along, gave her stuff to build her nest with etc. Sunday she gave birth to 5 babies - what a surprise! They are now 5 days old. Last night I was reading that the mortality rate increases around 14 days when the babies will begin eating her food. Now I am complete freaked out, I thought I was doing so well since after 5 days I still have 5 bunnies! Is there anything I can do to help prevent this? Otherwise the babies are doing well. They are being fed, they don't have any eye infects, they are all plump and none are lethargic. I keep her cage clean as well as their nest box. Are there any precautions I can take to help give them a better chance at life? Limiting the amount of her food they have access too - would that help? Any input from a veteran breeder would be so appreciated. I do not want these little guys to suffer due to my inexperience. I've never had babies anything and am especially new to even owning adult rabbits so these little guys are a complete mystery to me! Thank you in advance!

 

[Rainey]

If it's any comfort to you, the kits I've lost have all been in the first few days. If they are all getting fed and growing I'd feel confident. Never had the problems when the kits start eating solid food but I'm feeding natural instead of pellets. Know you'll get good advice from others about the feed issue.
Welcome to RT.

 

[Michelle1101]

Thank you for the encouragement, it does offer comfort. I guess I should have mentioned her current feed. We feed her Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe, it is what her previous owner was feeding her so we stuck with it.

 

[Rainey]

Not changing feed was a good decision--any changes in diet should be done very gradually and not on top of other stresses like moving and kindling. And good for you for realizing she might need a nest. You've done really well with a situation you didn't expect and sounds like your rabbits are doing well too. So give yourself a pat on the back, keep paying attention, and try not to worry. And enjoy the kits--I think they are at maximum cuteness from when their eyes open and they start coming out of the nest to 4 or 5 weeks.

 

[MaggieJ]

You're doing fine, Michelle. :goodjob:

Occasionally kits have trouble with the richness of pelleted feed, but most times they adjust to it just fine. They begin with nibbles as soon as they are out of the nest box but it takes a while before they begin to eat any quantity of solid food.

One thing you can do is to offer hay (grass-hay is best) and the large-flake kitchen oatmeal as well as pellets. These foods will not hurt the doe if she eats them (and she likely will) but they will give the kits things to sample that are easier to digest than pellets. They will eat pellets too, but the hay and oatmeal tends to offset any digestive issues.

I don't know where you are located (please add your state, province or country to your profile -- so many rabbit questions are influenced by climate and location) but if you can't buy hay by the bale, pet shops do carry packets of hay, usually timothy hay, which is quite suitable. It's expensive, but I know you are dedicated to raising these kits, so perhaps you won't mind that.

 

[Michelle1101]

Thank you MaggiJ so much for the tips! I am located in New Jersey. We currently give mama bunny Timothy Hay, but I also have Orchard Grass for our tortoise so buying additional hay is no problem, whatever is most recommended I will buy. I will pick up some oatmeal this weekend to have it at the ready. Thanks again for the help and we will definitely be trying this out!

 

[MaggieJ]

I'm assuming you mean orchard grass that has been made into hay? Either it or timothy or a mix will be fine.

Hope all goes well with them. One other hazard to beware of is kits getting out of the box before they are able to jump back in. This can happen shortly after their eyes open and chilling then can be a problem--although it is less likely if the rabbits are in the house. A brick or something similar placed outside the foot of the nest box gives them a step up so they can get back in and warm up.

 

[Michelle1101]

Yes, sorry, I meant orchard grass (hay). And thanks! I will make sure to set it up so that they can easily get back into their nest box for warmth. Thanks so much for the advice, I feel far less panicked by the whole thing now. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about them and mama's habits (secret nighttime feeds and what not) and am simply in-love with every single one of them. Thanks again!!

 

[imajpm]

Yes just don't give them any new types of food. Anything that mother is eating should be fine. My kit losses are always early too. Almost exclusively due to being dragged out of the nest box while hanging onto a nipple.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Yes just don't give them any new types of food. Anything that mother is eating should be fine. My kit losses are always early too. Almost exclusively due to being dragged out of the nest box while hanging onto a nipple.

Ditto... thankfully most of my litters were in warmer weather so they didn't get too chilled, but now that it's winter and I just had 2 litters I am checking them often.

Sounds like you already have some great advice, and you were off to a good start on your own! Rabbits are pretty low maintenance, IMO, even the babies. The mamas do all the work! They are weird looking hairless creatures at first (that totally caught me off guard!), but it doesn't take long for them to be beyond adorable.

 

[Marinea]

Welcome to RT and congrats on a great save!

Just a few notes- oatmeal is great, as Maggie said, just make sure it's not instant, and that it's fed dry. Also, if your doe is used to getting greens, she can still get them. Once the kits are wandering around, they will nibble at everything, and it's fine.

Your next milestone is eyes opening, in about 5 or 6 days. Usually goes fine, but look for "eye boogers", or eyes that won't open and search here for nestbox eye if it happens. A lot of folks completely change out all the nestbox materials for fresh about that time as well.