Mom aggressive to kits

[ipoGSD]

So I don't understand this. Our Netherland Dwarf Doe kindled for healthy kits now that they're starting to wonder /wabble around out of the nest box, (they're about 2 weeks old) she's becoming aggressive towards them.

Growling and lunging at them. Like the way she behaves towards the litter scooper if we try to clean her cage while shes still in it.

I've never seen this behavior before with a mom and such young babies. Any ideas what's going on?
Ty

 

[MaggieJ]

I'm not sure what's going on with her, but I can hazard a guess or two. Is it her first litter? This could account for it, in a convoluted way. If she is protective by nature and -- not being accustomed to seeing youngsters hopping around -- her muddled little brain may be seeing them as a threat to the kits she thinks of as being in the nestbox.

Is she pregnant again? If so, she may be showing hormonal behaviour.

I once had a doe who would be aggressive to older kits and even the younger ones she was very strict with. I'd see them lined up and being good little bunnies on the hood of the nestbox, while their cousins from the doe's sister were hopping all over their cage. The doe in question was of a snappish, intolerant nature. She never really hurt the kits and I never even saw her chase them until after they were weaned, but they were excessively well-behaved.

Not sure any of this is helpful, but at least it may get the ball rolling for discussion.

You might want to put in a barrier with kit-sized holes so the kits can get away from her if necessary.

 

[ipoGSD]

Hi Maggie, ty for your insight. I appreciate it a lot!!!

Yes Skittles is a first time mom, she is not pregnant again. Shes GREAT when they are in the nest box but when they start wandering out.. she acts almost territorial. So maybe it is like you said she doesn't fully understand that these are her babies. Or maybe what i was wondering is could she think they are too young to be venturing out?

She hasnt hurt them, just seems bullyish to them. Luckily she is an indoor bunny so we can keep a close eye on her. Hopefully she will smarten up LOL.

They are soooooo cute.. she had 4 chestnuts.
Mom is a true dwarf silver marten, she is less than 2 lbs. Dad is a false dwarf lilac chin who weighs close to 2.5 lbs.

I would like to find a different buck because i dont like his ears but he is from a breeder who shows so he does have a pedigree. And he is smaller than most false dwarf rabbits that I've seen around here. so thankfully no peanuts and no complications

Too tired to upload pics but tomorrow ill share some

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

I have a doe who does the exact same thing. Great mom, but really territorial and hates when kits are out of the box. She nips at them and chases them back in. I try and keep her kits in the box as long as possible and give them a hiding place when they're out. At first she'll chase them in there whenever she's tired of them. By the time they're 3-4 weeks she has no issues.

 

[Ozarkansas]

I have some does that are very strict on the 'no milk before dark' rule. When the bunnies first venture out they're like 'oh there's mom I guess that means we can have milk whenever we want now'! I only takes a few days for them to learn not to ask until after dark, my does have never actually hurt their kits. She may also be thinking these small intruders are going to hurt her babies in the nest as well.

 

[ipoGSD]

LFB, I think thats what it is. She has always been nutty when another bunny who is out playing approaches her cage. I hope she calms down in the next week or so.

Oz, im sure some of the bullying is them begging but ive watched a lot. She can be chillin in her litter box away from them and she will hop out and lunge. Tho she doesnt hurt them but definitely lets them know she brought them into this world, she can take them out lol

Anyway moms the silver otter
Dads the lilac chin
And the babies are the babies lmao
Seems like theres 2 true and 2 false

Like i said i dont like the size of dads ears but im also wondering if it was because he was born outside in the heat? I love his fur tho, its not long but kinda longer and a little flowy. If that makea sense. <br /><br /> -- Tue Nov 07, 2017 10:20 pm -- <br /><br />






This is the biggest kit but its one of my faves, so cuddly! Climbs my lap to snuggle!

 

[jodib90]

Hiya, I'm hoping someone might see this. It's the only similar case I can find.

My Dorris has kindled her first litter, they're 24 days old today, she's been fantastic, the nest was amazing, nursed them well, kept hutch immaculate, even had sneaky checks on them during the day.. however, the moment they've started to venture out she lunges, nips and chases them back in!!

It's a fear, worry thing it would seem as she's actually chasing them back to the best but the kits has small cuts and this morning one missed out on feeding as she was chasing him so much he just curled up an hid.

I have goats milk to hand but I really did not want to intervene unless nesecary, although it would seem it is definitely heading that way. I've given her the week in hope she'd settle but it appears not.

I do think she could be pregnant again, which I feel terrible about. I had tried to separate them originally but little borris is sooo clever her destroyed every barrier, we intend to separate the moment she kindles the next litter. Borris and Dorris are house bunnies and our pets.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Hiya, I'm hoping someone might see this. It's the only similar case I can find.

