they are on top of a tshirt and sweater. what do u do with the baby blanket?
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Julie&Bunnies
Well-Known Member
I lay them on part of the blanket and cover them lightly with the other half. They love to snuggle underneath the blanket.
Julie&Bunnies
Well-Known Member
They look seriously emaciated t/dehydrated to me. We have to figure out a way to get nourishment and hydration into them, or sadly, they won't survive much longer. The one in the center picture concerns me most.
They shouldn’t be hard to find. If she’s actively nursing there is usually no hair right around the nipples.
Squeaking is nothing wrong some kits make sounds even when they are fine.
It is hard to say from your photo I hardly see bellies on them.
If you can't find nipples on their mother maybe she doesn't have much milk, otherwise would be no problem finding them. Does she have enough water? What food is available for her? Vegetables, rolled oats, herbs?
It is really hard to tell what is on her back maybe some old wounds she is good looking and not underweight.
Honestly I never tried any replacement but I've heard that goat milk is good, make it warm, not hot and try, just be careful not too much at once so they can breath.
What else is in it besides goats milk? Is it fresh whole goat milk? If so, you can add a bit of heavy cream, warm it, and use an eye dropper. Go slow and keep them upright as you feed them. There are formulas on the internet...some add egg yolk to the formula. Ideally, colostrum should be added but it isn’t as easy to get.
I like the ratio recommended on this site. It's 3 parts powdered milk (they use kmr), 3 parts water, and 1 part heavy cream (not sweetened).
https://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
https://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
A doe would normally nurse 1-2 times per day. Because they will most likely take less, being hand fed, you may have to do it more often.
Julie&Bunnies
Well-Known Member
It's slow work at that age. As they get older, it will go faster.
Does nurse twice daily, about every twelve hours. However, their milk is far more nutritious than the canned milk and they are much better than we are at getting their tummies full. Does milk is designed to be metabolized slowly by the kits and to "stay with" them.
For their survival, it is vital that they be fed often, especially at this age. Every 2 hours would be ideal. Every 4 hours is the minimum, at least during waking hours. But they really should get a feeding at least once during the night as well.
This is because of the way their body works. If their stomach and subsequently their GI tract becomes empty and stops moving food/milk through their system, bad bacteria grows in their guts. This is especially true with hand fed babies that don't have their immune system their mother. They are far more fragile than kits fed by a mother, and the only way I have found to keep them alive is to keep them eating.
Does nurse twice daily, about every twelve hours. However, their milk is far more nutritious than the canned milk and they are much better than we are at getting their tummies full. Does milk is designed to be metabolized slowly by the kits and to "stay with" them.
For their survival, it is vital that they be fed often, especially at this age. Every 2 hours would be ideal. Every 4 hours is the minimum, at least during waking hours. But they really should get a feeding at least once during the night as well.
This is because of the way their body works. If their stomach and subsequently their GI tract becomes empty and stops moving food/milk through their system, bad bacteria grows in their guts. This is especially true with hand fed babies that don't have their immune system their mother. They are far more fragile than kits fed by a mother, and the only way I have found to keep them alive is to keep them eating.
Mariam+Theo
Well-Known Member
I hope they continue to do well. I suggest getting this milk replacer ASAP. If you read the review with the video the person says that their baby bunnies died 1 by 1 on goat milk. They later had more babies and they gave them this and all lived. https://www.amazon.com/Wombaroo-Rab...pY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1
Julie&Bunnies
Well-Known Member
Just remember, when you switch the babies to the new milk, do it gradually, not all at once. Give them 1/4 new milk, 3/4 old formula for 1 day or two, the next day 50/50, keep it 50/50 for a few days, then 3/4 new to 1/4 old, and finally, 100 new.
I cannot tell if the mother was feeding them or not but I would heartily suggest that you leave them in with the mother in case she does. The mother's milk cannot be replicated. A foster Doe would be best.
I cannot tell if the mother was feeding them or not but I would heartily suggest that you leave them in with the mother in case she does. The mother's milk cannot be replicated. A foster Doe would be best.
Of course she feeds them, you started this thread Friday and they would have no chance to survive that long without her feeding them. I personally don't see need to use replacements at all, what I meant by hand feeding was that you could try bringing them to their mothers belly a couple times a day to be sure and give them an extra chance, as in video I posted.
I had some weaker wrinkled kits and because others were stronger they had no chance to get their portion so I used this hand feeding and also removed fattest kits from nest for one-two feedings but that was just first few days after that they were strong enough, also if there's more than 6 kits or if mother looks exhausted sometimes I split kits and make sure weakest ones are warm and fed and get more milk than the fat ones. But I always take a very good care of mother she needs to be well fed, happy and relaxed and she will take care of her babies.
In your case you have mother and she feeds them generally, you just need to make sure she has everything to produce enough milk, maybe stimulate her by bringing kits to her belly, give additionally rolled oats, herbs etc, and she'll do the rest.
Your mother looks strong girl not skinny and all, she can do it herself.
In your photo actually was very hard to see bellies but honestly they didn't look that much wrinkled. Maybe you could post some new photo so we can see their bellies?
Good luck anyways please don't separate them from their mother.
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