Why did she rip their LEGS OFF???

shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
G

GBov

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
2,616
Reaction score
63
Location
Cumbria, UK
Just found my REW New Zealand first time mum with her brand new litter scattered all over the cage. Found two heads, one set of back legs, one liver, one in the water dish in good condition but drowned, one very very chilled but still moving under the J-feeder and two still moving but with their front legs torn off and one with half its neck gone and the other with only one ear.....................

What is up with that?

Why one EARTH would she do that???

I think the intact one might make it, stuck it under my ample frontage to warm it up and have fostered it with a four day old litter and the other one is one the solar heater with a flannel over it to see if it didn't drown after all but I am really mystified by this new side to rabbits.
 
I am thinking there was something that spooked her. Rabbits will kill and eat their litter to "protect" it when they feel threatened by a predator. Either that, or maybe rats or some other predator like a raccoon or skunk got to them. They will pull parts thru the wire and eat whatever sticks out...
 
first time mom right?

the missing ear is over cleaning.
the missing limbs could be her issue, or could be a predator issue.
Could be a horrid first time mom big oopsie daisy.

Next litter will go better most likely. Rebreed her immediately.
 
Not seeing the actual damage, it's hard to say for certain, but recall that rabbits can't hold something in their paws to pull against it. Some mamas may eat their young (as they do placentas), but I think those young would have to be half dead already not to squirm away from it. Legs ripped off is EXACTLY what happened to 3 of Spot's babies, and I knew she didn't do it, because not only were the other 3 fine, but she'd raised another litter without incident, she was a good mother. After investigation, I realized a rat had crawled up the urine drain to get spilled pellets, and took the opportunity to yank off little legs protruding from the wire overhead. What is UNDER your rabbit's cage? If possible, raise them at least a foot above any standing area, higher if you might have raccoons or possums.
 
First time and inexperienced has a lot to do with it.
I had a similar kindle yesterday.

Sorry to hear about the horror, but yes you should rebreed her and try again.
 
Mice and rats, you will never know they are there until you find droppings or missing body parts of defenseless small animals.
If she was the one who did it, you can only hope nothing goes screwy next time.
 
Shall re-breed her tomorrow and have set the live trap (baited with the dead bunnies as well as with Live and Bait, two young quail. And dont panic, they live in a 'coon proof cage attached to the live trap lol) below the cages.

Her one surviving kit is with another doe but its going to have to work to live, its new litter mates are five days old and keep uncovering themselves so its not staying as warm as I would like.

My plan for the rabbit area is to totally wire the area in, like a car port with wire cage sides so they can all be cool in the heat but raccoon safe and the cats would live there too and keep teh rats out. But it all takes TIME and MONEY so its taking longer to do than I thought it would. :cry:
 
GBov":4xiabww4 said:
But it all takes TIME and MONEY so its taking longer to do than I thought it would. :cry:
Click to expand...

I hear you! Good luck, and here's hoping you catch the snatch monster who got the babies, and that it wasn't a bad mama after all!
 
dragonladyleanne":2caxlk0x said:
GBov":2caxlk0x said:
But it all takes TIME and MONEY so its taking longer to do than I thought it would. :cry:
Click to expand...

I hear you! Good luck, and here's hoping you catch the snatch monster who got the babies, and that it wasn't a bad mama after all!
Click to expand...

She hasnt been acting crazy and she had no blood on her and I have been having LOTS of 'coon trouble this fall so chances are, its another blasted raccoon.

The really strange thing is, with a REW doe and a REW buck, she had all blue kits!<br /><br />__________ Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:36 pm __________<br /><br />I really DONT want to start another day by mercy killing less than an hour old legless kits EVER AGAIN!!!

Really sad, really really sad thing to do.

But I am really glad I know how, it would have been so awful to not know what to do to stop their suffering.
 
