Fader baby? Please help!

[jubidyjub]

One of my does had her first litter of four (jersey woolies) 3 1/2 weeks ago.

They're coming along great and she's such a great mom. Since last Saturday I've noticed that one isn't do as great as the others.

One of the babies is half as small the biggest one. He acts completely normal; she's just really small. I've been keeping tabs on their weights and he's still gaining weight at the same pace as the others. He's also pretty bony.

Is there anything I should do? I am limiting their pellets but giving lots of hay...

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

They should have access to as many pellets as they want. They won't be eating lots, but will take nibbles - but pellets should not be limited at this age.

The baby you described kind of sounds like a peanut, but it's kind of rare for them to make it to this age...

Emily

 

[jubidyjub]

http://njwrc.net/articles/wasters.html

Read that article. I know that it is not a peanut because the sire is a false dwarf (He's been bred many times to true dwarfs and produced no peanuts)

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Just because the buck has produced no other peanuts, does not mean he doesn't carry the dwarf gene. It could be that the baby is a peanut.
But the article does make it sound like you have a fader. I don't think there's much you can do - most likely he will pass on.

Emily

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

The easiest thing to do is to hand feed it some Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR). Some people on here will say that you need to use the puppy one but I have no experience with the puppy one. I have been using the KMR for 18 years now with no problems.

I am currently hand feeding a litter of Dutch cause the mother stopped producing milk when the babies were 10 days old.

I would not restrict pellets at all for babies. A lot of the time the babies drop the pellets through the wire. I full feed all my litters as soon as they are old enough to nibble on the pellets. Once I wean them I keep a watchful eye to see how much they are eating so as to not let the food get old.

You can also try some oatmeal...the kind with the Quaker guy on the container. Get the regular one, not the instant.

The most beneficial for the little guy at this point is the KMR though. Put it in an eye dropper and let him lick it. Take care not to let him aspirate it though.

Can you post a pic of him?

Sharon

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

BlueSkyAcresRabbitry wrote:

Just because the buck has produced no other peanuts, does not mean he doesn't carry the dwarf gene. It could be that the baby is a peanut.
But the article does make it sound like you have a fader. I don't think there's much you can do - most likely he will pass on.

Emily

You are right Emily, just because he hasn't produced one doesn't mean he is can't...but, if you have ever seen a false-dwarfed Jersey Wooly then you will know that there is no mistaking them. They have LONG bodies, and LONG ears and weigh no less than 4 pounds... They really are HUGE!!!

I disagree about fader issue though. There is always something you can do for a fader. Sometimes the baby can't be saved but that is not true for all faders. I have saved many.

Sharon

 

[jubidyjub]

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s129/jubidyjub/Photo13.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s129/jubidyjub/Photo12.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s129/jubidyjub/Photo11.jpg

sorry about quality. They were taken with a web cam.

He doesn't look like a peanut (at least not the ones I've seen)

I don't have any pics of the sire although he is long in body and long eared and on the bigger side (though still showable) the dam is my profile pic

 

[fuzz16]

does he seem healthy other than his size?
it could just be he is a bit smaller than his siblings

if he was a peanut he would be dead by now.

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

fuzz16 wrote:

if he was a peanut he would be dead by now.

Not necessarily, I had one live to be 6 weeks.

Sharon

 

[jubidyjub]

http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/micro.htm

here's one that live over a year...

yeah I'd be 99% sure he's not a peanut

 

[grumpybabies]

I've had exactly the same thing with a litter, i was thinking of posting here about it but i had no internet at the time. I had a small rabbit that i noticed was very bony compared to his 5 siblings at about 6 weeks as they were all pretty small anyway, i panicked and took him to the vets and he said as long as he is eating drinking and toiletting then justkeep an eye on him, and he is now 11 weeks old, half the size of his biggest brother and prob about 3/4lb in weight but he is fine and he's my baby!