Post-mortem questions

[trinityoaks]

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who helped me through this situation with Branwyn and her kits. Y'all don't know what lifesavers and sanity-savers you've been. :thankyou:

I have some questions, though.

First of all, what would induce a rabbit to trample her kits in the nest box? Can it be prevented, or is it just one of those things? Should I have pulled the nest box that first night, considering that she had them on the wire to start with? Should I watch her much more closely next time (and perhaps Dot, her sister, as well)?

Secondly, although I read everything I could find on HT (as well as some other links) on hand-feeding, but I'm still unclear on some details. I tried a kitten bottle, a cotton swab, and a syringe. The nipple on the kitten bottle is clearly too big for a 2-day-old kit. It didn't seem as though they were getting anything from the cotton swab. They just kept trying to bite it. The syringe seemed to work best, but I couldn't tell how much they were actually getting. How do you tell whether they're actually swallowing it or aspirating it? Is there something better to give them than kitten milk replacer (other than goats' milk)?

 

[MaggieJ]

The trampling was probably accidental. Some does are just clumsy. Making sure the kits are well up under the hood of the nest box. The doe will likely not land on them there. And it also helps if there is lots of bedding under the kits hbecause they tend to sink down into it and escape injury. (I once accidentally stepped on a chick just a few days old. I was sure it was a goner... but nope, it was just fine thanks to the thick covering of straw on the floor.) Sometimes, of course, the doe's nails will badly injure a kit. If something scares the doe and she jumps into the nest box to "protect" her kits, that is when damage is most likely to be done.

In my experience, a doe that puts her kits in the nest box and pulls fur is almost certain to be a good mother. A doe that has her kits on the wire, doesn't pull fur etc. needs closer watching. Her instincts likely have not kicked in yet. Removing the nest box is likely safer for the kits in such a case, but it doesn't help the doe learn what to do. It's always a gamble, no matter which way you play your cards.

I can't really help you with the hand-feeding issue. There are people here who have a far better grasp of it than I do, so I'll leave it to them.

Hope Dot kindles soon and does everything by the book.

 

[Anntann]

I tried the kitten bottle, and another nipple that was longer and really skinny..tapering, actually. The longer one worked quick well for the kits that were a few days old...but what I actually liked the best was a syringe, (no needle). small one. they make one that's for feeding...offset needle holder..that world REALLY well, but a simple diabetic size works...or a larger one.

What I ended up doing was just putting one drop at a time (as per brody's coaching) on the mouth. they would smack their lips, and suck in the drop. then we'd go again. After maybe 12 drops, they go to sleep. We'd start again an hour later.

now...my latest kits that I fed were malformed inside...so I was fighting a losing battle...just so you know. But the FIRSt ones that I fed did fine. Took them abut a week, then they were strong enough to get milk from mama.

 

[rabbitgeek]

A friend of mine wrote an article about bottle feeding kits

Her article is posted on my website.
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/articles/alle ... eding.html

I hope that helps.
Have a good day!

 

[Marian]

I don't know if it's better than KMR, since I've never used KMR but the homemade recipe I have has worked fine for me.
1 cup whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. of sulfered molasses (not the kind in the grocery store, I found mine at the feed store)
The original recipe also called for 1 - 2 drops of liquid vitamins but that was too vague for me so I just didn't add any.
I fed this three times a day at least. As it's been posted placing one drop at a time on the kits mouth is how I did it. I used a 1cc syringe. After a day or two, they figure out the hard plastic thing has food in it and went for it with gusto. When I feed, I always have the kit wrapped in a bit of flannel, specially tucked under the wee chin, that way I can see how much hasn't gotten into the kit. I also gently wipe their little mouths and noses a lot. Any newborns here rarely drink more that 0.1cc - 0.3cc at a time.

My kits never had that full tummy, sausage roll look to them. They were on the scrawny side until they started eating on their own. I have found handfeeding was a nerve-shattering experience and I really felt overwhelmed but after the first few times, you get the 'knack' and realize the kit isn't going to shatter in your hands because you put a drop of formula on it's mouth. And, personally, reading what you wrote, I think you did really well for your first time. Unfortunately sometimes even with the best care, the kits won't make it.

Keep heart, trinityoaks, I've had absolutely clueless rabbits that failed miserably on their first and second litters and just sailed on to be great mommas the third and subsequent litters.
Marian