HELP.......PLEASE READ

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

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

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

Fatboy

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Location
Georgia
I've lost several weaned kits and cant figure out why! I need opinions and help. Is there any possible way that moving them from a suspended pen to turning them loose on the ground could be causing my problem? My does are is solid wire suspended pens, when their kits are ready to be weaned I take them out and turn them loose in a rabbit proof stall that is 6'x12' on the ground. I've only done this twice, but both times they do great for 3 to 4 weeks and then start dying off from GI problems. They are eating the same feed their whole life.... so I'm very confused and the only thing I can come up with is maybe putting them on the ground is causing this. CAN ANYONE HELP WITH ADVICE? :(
 
Fatboy":2ze6njqd said:
I've lost several weaned kits and cant figure out why! I need opinions and help. Is there any possible way that moving them from a suspended pen to turning them loose on the ground could be causing my problem? My does are is solid wire suspended pens, when their kits are ready to be weaned I take them out and turn them loose in a rabbit proof stall that is 6'x12' on the ground. I've only done this twice, but both times they do great for 3 to 4 weeks and then start dying off from GI problems. They are eating the same feed their whole life.... so I'm very confused and the only thing I can come up with is maybe putting them on the ground is causing this. CAN ANYONE HELP WITH ADVICE? :(
Click to expand...


I am far from an expert on this but in my reading, I've read of issues with ...Coccidiosis ...and a link between being pastured (or on the ground) and Coccidiosis. One source I recall reading was about Joel Salatan's son, Daniel, and how he had a large death rate for many generations when pasturing rabbits.

Are the bunnies introduced to fresh greens while with their mother? The sudden introduction of greens could otherwise cause problems and even death.

Those are my (inexperienced) thoughts. FWIW.
 
No, they are fed the same feed, and are in a barn stall. There's not any grass in there, its hard clay.<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:13 am __________<br /><br />
Peach":2m1ul8zw said:
When are you taking them away from their mother?
Click to expand...
At about 5-6 weeks.
 
They are free fed a 16% feed. The floor is just bare clay. I killed 4 yestrday to put in the freezer and noticed there was air bubbles in their intestines. After cleaning the four I looked at some of the live ones and some of them were bloated and had watery diarrhea . Its the same feed they've had their whole life. I don't and won't feed hay. I don't understand unless its them being on the ground. Also, will the four I killed be OK to eat?
 
Why not feed hay? It is just about the best thing you can give your rabbits. Sure beats losing them to enteritis.

I suspect in this particular case that the rabbits may have got chilled, on bare clay. If so, it seems to affect their digestion, especially when eating only pellets. I suspect that if you gave them a box with shavings, straw or hay to help them keep warm and that you put something over the clay (again, shavings, straw or hay) that you would have fewer losses.
 
MaggieJ":2juxs8d1 said:
Why not feed hay? It is just about the best thing you can give your rabbits. Sure beats losing them to enteritis.

I suspect in this particular case that the rabbits may have got chilled, on bare clay. If so, it seems to affect their digestion, especially when eating only pellets. I suspect that if you gave them a box with shavings, straw or hay to help them keep warm and that you put something over the clay (again, shavings, straw or hay) that you would have fewer losses.
Click to expand...
Would 40 degrees be cold enough to chill them? Thats about the coldest its gotten here. Maggie, will the ones I killed be ok to eat?
 
It may have lowered their resistance. I'm not a veterinarian but I've been paying particular attention this spring to the many GI problems that have been popping up and significant drops in the temperature seem to be a factor. Read those threads... you will see some patterns begin to emerge.
 
Depending on the size of the kits, 40 could certainly cause chilling, especially if the weather is damp and they have no shelter or bedding. I provide cat litter jugs with bedding for young kits and they huddle in them together which provides a lot of warmth. I had a litter in a growout cage and I removed the doe yesterday since she is due to kindle, and they are rather exposed in that location, so I moved them back to the "BunnyBarn" this morning which is more sheltered from the wind and rain. It is in the 40's today, and we just had weather in the 90's so I am not taking chances.

I don't know if they would be safe to eat- without knowing what is causing the diarrhea, I wouldn't eat them. You probably could if the liver looks good, but meat from an ill animal would not be as wholesome as that from a healthy one, in my opinion. An opinion based on gut instinct, not any research.
 
