New Arrivals

[showrabbittjrhett]

our first litter has arrived i will be posting pics soon please check back i would love help with them any comments or advice ? how early can i handle them i have hurd i should weigh them twice a day to see if they have been fed does anyone else do this? I have also herd that momma may abandon the babys if i get my scent on them is there a way to prevent this from happening thanks so much

 

[ladysown]

check them twice a day for health. handle them lots. give momma a treat or two. Enjoy them.

 

[Shara]

Ladysown said just what i would. play with them, love them, love on momma. if you want, pet momma before you touch the kits, but it doewsnt realy matter.

 

[showrabbittjrhett]

Well just a little update. We found four little kits but unfortunately one was dead at birth and yesterday two more passed away so we are left with one... I'm not sure if rabbits chose favorites but I'm pretty sure she was moving all the others away from the biggest, and not feeding them. It's strange to think that a mother would abandon her own children, survival of the fittest I guess

 

[pfaubush]

Sorry for the loss of your three. Unfortunately, it's not just rabbits that abandon their littles. Was this her first litter? First timers often don't get it right. Hopefully she'll get it the next go 'round and will raise the one left without any further issues.

 

[Shara]

Make sure to keep that baby warm. I bet your next will go well. My doe abandoned her litter, so i know how confusing it is...unfortunately, i think it was because of the circumstances surrounding min'es birth...

 

[showrabbittjrhett]

here are a few pic just because

 

[Miss M]

She's a sweetie-bun! :cute: Sorry to hear about the three, but I hope the fourth does okay! It can be difficult for single kits to stay warm enough. Some ladies have been known to carry a single kit in the center of their bras to keep them warm, taking it to the doe twice a day for feeding, until it is furred out enough to keep warm - probably 10 days or so.

It isn't necessary at all to weigh them at this point unless you need a starting weight. Handling them a couple of times a day is good, particularly for kits who will grow up to be pets. No one on here has had issues with does abandoning kits because of human smell on them... for other reasons, maybe, but not for that. So, yes, enjoy this kit and any future ones! They're fun!

The others are right, if this is the doe's first litter, the problems are probably just her inexperience showing.<br /><br />__________ Sun Feb 06, 2011 1:00 pm __________<br /><br />By the way, there's been a lot of discussion lately on raising single kits. MaggieJ and Shara each have single kits they are trying to raise:

another-update-on-maple-and-her-litter-t2398.html?start=15

advice-on-hand-raising-kits-t2423.html

Good luck! ...And remember, we love baby pictures!!! (hint, hint)

 

[showrabbittjrhett]

i just got to thinking i would want to know what the daddy of the bbys look like so here he is my babys boy tj

 

[curlysue]

Very cute!One of my does wont feed the peanuts and wont allow them in the nest either.

 

[Pickles]

The momma is a very pretty doe!

 

[Miss M]

The daddy's a handsome boy, too!!

 

[showrabbittjrhett]

well time for another update.... the only baby that suvived (we are calling it lucky) my have a deformity. Its legs stick out to the sides and when it walks it just drags its self along with its front legs. will it grow out of this, are they all like this, do we need to not continue with this rabbit?

 

[MaggieJ]

How old is the kit? What kind of a surface do you have it on? Sometimes if it is too smooth (ie. cardboard) the kit cannot get traction. It could also be something called splay leg or it could be that the kit has a back injury. When you put your fingers under one of its hind feet is there any resistance? Does he seem to have any feeling in them? Can he potty on his own? Some people here (Pongo is one) have considerable experience with these things. I hope you get better information than I am able to give you. I have no experience of this problem.

 

[ladysown]

how old a kit is this?
could it be too fat from too much milk?

might be splay...not sure... I'd put him on good straw bedding for a bit and see if it improves at all.

 

[showrabbittjrhett]

it is two weeks old, it is on peg bored should i put more hay in with it yes when i put my hand behind its foot it presses against me and if i kind of squeeze its leg it will kick out. it is very fat. can they get too fat ? is there a way i can cut it back on milk? this is all so new to me...