Hi everyone

[Bonkers]

Hey everyone,

Just found this forum, thanks for having me. My family and I got our first rabbits (1 buck and 3 does) in October last year. Two were able to be successfully bred in Feb but the third wasn't interested. We had 2 litters of 4 and 11 kits at the start of April which are to be processed next week. We've then had a litter of 8 from the other doe late May which are growing nicely. Last Monday we had a litter of 15 and a litter of 5 from the first two. We had our first loss on the first night as it wriggled away from all the others in the nesting box and got cold as it is winter here is Oz. We've had to foster 3 from the large litter to the smaller as they weren't getting fed and were falling way behind the others.

Now to be a selfish new member with the first question... I think we'll lose one of these little fosters as it doesn't seem to want to feed. We have tried distracting both mothers with fresh greens and placing the little one under them to feed but it doesn't seem to latch properly. It's now looking dire and I am contemplating culling it as it is just withering away. I feel terrible for it.

Any ideas?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

bred in Feb but the third wasn't interested. We had 2 litters of 4 and 11 kits at the start of April which are to be processed next week. We've then had a litter of 8 from the other doe late May which are growing nicely. Last Monday we had a litter of 15 and a litter of 5

That's a lot of rabbits! What breed(s)?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Hey everyone,

Just found this forum, thanks for having me. My family and I got our first rabbits (1 buck and 3 does) in October last year. Two were able to be successfully bred in Feb but the third wasn't interested. We had 2 litters of 4 and 11 kits at the start of April which are to be processed next week. We've then had a litter of 8 from the other doe late May which are growing nicely. Last Monday we had a litter of 15 and a litter of 5 from the first two. We had our first loss on the first night as it wriggled away from all the others in the nesting box and got cold as it is winter here is Oz. We've had to foster 3 from the large litter to the smaller as they weren't getting fed and were falling way behind the others.

Now to be a selfish new member with the first question... I think we'll lose one of these little fosters as it doesn't seem to want to feed. We have tried distracting both mothers with fresh greens and placing the little one under them to feed but it doesn't seem to latch properly. It's now looking dire and I am contemplating culling it as it is just withering away. I feel terrible for it.

Any ideas?

Try holding the Doe upside holding her front and back legs firmly and put the kit on her belly

 

[Bonkers]

That's a lot of rabbits! What breed(s)?

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give that a go shortly.

They are New Zealand x California.
I intend to continue to breed these two together as I am able to successfully foster from the large litters to the smaller. I doon't want to cull the doe that gives smaller litters as her temperament is fantastic and she's a great mother with very good milk

 

[ladysown]

sometimes you do get weak kits that have no will to fight to survive. Euthanizing them is not a bad thing at all, saves them suffering.

 

[Bonkers]

sometimes you do get weak kits that have no will to fight to survive. Euthanizing them is not a bad thing at all, saves them suffering.

OK, that's fine. I just have been wanting to give it the best chance I could. If it gets any worse I think I will have to cull. I'm guessing the best way would be to just pull it's head nice and firmly with my hands?

 

[ladysown]

I use the choke chain method, if you have the arm/hand strength to use your hands to break the neck that's an option,

 

[Bonkers]

I use the choke chain method, if you have the arm/hand strength to use your hands to break the neck that's an option,

This little one won't need a choke chain. It's tiny.

Still deciding which method I'll use for butchering. Thanks for the response.

 

[Nibbles]

Any progress on feeding?

 

[Bonkers]

Any progress on feeding?

Yes, thanks for asking.
I got it to have at least one feed yesterday and again today. It seems to latch guzzle for a bit then unlatch. It does this constantly so I'm hoping it's just slow at working it out. It's still scrawny but has improved weight wise.

 

[Nibbles]

That's good news, hope it will continue. Scrawny but not weak?

 

[Bonkers]

That's good news, hope it will continue. Scrawny but not weak?

Not weak, moving around happily. I think it's worked it out, it seems even better today, full tummy the times I've checked it. It's still a lot smaller than the others but I'm hoping it will catch up now it's doing better.

 

[Nibbles]

Not weak, moving around happily. I think it's worked it out, it seems even better today, full tummy the times I've checked it. It's still a lot smaller than the others but I'm hoping it will catch up now it's doing better.

That's fantastic. Probably eats as much as the others? It looks like working indeed.

 

[hotzcatz]

Sometimes the ones that started out tiny end up being the largest as an adult. Glad to hear it figured out how to eat finally. Still, if you're able to remember which one it is later, I'd not opt for it to be a breeder unless it's got some other better characteristics. Breed the best, eat the rest.