Please help!

[Typykal]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking here for awhile but until now have very much enjoyed the reading, but really lacked anything to post.

I'm new to the rabbit hobby and we recently had our first litter of babies. All went very well and they are now 7 weeks old (5 gorgeous little kits). Our doe was a great mother - but I could tell they were starting to get on her nerves for the last week. All were eating and drinking like champs on their own so I figured it was about time to wean them anyway and give mama a break. I moved the babies to another cage on their own on Wednesday evening.

All was fine yesterday, mom ate well and drank well and seemed happy to have her cage to herself again.
A few hours ago I headed back out to check on everyone and while checking on Mom I noticed she looked a bit pudgy, so I took her out and examined her to find that all of her nipples were very enlarged.

They weren't hard or discolored, no discharge and she seems fine otherwise.
Thinking she needed to nurse I put a few of her kits back in with her and that did the trick - the nipples they nursed on have flattened back out and are normal again.

But now after a few hours I've been reading and all these horror stories about mastitis and losing the kits to infection from the doe...and frankly, I'm now terrified that I may have made a huge mistake that may cost me my babies... I had never heard that I should have weaned these guys one by one until I started researching the whole mastitis issue today.

Can anyone tell me if I should be worried??? Am I just being paranoid??? Is there anything I can do at this point?

I'm driving myself crazy over this...I feel horrible.
Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MaggieJ]

Okay, this does not sound like mastitis to me. It sounds like full nipples from abrupt removal of the kits. It might have led to mastitis if you hadn't caught it but if there is no inflammation, redness, caked nipples etc. I don't think you need to worry.

What I suggest is to put the kits back with mom for an hour or two twice a day... or if it is easier, put mom in with the kits. This will allow them to nurse and prevent build-up of milk. Your doe must have a very abundant supply! You can gradually taper off the number of kits nursing or begin to cut the nursing to once a day... Let the doe's condition be your guide.

Fresh peppermint leaves or sage leaves will help the doe to dry up her milk supply if you have some available.

BTW, welcome to RabbitTalk! :hi:

 

[Typykal]

Thanks so much Maggie I really appreciate it! I've been pretty torn up over this for the last few hours!
I guess I am pretty paranoid - I'm a nervous mom!

I will keep putting the kits in with her a few times a day then.
Off to the store then to get peppermint and sage leaves! It has taken me by surprise - the way the babies were eating I really assumed that she was done feeding them entirely. This is definitely a lesson learned for me.

Thank you very much for the welcome - I have enjoyed my reading here very much, you guys have a really nice forum here.

 

[MaggieJ]

Glad you're enjoying the forum, Typykal.

Twice a day should be plenty and then once a day after a couple of days. You may have to check her nipples to see how she is doing and adjust the feedings accordingly. You just want them to draw off the excess... If they have too much access and nurse vigorously, her body will try to fill their supposed need. And at seven weeks they should be ready to be weaned.

IMPORTANT!
Do not feed peppermint, sage or any other members of that family of plants to a doe that may be pregnant or who you need to keep on nursing. They could possibly cause abortion and certainly can dry up the milk supply.

 

[Typykal]

Well understood Maggie - thank you again! You're a lifesaver - or at least my sanity!!!

 

[arachyd]

I usually remove the kits a couple at a time over a few days to help the doe gradually dry up.

 

[Miss M]

Wow... I had never heard of removing them slowly. I've just been taking them all out at once... of course, as long as I've been leaving them in there lately, they're probably all weaned anyway...

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I usually remove the kits a couple at a time over a few days to help the doe gradually dry up.

Me too. I start weaning at around 5 weeks- should I start earlier?

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Ihave been letting the mother's wean naturally, but may change my plans if I vcan get them to breed back right awaythe next time around...

 

[MaggieJ]

I much prefer to let the moms decide when to wean the kits, but if they are still nursing at 7 weeks, it is likely time to give her a hand.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I rarely see my does nursing their kits, so how do you know when she has weaned them? Mine are always eating pellets when I begin separating them.

 

[MaggieJ]

Once the kits are out of the box, they will crawl under momma at any opportunity. When that behaviour has stopped for a week or so, you can be pretty sure they have been weaned.

 

[Typykal]

Glad to report the mom has been maintaining well on two nursings per day - bumping her down to one nursing per day today see how she does!

 

[MaggieJ]

Might be a bit soon for that. If you can, continue twice a day until they are out of the nest box.

 

[Typykal]

Oh they've been out of the box for 3 weeks..... Should I continue 2 per day in that case?

 

[MaggieJ]

Oh, sorry... should have gone back to the beginning instead of relying on memory. I was confusing it with another situation. By all means cut them back to once a day... greedy little piggies!