Help--skinny rabbits and pot bellies?

Rabbit Durl · Feb 1, 2016

Hi, I have four bunnies that have been a bit skinny for a while. I have been trying to feed them more and more, but they aren't gaining weight! I can feel the backbone and hips pretty easily now. They are in a 8x6' run pen outside moved daily and I give them dumor pellets and extra (fresh) rye grass. I have been gone for the past few days with a neighbor feeding them, and today when I came back he said they hadn't had water in 48 hours (I checked the bottle it worked normally) and two of them have pot bellies! They look as if they're pregnant but there is 100% no buck in the pen and I didn't feel babies. When I poured them their pellet ration, they didn't excitedly and eat it like they usually do. Not lethargic. It looks as if there's been a fight, there's some fur pulled and one rabbit has a cut (but it's mostly healed now.) They've never fought before!
Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong? Two of them are around a year and they've had one litter each, these are the super skinny pot bellied ones, and two of them are virgin 7 month olds. These two seem fine just skinnier than should be.
I try to take good care of them but I don't know what's wrong. Also, I've tried to breed the older ones at least 7 times each over the past few months and they won't take. My buck is in a separate pen and he's given me a litter and is in perfect condition. Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance!!

Oscar · Feb 1, 2016

When's the last time that you had the buck and does together?

Zass · Feb 1, 2016

Cocci?

BlueHaven · Feb 1, 2016

Try more pellets and less greens. Feed the pellets in the morning and don't replace it in the evening or morning unless its gone. Only feed a tiny handful of grass hay twice a week.
Hay and grass are mostly fiber and just push the more nutritious pellets though. This is good sometimes, but not all the time if your wanting gains.
Do not feed more pellets in the evening unless every bite of feed is gone.
You need to let them get hungry so they will eat. I would worm them, and even try a tiny spoon of oatmeal on the top of each new cup of feed. Do not give them any unless all their last feed is gone, or they will just hold out for oatmeal and they need more feed. I might also consider keeping them caged for awhile to keep them from running off calories. Its possible they have picked up a fungus or parasite from the ground. You could have a vet check their poo and see what they can find.

Preitler · Feb 2, 2016

Hm, I would give them all food they want, more than they can eat, and mix the pellets 1:1 with oatmeal. They will eat when they are hungry.

And check for gas (bloat), that can ruin their appetite, and worse.

Maybe reduce greens for a while and give unlimited hay, to get their digestion going, I would not make a rabbit, that already may have problems, hungry.

With the two young ones maturing there could be a high stress level, and that causing problems. I have also 4 does living together right now, that's not always love and peace, I have to keep an eye on their moods. Restricting their freedom of movement usually makes them grumpy after a few days.

And you are sure both virgins are does? Absolutly? No visit by the Sex Change Fairy?

I'm not really familiar with Cocci, but that could also be the cause, symtoms would fit.