ASAP ADVICE NEEDED!!!!

[beckz]

ive got 8 baby rabbits born yesterday afternoon...went out there this morning and looks like mum hasnt fed them, instantly you take the fur from on top of them and the squirm about really quickly and bellys wrinkly...advice given on here last night was to wrap a baby in a towel and try and place under mum to feed...tried this and mum seemed scared and wouldnt keep still so placed baby back...ive rung local vets who said i can get formula from them about £13, and syringes for £2.80...they said they need to be fed every 2 hours?...is this right as mum only feeds once maybe twice if she did feed them?...also if i was to do this i would need to bring them inside, what should i keep them in?...then how long do i keep this up for?...advice plz asap!!!!

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Did you try to keep mum content with a treat or something whilst the kits were trying to feed? You really need to avoid hand rearing with everything you can. Have you made sure mum is producing milk?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Yes, give her a salad or treat and put them under her quickly.

 

[beckz]

Luv-bunniz wrote:

Did you try to keep mum content with a treat or something whilst the kits were trying to feed? You really need to avoid hand rearing with everything you can. Have you made sure mum is producing milk?

yes i did, i gave her a carrot aswell as me stroking her...how do i know shes producing milk though???..i looked at her teats and they are quite small and very white....

 

[beckz]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Yes, give her a salad or treat and put them under her quickly.

i have to do this 1 by 1 as there are 8 to feed, so can only hold 1 at a time...so you can imagine its hard keeping mum happy for that amount of time! :nerves1

 

[Bo B Bunny]

How long ago were they born?

 

[Luv-bunniz]

If she is producing milk her teats will look slightly swollen, but should be.

beckz wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Yes, give her a salad or treat and put them under her quickly.

i have to do this 1 by 1 as there are 8 to feed, so can only hold 1 at a time...so you can imagine its hard keeping mum happy for that amount of time! :nerves1

Put the kits in a tray, keep the mum contented and slide the whole tray under her. You dont need to hold the kits.

 

[beckz]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

How long ago were they born?

Yesterday afternoon...

 

[beckz]

Luv-bunniz wrote:

If she is producing milk her teats will look slightly swollen, but should be.

beckz wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Yes, give her a salad or treat and put them under her quickly.

i have to do this 1 by 1 as there are 8 to feed, so can only hold 1 at a time...so you can imagine its hard keeping mum happy for that amount of time! :nerves1

Put the kits in a tray, keep the mum contented and slide the whole tray under her. You dont need to hold the kits.

ok will try this...but mum isnt the easiest of rabbits...shes a bit stroppy...

 

[pamnock]

beckz wrote:

mum is producing milk?
yes i did, i gave her a carrot aswell as me stroking her...how do i know shes producing milk though???..i looked at her teats and they are quite small and very white....

Mum will be producing colostrum for the first few days and won't really start filling up with milk until then. It's not unusual for teats to appear small and white. It may also be difficult to hand express any milk if the "let down" reflex hasn't kicked in.

I put the doe on my lap (on a towel) and give her a little treat, placing babies underneath. It's important for the doe to be relaxed in order for the milk to let down.

If she's too nervous on your lap, try blocking off part of her cage for a short time to encourage her to go in the nest and feed. Does only feed 1-2 x per day, so it is possible that she's feeding them on her own.

Pam

 

[beckz]

pamnock wrote:

beckz wrote:

mum is producing milk?
yes i did, i gave her a carrot aswell as me stroking her...how do i know shes producing milk though???..i looked at her teats and they are quite small and very white....

Mum will be producing colostrum for the first few days and won't really start filling up with milk until then. It's not unusual for teats to appear small and white. It may also be difficult to hand express any milk if the "let down" reflex hasn't kicked in.

I put the doe on my lap (on a towel) and give her a little treat, placing babies underneath. It's important for the doe to be relaxed in order for the milk to let down.

If she's too nervous on your lap, try blocking off part of her cage for a short time to encourage her to go in the nest and feed. Does only feed 1-2 x per day, so it is possible that she's feeding them on her own.