My Dorris has kindled her first litter, they're 24 days old today, she's been fantastic, the nest was amazing, nursed them well, kept hutch immaculate, even had sneaky checks on them during the day.. however, the moment they've started to venture out she lunges, nips and chases them back in!!

It's a fear, worry thing it would seem as she's actually chasing them back to the best but the kits has small cuts and this morning one missed out on feeding as she was chasing him so much he just curled up an hid.

I have goats milk to hand but I really did not want to intervene unless nesecary, although it would seem it is definitely heading that way. I've given her the week in hope she'd settle but it appears not.

I do think she could be pregnant again, which I feel terrible about. I had tried to separate them originally but little borris is sooo clever her destroyed every barrier, we intend to separate the moment she kindles the next litter. Borris and Dorris are house bunnies and our pets.

Is she every aggressive outside of that?
In my last two litters one of my Does was an excellent mother but started chasing and lunging at her kits at about 4 weeks. They were big enough to be out of the nest box on their own so I moved the Does to a separate cage and put her back in a few times per day so she could feed them and they did well
You could also try fostering if there's another Doe with Kits

 

[ladysown]

Hiya, I'm hoping someone might see this. It's the only similar case I can find.

My Dorris has kindled her first litter, they're 24 days old today, she's been fantastic, the nest was amazing, nursed them well, kept hutch immaculate, even had sneaky checks on them during the day.. however, the moment they've started to venture out she lunges, nips and chases them back in!!

It's a fear, worry thing it would seem as she's actually chasing them back to the best but the kits has small cuts and this morning one missed out on feeding as she was chasing him so much he just curled up an hid.

I have goats milk to hand but I really did not want to intervene unless necessary, although it would seem it is definitely heading that way. I've given her the week in hope she'd settle but it appears not.

I do think she could be pregnant again, which I feel terrible about. I had tried to separate them originally but little borris is sooo clever her destroyed every barrier, we intend to separate the moment she kindles the next litter. Borris and Dorris are house bunnies and our pets.

separate them BEFORE she kindles as they can get bred immediately post kindling. Separate rooms with doors you can close. get Borris neutered in the meantime.

how old are they now? if they are older than three weeks I'd remove them from mom. You can either allow her back in with them morning and evening for about an hour or simply feed them a good quality hay and pellet and they'll come along just fine.

 

[jodib90]

Thank you for your help, guys!

So, no never aggressive before, and only once the kits have started to try and leave the nest! Otherwise, very attentive and appeared to be doing everything well. It almost seems over protectiveness, as of she doesn't want them to come.out. some.of the kits have little scabs where she actually nipped them, to get to go back inside the hutch.

She's definitely about to pop bless her, I can see her tummy moving today, eating less and laying around, I will be bringing borris out the moment she kindles!!

I offered the kits some KMR but only 1 was interested. The rest seem happy with their pellets and hay!! Although they go mad when I top up the bowl, should they have unlimited pellets at this stage, day 26 today? First time litter any advice more than appreciated!!

 

[jodib90]

Sorry I misread, so I should remove him the moment she plucks fur, when she's preparing to kindle?

I only worry as they're a bonded pair removing him to early may stress them more? Do I allow supervised access to each other afterwards, would you think?

 

[jodib90]

Muma an papa.

Borris is the lionhead.

Dorris, our beautiful muma, is a mini rex!

 

[Sagebrush]

At this age I would offer them unlimited hay and pellets. I would also separate the adults immediately, take the babies and move them out of the cage to another one as well, but where she can still see them. She has effectively weaned them already.
Even if they are a bonded pair, I would separate as let them visit though cage wire as if he can he will breed her and it can happen in the blink of an eye.

 

[jodib90]

Okay, great.

I have already separated the bubs yesterday, they're now in wire pen in the lounge, mum an dad are free roaming house rabbits. So I think I'll either need to house borris in a hutch/cage and leave muma in our conservatory, this where litter tray and hutch that she nested in is, so I guess where she feels most comfortable.

I'd been giving constant hay, with 2 handfuls of pellets every 4/5 hours, then the offering of KMR once in a.m and again between 10pm and midnight. I will now make sure the pellet bowl is never empty as I already do with hay access, there's no worry of them over eating then?

Again, so appreciative of your help!!

 

[Preitler]

Just be sure he's locked away safely before she kindles, nothing gets a buck more horny than a kindling doe. They do incredible things to get to them, and don't even wait until she's done.
I had to put up at least 2 barriers I each considered safe by itself, my buck, or a doe too often got over/through a single one. A gap somewhere, something to be used as step too close, a door not properly latched....
Front and back yard are seperated by a fence I have to step over, and a gate that has a permanently locked lower half. Anything less, and I was wading in baby bunnies again.
Now I have a young doe that - first in 10 years - went through the brook, some distance downstream on the other side, back, up a 2m wall, through 2 fences just to meet my recently neutered buck who is my free roam house bunny.