Help!!! I have 7 baby bunnies not sure if they are getting fed

[smpratte]

Alright the title and description says it all really, I have 7 newborn baby bunnies that I need help as soon as possible figuring out if the mom is feeding them. They were born two nights ago and I can not tell if they are being fed by the mom because if it is happening its happening when i am asleep.

If anyone could give me any advice I would appreciate it tremendously, and the more detail the better.

 

[Flashy]

Have you looked at the babies? If they have been fed they will look like they have swallowed ping pong balls.

Mum will only feed them once or twice a day and she will just stand over them for 5 or so minutes and that will be it.

I'm also going to move this to the Rabbitry forum so you get some more specialised help.

Welcome to the forum

 

[smpratte]

thank you that is very helpful, and no they do not look swollen, they look like they did the day before so i guess they are not being fed yet. I have a heating pad on top of the cage so they stay toasty but as of now i have not seen any growth in their stomachs :nerves1

 

[Flashy]

Ok, have you fully checked the nest and all the babies? Are they in a nest box?

How is the mum acting? Is this her first litter? How old is she?

You can help her feed.

The first way is to try standing her over the nest, keep her relaxed, feed her treats and hopefully the kits will come and feed from her.

If that doesn't work then try with someones help to hold her and then hold each kit up to her in turn.

It may be she doesn't know what to do, or she may not have mothering instincts, or she may not be getting her milk come in. Hopefully you can help her feed though.

 

[smpratte]

thank you for that as well, yes they are in a nest box that i made, and i have the heating pad so they stay warm along with a towel cotton and bedding. I was thinking of holding her over them which i will try.

If that does not work should i consider using the formula from the stores?

 

[Flashy]

Do everything you can to get her to feed before feeding them formula because that has such a low success rate and no formula really gives them all they need.

Whereabouts is the heating pad?

Do you have hay in the nest box? The towel can sometimes cause them to wriggle and get separated and lost and not able to find their way back so be aware of that.

 

[smpratte]

I have a bit of hay in there, most of my timothy hey is sharp so i just have some small softer pieces and they are all cuddled up right now, and have not strayed too far off. I will try to get her to feed though, and put the formula as a last resort.

 

[Flashy]

Have you already got formula? If you have, what have you got?

 

[smpratte]

No i have not yet, i went to petsmart yesterday and asked the worker who specializes in rabbits, and she did not know much but recomended the only formula they really had for bunnies which was generic and for smaller animals, i dont remember the name i was too busy thinking about how much time i wasted with the worker.

 

[Flashy]

I would suggest scrolling through this thread http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=47887&forum_id=8&highlight=puppy+formula and reading the replies, paying extra attention to ra7751's post.

 

[BSAR]

If she just had themvery recently, within a couple days,than she may not feed them right away. Some mommas won't get their milk in until a day or two after having the babies.

 

[smpratte]

ah okay thank you flashy for all your help it is much appreciated, and thank you bsar for that comment it puts me at ease for now

 

[BlueGiants]

If the babies are in a nestbox, and it is not freezing out, they do not need a heating pad. If they get too warm, they might not eat and the mother may not be willing to enter the nest. I'd remove the heating pad.

It can take 48 hours for a does milk to drop (come in). If you want to see if she is feeding them, remove the nestbox from the cage at night and put the babies someplace safe. Bring the nestbox back to her in the morning and see if she jumps in to check them. She should feed them right away.

If the babies have not been fed within 48 hours of birth, they will appear to be shriveled and wrinkled... their skin will look loose. Then you will need to supplement. If they look smooth and sleek, they are getting fed.

 

[murph72]

I absolutely agree with everything Blue Giants has told you. The only thing I want to add is that most does will feed their young. They will often do so when you are not around. This is quite normal. I have several does that I have never seen nursing, but I know that they do because their babies thrive.

Have patience with her. You'll be able to see their bellies are a bit round after they eat. Unless they are shriveled up, as Blue Giants also described, you don't have much to worry about. Most does will nurse in the morning and at night. Many of my does will wait until dark or right before. I give them a treat in the evening and many of them will wait until after the treat to feed. I've also noticed them feeding only when I returned some time later. Some look like they're caught when you find them in the nest. It's neat to see their instinctual like a wild animal.

If it makes you feel any better, I've never had a single doe not feed her young. Not one. Relax a bit and let her do her job.

 

[pamnock]

BSAR wrote:

If she just had themvery recently, within a couple days,than she may not feed them right away. Some mommas won't get their milk in until a day or two after having the babies.

The babies nurse very soon after birth - the colostrum is in at this time. The normal milk supply comes in a couple days after giving birth.

Pam

 

[smpratte]

thank you and i did hold her over the babies and them eventually held her laying down and she stayed there and all seven got to feed. I am concerned though because her attitude is as if they are not even in the cage. The nest that i made is out of a cardboard box 12x8 and i just put a small towel with cotton and bedding with some of her fur.

She walks in there and does not notice them, she usually just takes the cotton to add to her nest that she has made for herself on the opposite end of the cage. I am thinking that i might just take the babies out and just remove her when they should feed, because her behavior seems to show that she does not know they are there.

if anyone could give me advice on this i would appreciate it, i am sorry if this is annoying but i am worried because i have never had babies, and did not even know how/when she got pregnant, but i might remove the babies and just keep them in their nest box is this a good idea? Even if she does not aknowledge their presence at times?

 

[Flashy]

That is normal for her to ignore them a lot of the time. It goes back to being in the wild and how she doesn't want to draw prey to her young.

 

[smpratte]

ahh okay so then i should keep them in there? what if she walks on them at times, or at least very close to them? if it was a week later i would not worry but they are still too young with no fur

 

[BlueGiants]

If she is building a nest in another part of the cage, try putting the nestbox in that spot. Lift up all the material she put down, put the nestbox in that spot and put her material at the front of the box. She may just prefer that spot.

In nature, the doe will feed early in the morning, then leave the babies alone all day. This is to prevent any predators from following her scent to the nest and endangering the babies. Then she will return again at night. It's really for their protection.

She will not reject them if you touch them or move them. Did she have them in the nestbox or did you put them there? She may just prefer the babies in a different spot. Leave them in the box until they are at least 2 weeks old. It's really better for them.

 

[BSAR]

pamnock wrote:

BSAR wrote:

If she just had themvery recently, within a couple days,than she may not feed them right away. Some mommas won't get their milk in until a day or two after having the babies.

The babies nurse very soon after birth - the colostrum is in at this time. The normal milk supply comes in a couple days after giving birth.

Pam

Yes that is what I meant. Just as Blue Giants said.