Pam

ok ill try placing her on my lap and doing it that way...im on my own till later as i really need a hand, so cant try this till later...when i checked the babies this morning there bellys wasnt round just wrinkly so that shows they arent being fed...im getting some milk formula for them from the vets and syringes incase i have to intervene...my vet will show me how much to give...how long can the babies go without being fed?

 

[beckz]

how long can babies go without being fed??? it looks like they havnt been fed since theyve been born yesterday afternoon?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I think the breeders say within the first 24 hours they should feed.

Do the tray thing like she said.

If you have to, get someone else to help. Hold mom with both hands if you need to (lay her to her side) and have someone else put the kits there.

I'm not great at this, but I have seen other people ask similar things and the breeders give that as an idea.

 

[beckz]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

I think the breeders say within the first 24 hours they should feed.

Do the tray thing like she said.

If you have to, get someone else to help. Hold mom with both hands if you need to (lay her to her side) and have someone else put the kits there.

I'm not great at this, but I have seen other people ask similar things and the breeders give that as an idea.

ok...she is so hard to hold as shes very large you see bigger than the male(french lop)...shes already scratched me alot today...but ill try again.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Don't be afraid to be a bit firm...... I would hold her flat on her side .... one hand to her rump area and one at her shoulder and head area.

If you can get her going, she might start feeding them on her own in a day or two.

I have to go to work, but there will be others on soon - and breeders likely.

Good luck!! *take a camera* LOL!

 

[pamnock]

I wouldn't hold the doe flat on her side because it's not a normal nursing position for her or the babies. It may also additionally stress her and may prevent her milk from letting down. Without that reflex kicking in, the babies will not be able to get any milk.

Pam

 

[BlueGiants]

It's not unheard offor a doe's milk to not come in for 24 hours. As long as the babies are warm, they can go for a day without feeding. Don't be in a rush to give a Milk Replacement. It is a last ditch effort to keep tham alive. Mothers milk is still the best.

If she hasn't fed them by tonight, (and she won't sit on your lap), take out the nest box and the babies. Make sure the babies are at the front of the box (not buried all the way in the back). Place momma in the box facing outwards so you can gently hold her head. Stroke her head and ears, see if you can relax her, give her small pieces of parsley or other treats. And see if you can get her to sit on (or hold her on) the babies for 4-5 minutes. Repeat tomorrow morning.

Sometimes they just need a little encouragement to feed... and once they feel the pressure released from the babies nursing, they tend to be more willing to nurse.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

pamnock wrote:

I wouldn't hold the doe flat on her side because it's not a normal nursing position for her or the babies. It may also additionally stress her and may prevent her milk from letting down. Without that reflex kicking in, the babies will not be able to get any milk.

Pam

SEE! I'm an idiot..... I think of a cat or dog..... but I have heard of doing it that way...... but I trust pamnock....... and BlueGiants...

I did find where I had seen that...... only it was to trance them and do it.......

just trying to help! :cry1:Sorry...

 

[bunnybunbunb]

WhatI did when I had to raise a litter I kept the babies in a small box just big enough for mom to fit in. 1-2 times a day i put mom in the box and held her where she could NOT move. You sometimes have to be firm and I have found they will drop their milk anyway. Hold the bum so she can not kick and keep your other hand over her face or stroke it. Treats may not work. I found after the first week of this the doe willingly sit in the box for treat without me touching her. I did this with two diffrent does and all went great. The babies will stop sucking when they are full or tired.

The whole lay on the side or flip on the back never worked for me. Also if you try and feed only one baby at a time it does not work great either.I find the babies need each other's wiggling to keep going.

 

[gentle giants]

I always discourage people from trying to hand-feed baby rabbits, your odds of managing it are slim. It is very easy for the babies to aspirate the milk, which is fatal.

LIke Pam said, have all the babies together in the nestbox, put mama in there and feed her treats while the babies nurse. It will only take them a very short time to get full, only a matter of a couple of minutes. You will most likely only need to do this for a couple of days, and she will take over and do it herself just fine.