MamaSheepdog":125vgi7e said:
Depending on the size of the kits, 40 could certainly cause chilling, especially if the weather is damp and they have no shelter or bedding. I provide cat litter jugs with bedding for young kits and they huddle in them together which provides a lot of warmth. I had a litter in a growout cage and I removed the doe yesterday since she is due to kindle, and they are rather exposed in that location, so I moved them back to the "BunnyBarn" this morning which is more sheltered from the wind and rain. It is in the 40's today, and we just had weather in the 90's so I am not taking chances.

I don't know if they would be safe to eat- without knowing what is causing the diarrhea, I wouldn't eat them. You probably could if the liver looks good, but meat from an ill animal would not be as wholesome as that from a healthy one, in my opinion. An opinion based on gut instinct, not any research.
Click to expand...
Well, I hate to waste the 4 I already dispatched. The livers looked fine, I just dont wanna make any of us sick by eating them.
 
I know- it's a hard call, and seems wasteful not to eat them. I just killed a sick kit myself, and it is now fertilizer for a plant.
 
I'm going to hope Maggiej is right, because its been unusually warm but Monday we had a cold snap that lasted until yesterday.<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:12 pm __________<br /><br />
MamaSheepdog":1bcr3pv0 said:
Depending on the size of the kits, 40 could certainly cause chilling, especially if the weather is damp and they have no shelter or bedding. I provide cat litter jugs with bedding for young kits and they huddle in them together which provides a lot of warmth. I had a litter in a growout cage and I removed the doe yesterday since she is due to kindle, and they are rather exposed in that location, so I moved them back to the "BunnyBarn" this morning which is more sheltered from the wind and rain. It is in the 40's today, and we just had weather in the 90's so I am not taking chances.

I don't know if they would be safe to eat- without knowing what is causing the diarrhea, I wouldn't eat them. You probably could if the liver looks good, but meat from an ill animal would not be as wholesome as that from a healthy one, in my opinion. An opinion based on gut instinct, not any research.
Click to expand...
Well, I hate to waste the 4 I already dispatched. The livers looked fine, I just dont wanna make any of us sick by eating them.
 
I don't know why you wouldn't give them hay. I have mine in a grow at colony in a building and they have been thriving and looking so much healthier than they were in the cages. The floor is covered in hay. Sometimes they dig in it and cuddle into a "nest" of sorts. It's fantastic. It helps keep the floor cleaner.
 
I know alot of people that don't feed hay and have no problems. I'm not gonna feed it because around here you can't find any that hasn't had chicken s#@t put on it for fertilizer. That's the biggest reason, but on top of that I use the manure for fertilizer and that's hard to do if there's so much hay mixed with it. I thought rabbit feed was designed to fulfill the dietary needs, hay might help but I'm not feeding mine chicken poop. If I keep loosing them I'm just gonna quit trying to raise them. I love rabbits and really enjoy them but if I keep loosing them I'm just gonna throw in the towel and if I want to eat one I'll just go buy it. I do really appreciate everyone on here and all yalls help!!
 
And yes i wouldnt if they put down chicken poop in the fields. I wouldnt give them the hay either in this case. But you can give a little straw now and then. It really helps with soft poops . And give them something to do. YOu dont have to give allot...Just a few handles once a weak or so.
Please dont give up. I know it is frustrating. BUt you can over come it. We are all learning as we go . This is just part of raising rabbits.
Another thing that you can do is buy alfalfa cubes . It isnt messy at all and they love it. YOu can buy a bag of it at the feed store.
 
Excellent idea about the alfalfa cubes, Mary Ann. I believe some places have timothy cubes too, don't they?

Maybe some of our other Georgia members (there are quite a few!) can help Fatboy find some decent, clean hay.

Just a thought... If you have a bit of land, you could plant a patch of timothy or other good hay grasses and harvest your own. You don't have to bale it... Try a hay net hung from the rafters of the barn and maybe a couple of barrels to keep some handy.
 
If their livers are OK, that (likely) leaves out coccidiosis. My next guess would be mucoid enteritis... and your description may support that. IF you have a spare cage, try taking the doe out of the cage at weaning time and leave the kits in the cage for 3 or 4 days before you put them on the floor. Chicken poop or not.... I think feeding them some hay is the best all around preventative medicine one can give their rabbits.

Sooner or latter, or a clay floor, you are going to get some coccidiosis started, and it will likely get worse with each subsequent litter you put on the floor. Some kind of shavings or straw, keeping the floor dry, and keeping the poop pellets cleaned up would go a long way into preventing its onset.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top