I think my kits need more milk.

[Mary]

My bun Lily had her second litter on January 15th. Her first litter only one survived. That baby (Powder) grew big and strong. This new litter has 8 kits, all alive and healthy. I suspect that Lily is not producing enough milk for 8 babies. They are growing, they are starting to jump in and out of the nest box and they run around on the floor but they are constantly trying to nurse on our skin and making smaking noises with their mouths. Their bellies aren't big and round but they aren't wrinkled either. Tonight we noticed some seem to be grinding their teeth. It sounds too loud for the purring sounds I've heard. I'm concerned that this is the sound rabbits make with their teeth when they are in pain. Or maybe it is just a part of what they do when trying to nurse. YIKES! They have sharp little teeth! I feel sorry for Lily if they are doing this on her nipples. Does anyone have any idea what this behavior is?
Also, I've read about the herbs that can increase milk production. I'm gonna get Lily some fresh parsley and alfalfa hay cubes tomorrow. I also read that borage and fennel can help. For the life of me I don't know where to get fresh borage and fennel in the middle of winter in Wisconsin, or how much to give her even if I found it.
Please, any advice is welcome and thank you in advance!

 

[fuzzy9]

Hi Mary, how much are you feeding Lily? Is she on free choice pellets?

What part of WI are you from?

 

[Mary]

She has unlimited Oxbow Timothy hay and pellets. Plus she gets a cup full of mixed organic baby greens, a few baby organic carrots, and a bit of oats every day.

__________ Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:50 am __________

I live in Mount Horeb. Fifteen minutes outside of Madison.<br /><br />__________ Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:51 am __________<br /><br />Your Fuzzy looks just like my Lily!!

 

[fuzzy9]

I'm sure others more experienced than I will chime in here......but I'm wondering if maybe she's filling up on all the greens, carrots, hay, and oats, and then not eating enough pellets to get the protein she needs to make milk for the kits. Timothy hay and veggies don't have much protein to them. Is she eating alot of pellets, is thin at all?

I'm over between Eau Claire and La Crosse......west central WI.

 

[Miss M]

They do look okay, from what I can tell, but Fuzzy9 could be right. She should definitely have unlimited pellets, and the hay shouldn't be a problem (though you can feed less than unlimited if you feel you should). She might not be getting enough nutritionally.

Things you could try:

Cut the carrots completely, or limit to one or two per week.

Cut the oats out for a while.

Reduce the greens unless you know they have a good protein content. Dandelion greens have 14 - 15% protein, but most greens do not fare so well.

Feed her a little Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) every day for a few days or a week. A teaspoon to a tablespoon, but tending more toward a teaspoon while you see how she tolerates them. They are very high in fat and some excellent nutrients. Don't feed too much, as she could get fat or blow her coat.

Give her some Pedialyte or Gatorade.

Spread a little rolled oats (regular kitchen oatmeal, not quick oats) in the nestbox for the kits to start nibbling on.

Hopefully, someone more experienced than I am will see this thread tomorrow.

 

[Dood]

Some does just don't produce much milk. I would focus on trying to get these 16 day old kits weaned. Sprinkle pellets, oats and hay in their nest box so they can eat right there.

I agree that you should cut back on the fresh greens, increase the oats and try giving her some sunflower seeds which are pretty fatty.

 

[MaggieJ]

I agree with encouraging the kits to get started on solid foods. Making sure they have access to water is also very important. Make sure they can reach the water bottle or put in a shallow crock. A couple of times in a situation like this I have given kits kitchen oatmeal soaked with warm water and just a tiny pinch of brown sugar as an attractant.

I don't like the sound of the tooth grinding. It may just be that they are hungry, as their behaviour suggests, but keep a close eye on them in case it is something else. Sorry, but I have no suggestions at present of what "something else" might be.

As Dood said, some does just do not produce a lot of milk. I would cut back a little on the greens and veggies and let her have unlimited pellets and oats and a bit of BOSS. Definitely continue with the hay and adding alfafa blocks.

Be careful what herbs you give her. Fennel and borage should be fine but certain other herbs - mint and sage - will make the situation worse.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

You can get Fenugreek and fennel seed at the grocery store. Those work just as well. I would second the idea to cut out the extra stuff and add some BOSS to her unlimited pellets. What is the protein % on the pellets?

 

[Mary]

I've mixed in some alfalfa pellets with the regular pellets. The only greens she is getting now are organic italian and curly parsley and organic fennel (leaves and bulb) as these are supposed to increase milk production. I've also given her some alfalfa hay cubes. Since she seemed to be getting thin I mixed up some bananas and cream oatmeal (I first sifted out as much sugar as I could) and she loved this and put some weight back on right away. She does seem to have more milk now and the babies bellies seem rounder and they aren't making the smaking and grinding noise. Thhings seem to be going better for the moment. I'll just have to watch now.
Thank you everyone for responding!<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:32 am __________<br /><br />Where would I find BOSS? We have a co-op here in town that's geared more toward farming as this is a farming community. They have stuff for horses and chickens and such. Do you think they would have this BOSS? I've seen all black sunflower seeds for birds. Is this the same thing? What am I really looking for here?

 

[boundarybunnyco]

BOSS just means black oil sunflower seeds. The exact same thing as the bird seed.