Help, my bunny gave birth, but there is no nest?
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woahlookitsme
Well-Known Member
are your bunnies inside or outside? You can pull fur from her belly area and mix it with hay to create a nest. We also put shavings in the bottom of the nest to absorb urine
You need to make a nest for her. Get a nestbox that is slightly larger than the mom rabbit, fill with hay, hollow it out and make a depression for the babies towards the back of the box, then try and pull some fur off of the moms belly to line the depression with and put the babies in the fur. If it is cold where you are, there needs to be plenty of fur for them to snuggle into to stay warm. If the babies are cold at all you will need to warm them up before putting them in the nest. You can use a warm pack but make sure they warm slowly, or you can hold them against your skin to warm them up. You will need to check them to make sure the mom is feeding them. She should feed them in the next 24 hours hopefully. They will have 'ping pong' bellies if she has fed them. You want to check them each day to ensure all the babies are being fed and doing alright.
woahlookitsme
Well-Known Member
is this a first time mom? Sometimes they just dont. Even seasoned moms will have that one odd quirk of not pulling fur. Us humans cant figure out why first timers dont do it other than they just dont know. It is okay for you to pull the fur. I notice my moms will pull theirs from their belly/groin area and on their hindquarters. Sometimes we have moms that almost go bald pulling so much fur. If you are going to have more litters in the future and one does that we take some of the fur away and keep it stored for those days when does dont pull fur.
You dont need to wear gloves when handling the babies. They are perfectly fine with bare hands. If mom is nervous about it we will give her a head rub before we go in for the babies but sometimes if mom is just being super protective I go straight for the box as quick as I can and pull it out before she comes. Mothers will not kill their babies because you touch them or get your smell on them. This is completely false
You dont need to wear gloves when handling the babies. They are perfectly fine with bare hands. If mom is nervous about it we will give her a head rub before we go in for the babies but sometimes if mom is just being super protective I go straight for the box as quick as I can and pull it out before she comes. Mothers will not kill their babies because you touch them or get your smell on them. This is completely false
Yes. its her first time, I got panic this morning because I am not expecting any babies and of course the mother didn't pull any fur. So I am think that it might be an accident or she herself is not expecting it. She only has three litters. She is an american fuzzy lop.
By the way I already pulled some fur but only a little. And can the kits get milk from its mother if she has a lot of fur froom the chest?
hank you for the reply. I appreciate it a lot.
By the way I already pulled some fur but only a little. And can the kits get milk from its mother if she has a lot of fur froom the chest?
hank you for the reply. I appreciate it a lot.
wendymac
Well-Known Member
You can tell if the kits have been fed by checking their bellies. They should be full (although if it's close to the next feeding, they might not be super plump) and the skin shouldn't be all wrinkly. Here's an article that shows kits with full tummies. http://www.welshrabbitry.com/birth.html
Back2Basics
Member
If you can get soft hay to put in the nest box, not the hay she eats. If it's too rough it'll scratch their sensitive skin.
Sue@TheRabbitTree
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Hi. Newbie here.
Was so relieved to see that this happened with someone else!
Happened recently with one of my does, her first. They seemed to be doing ok but all were dead by the next day. The doe completely ignored them. Except to cover with hay after they died.
She's been rebred and is due in about 10 days. I'm so hoping she treats the litter well this time.
Was so relieved to see that this happened with someone else!
Happened recently with one of my does, her first. They seemed to be doing ok but all were dead by the next day. The doe completely ignored them. Except to cover with hay after they died.
She's been rebred and is due in about 10 days. I'm so hoping she treats the litter well this time.
SydneyHasBunnies
Well-Known Member
I’m actually quite interested in that. Keep me updated because I’d love to hear about the new kits!
lillynrogers1119
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One of my rabbits just had 3 babies and one of them passed away already. She has a nest box but she didn't use it. She pulled out a little bit of hair and made somewhat of a nest but she didn't have the babies on it. I moved them to it but one froze... How do I keep them warm and alive?
If there isn't much fur you can supplement with dryer lint or cotton wool - or pluck some more from the doe, it should come off quite easily from the chest area. Make a good nest with hay, put the fur/sogft stuff in it , and cover the kits well.
If they are cool, you can take them under your sweater and hold them to your skin for half an hour to warm them up, or use a warm towel etc.
If the nest is outside you can take a plastic bottle with warm water(not too hot), put it in a towel (or into some socks if it's a rather small bottle and put it in one side of the nestbox, or under it. I use electric heating elements under one corner of the nestbox, the kits will wiggle to and fro to stay in their comfort zone.
The bottle wont last long, so if it is cold outside you can take the whole nestbox in to a warm place and return it twice a day for feeding. But most important is a well insulated nest.
If they are cool, you can take them under your sweater and hold them to your skin for half an hour to warm them up, or use a warm towel etc.
If the nest is outside you can take a plastic bottle with warm water(not too hot), put it in a towel (or into some socks if it's a rather small bottle and put it in one side of the nestbox, or under it. I use electric heating elements under one corner of the nestbox, the kits will wiggle to and fro to stay in their comfort zone.
The bottle wont last long, so if it is cold outside you can take the whole nestbox in to a warm place and return it twice a day for feeding. But most important is a well insulated nest.
melanie415
Member
Hi. I got a question. My doe started lining her nest with a lot of hay a few days before her due date. She prepared it with just hay and stopped nesting. Does she continue to nest more once she is about to give birth?
Please start a new thread so more people can see and respond to it. The Rabbitry and Show Room forum is where breeding and babies are discussed. Thanks.
RabbitGirl2020
New Member
My flemish giant had babies less than four days ago and she did not nest with her hair or hay like the rest of my rabbits do. Should I be concerned?
Make sure the kits are able to stay warm. I would make a nest out of fine hay, with an insulation underneath (folded cloth etc.),. You can use rabbit fur from brushing for better insulation, I've read about dryer lint being used but never tried that myself - I always keep a stock of rabbit fur. There is even a product out there, named Kit Saver or so for that purpose.
If it's a big litter, indoors, and in the nestbox a comfy nest made from fine hay should do the job.
If the kits don't stay warm their digestion doesn't work right, and that can lead to problems.
Personally, I would count something like that as strike one. It can be just a fluke, maybe she was distracted or something and does it ok next time, but if it persists due to bad instincts I would not keep her offspring for breeding.
If it's a big litter, indoors, and in the nestbox a comfy nest made from fine hay should do the job.
If the kits don't stay warm their digestion doesn't work right, and that can lead to problems.
Personally, I would count something like that as strike one. It can be just a fluke, maybe she was distracted or something and does it ok next time, but if it persists due to bad instincts I would not keep her offspring for breeding.
This is a very old thread. Please start a new thread to continue this discussion.
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/how-to-post-on-the-forum.92892/
RabbitGirl2020
New Member
Thank you, that helped a lot!
RabbitGirl2020
New Member
My Flemish giants hade babies and all the babies died except for two. The moms didn’t look like they were feeding them and would eat them. I am feeding the two goat milk with a syringe. Is there anything else I need to know to keep the two alive?
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