Does starving babies

[lilangelhotots]

I am just about to give up.My does starve their babies and I'm clueless as to why. The first of this year I had a Polish doe that had two litters, she had live, normal sized-healthy looking babies both times. Four days after giving birth, they died-they were so thin so I'm positive it was from her not feeding them. I figured that she would never be a good brood doe so I sold her as a pet. We purchased some Jersey Woolies over the summer and had a litter in october. It was a maiden doe, her first litter, had one live, healthy baby. She too starved it.

....So I bought a proven brood doe, she's had at least one successful liter that I was told about. She gave birth yesterday at around 6:00am. I checked the nestbox right after she was done to get any dead kits out, ect. I have left her alone completely since yesterday. Now, checked on her just now and the nestbox is exactly the way it was yesterday-no hair was moved. I took a quick peek at the babies and they are thin and acting very hungry. What do I do??? I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong! The doe has full feed and is in a quiet place, I'm not messing with her at all,she just isn't paying any attention to her kits. :tears2:Shouldn't she have fed them already? They are 32 hours old.

 

[polly]

Do you think you could step in and hold her over her kits to let them feed from her? AT least this way you would know they had something. or give her a treat and see if you can get them under her to feed.

It seems strange that it keeps reoccurring with different does. Maybe a good one to ask Pam about or Kathy (blue giants)

sorry I can't be of more help

 

[lilangelhotots]

Thanks Polly. I agree, somethings not right. I feed Purina show chow(blue bag), they have quality timothy/grass hay every other day, Cages are cleaned everyother day and they are groomed daily. I mean these bunnies are well cared for and seem very content. I don't get it.:cry1:sorry, so many disappointmentsare getting to me.

 

[irishbunny]

There is probably something that is making them do this, the hard thing now is trying to figure is out!

 

[polly]

awww hon sending :hug: Does your doe feel like her milk has coem through ok? thats only thing I can think of that she hasn't fed is that her milk isn't through fo some reason especially if she should know what to do if she has had a litter before

keep us updated

 

[lilangelhotots]

Just checked on them, still the nestbox is untouched.I haven't gotten the kits out, I'm trying to let them conserve their energy. You know her mammary glands are really swollen but nothing is expressed. The other doe was like this too. It's so odd because when I had Dwarf Hotots, I could litterally milk the babies a bottle-lol. Well not really, but I could express milk-they were fantastic moms-always in the nestbox to check on babies and feed them. I just haven't had any luck with jersey woolies apparently. *sigh* thanks for caring and taking the time to reply.

 

[polly]

I think sometimes the teats can be a bit blocked Bruce has squeazed them a little bit to unblock it though usually teh babies do that themselves. I would go for it get the babies under her to feed if its much longer then they won't have the energy also not sure on this but I am sure somewhere I heard you really want them to suckle with in the first 36 hours.

Good luck hon let me know how you get on :hug:

 

[Nan5634]

I have heard that some does just don't make good mothers. Maybe try feeding the babies yourself?

 

[aurora369]

Feeding the babies by hand is extremely risky, and should be avoided as much as possible. Many babies that are hand fed do not survive, and many die mysteriously at a young age if they make it through infancy.

If the mother is producing milk, the babies should be fed off of the mom. I have successfully taught a mother how to nurse her babies. She was not really feeding them because she was scared, she had been turned into the shelter and was extremely scared. When I took her from the shelter, she hadn't fed the babies for a couple days and they had been hand supplementing the babies.

I took mom and placed her over the babies 2-3 times a day. I petted her head and gave her some treats while she was feeding. After about 3 days she started feeding them on her own with out my prompting.

If you hand supplement the babies, they can become disinterested in nursing from mom. They will be full and not as eager to nurse.

If mom will not allow the babies to nurse from below her. You can try flipping her over and holding one baby at a time to her nipples. This was is much more stressful for mom, and more dangerous for babies. If mom wiggles or kicks, the babies can go flying, so you have to keep a hand over them at all times. It's best to try this method with two people, one to hold mom and one to hold the babies.

--Dawn

 

[lilangelhotots]

Thank you all for your responses. Just wanted to give an update! I *think* she may be feeding the kit, the peanut kit died today, so we just have a singleton now.Anyhow, I think she's been in the box only because the hay looks flattened and the hair is kinda 'balled' together, it's just different from yesterday. I took a peek at the kit and he is really big and a strong little guy/girl!I couldn't stop smiling knowing that she had possibly fed her baby. I've prayed for this little miracle baby to make it and so far he's doing fine. It also looks like God is going to be gracious and give us spring like weather for the next two days...enough for this baby to get stronger and some fur.

Please, Please do send a little prayer for this baby to make it...if he/she can make it a week from now, I will be so relieved!!

Pictures of our little miracle tomorrow....Each day is a milestone for this baby, we're just taking it day by day.

Here's some pictures of Zita after giving birth:

http://4kingsrabbitry.smugmug.com/photos/442526114_arVdx-M.jpg
http://4kingsrabbitry.smugmug.com/photos/442526123_ALgZC-M.jpg

Mom (Zita):
http://4kingsrabbitry.smugmug.com/photos/420053523_8UrBH-M.jpg

Dad (Thor):
http://4kingsrabbitry.smugmug.com/photos/421543142_7Yy9j-M.jpg

Edit to add....Dawn, Thanks for the advice onfeeding the little kit, I did try letting it nurse yesterday evening but Zita went crazy and nearlybit the baby, so I turned her over which onlystarted a struggle fight. I was so frustrated with her I just put the kit back and hoped for the best. Iwill remember this though and ifwe have another doe with this issue I'll try it again. Anything is better than nothing. Thankseverybody! Please keep fingers crossed.