Yes, if the suckers did it, I would catch that and stop that nonsense.
Really hope you can build your dream area, so it can deter the dirty rascals.


added: awe, blue kits...well if it happened, maybe it will happen again. Breed to same buck!
 
SelfFueled":y3pudosv said:
Yes, if the suckers did it, I would catch that and stop that nonsense.
Really hope you can build your dream area, so it can deter the dirty rascals.


added: awe, blue kits...well if it happened, maybe it will happen again. Breed to same buck!
Click to expand...

I wage a non stop war against raccoons but as all I ever manage to catch are young ones just let loose of mamma's apron strings, its a never ending battle. :evil:

As a full sized raccoon is just too big to fit into a raccoon live trap (yeh, go figure that one out :roll: ) I really need a coyote trap but they are soooooo bloody expensive!

New plan for my remaining wire is a home made, HUGE, live trap as my new duke's trap hasnt caught one yet.

And as I have two litter of blue NZ's right now, blue is not a color I am short on :lol:
 
as sad as it is, the kit is better off. any animal can adapt, but theres a point when you have to question quality of life and whoever ends up with it has to be willing to care for it too

I am glad my buns are in she shed now but the moment anything comes into my yard my dog lets me know. dont know if hed know what to do with a coon but i have a gun...and is anything i have a sharp shovel since i cant get away with shooting in town during day lol
 
GBov":3qdbmakp said:
SelfFueled":3qdbmakp said:
Yes, if the suckers did it, I would catch that and stop that nonsense.
Really hope you can build your dream area, so it can deter the dirty rascals.


added: awe, blue kits...well if it happened, maybe it will happen again. Breed to same buck!
Click to expand...

I wage a non stop war against raccoons but as all I ever manage to catch are young ones just let loose of mamma's apron strings, its a never ending battle. :evil:

As a full sized raccoon is just too big to fit into a raccoon live trap (yeh, go figure that one out :roll: ) I really need a coyote trap but they are soooooo bloody expensive!

New plan for my remaining wire is a home made, HUGE, live trap as my new duke's trap hasnt caught one yet.

And as I have two litter of blue NZ's right now, blue is not a color I am short on :lol:
Click to expand...

What about 1/2 inch hardware cloth for the rabbits?
 
Seems ears are often chewed. If only a little skin is missing some can grow up fine.
 
So sorry to hear about your kits. Hoping you get that nasty adult predator soon. Never knew that raccoons did this until I came here. Feel bad for your first time Mom.

Also sorry to hear you had to put down those kits so young. Know you raise rabbits for meat, but doing it that young, must be heart wrenching. But had to be done. Legless rabbits really don't fair well.

Karen
 
because you found a liver in the cage. It wasnt a rat. Rats cant get in a cage. THEY pull babies through the holes of the cage .. by the head or legs..So finding a liver isnt that. I think it is the rabbit eating them. These type of rabbit i dont keep.. You can try again but dont be surprise if she does it again or dont feed them ect.
If she didnt have a nesting box and had the babies ,,, she will do this to clean up the cage. But if there was a box. Not good.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2xjoosgy said:
because you found a liver in the cage. It wasnt a rat. Rats cant get in a cage. THEY pull babies through the holes of the cage .. by the head or legs..So finding a liver isnt that. I think it is the rabbit eating them. These type of rabbit i dont keep.. You can try again but dont be surprise if she does it again or dont feed them ect.
If she didnt have a nesting box and had the babies ,,, she will do this to clean up the cage. But if there was a box. Not good.
Click to expand...

Could the doe have killed her litter and eaten them if under a stressful situation due to predators? Just curious.

Karen
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2n9rltf6 said:
yes,, but all the signs are there leaning towards her doing it. I have had rabbits do this. With no rats or nothing around. It was the mother doing it. If she is a nervous mom she will do this also and some rabbits are not meant to be moms
Click to expand...

Thanks Mary Ann, appreciate you explaining.

Karen
 

Latest posts

Back
Top