Help, please

[deleur2]

I'm a new rabbit owner. Never intended to be, my daughter brought 2 rabbits home from an auction, supposedly both males. Not the case. I have been reading and learning to educate myself on how to take care of them. But can't find any information on our current situation ...They bred and the result was one kit. Born on or about June 28. We separated the mom and dad but somehow he snuck over to her side of the cage or maybe it had happened before I could re-do their hutch. I don't really know. Yesterday July 29 I came home to 6 more kits, all alive and well. My worry is this. Will the newborns be ok in the same hutch as the other baby or will it harm them? I have been juggling them around, putting the 1 month old with the dad, then remembered that the baby should still be nursing til around 8 weeks from what I have read. (they can easily see and be near the others through the cage) I put the 1 month old back in the cage with the mom and newborns. Their cage situation is this....we purchased an already put together hutch from Agway initially, then revamped it to be larger, so they can hop up into that hutch from a larger area we enclosed for them to have more space. The babies are up in the hutch in a nest box whereas the 1 month old is in the lower portion. I know 1 month old could hop up in there if it wanted so I'm stressing about what to do to make sure every one of them stays happy and healthy. We didn't want mom to have another litter like that of course. I am feeding her more pellets, but also worry for her health as well. Thank you for any help!

 

[Dood]

As long as the mother has enough milk it is fine for the 1 month old to live with his younger siblings. If however he is guzzling all the milk and the newborns dont seem pump - like they swallowed a ping pong ball - I would start weaning him by putting him in his own cage and only with mom for an hour for 2 days, then an hour every 2nd day then every 3rd and then never.

Rabbits don't need to nurse until 8 weeks and often they self wean by 4 or 5 weeks as the does milk dries up, however they will take advantage if mum has another litter and more milk.

As a singleton kit you may need to provide a heat source that he can sleep on to help keep warm or if the male is not pestering him he could stay with his sire.

 

[3mina]

The doe has very likely weaned the singleton already as she has the new litter. It's the way rabbits are designed biologically.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Shouldn't be any problem weaning the "singleton". I'd be more concerned that it will keep the newborns from feeding well. Follow Dood's directions and it should be fine.

And welcome to Rabbit Talk and raising rabbits. I can assure you that you're in for some fun. This is a great place to learn and to get help.