Help please one litter, who's the mother?

[Pipp]

I'm confused. Do you trust the vet? I would think that both gave birth, especially if the daughter wants to nurse them. How badly were they fighting? Any chance of housing them together in a large space so they can get away from each other -- and the babies -- when needed and just sort out the 'mom' duties from there?

Who is doing the best job feeding them? I do think you need them inside until its sorted out.

sas

 

[grumpybabies]

No i don't trust the vet now!! Daughter was chasing mum and they were both running all over the nest so it scared me and they were in a five foot hutch so i have no where bigger to try them in. Mum seemed to be feeding them fine before i found out daughter had given birth as well, however there are a couple of babies that are skinny and one other seems to be fading and i'm trying to get anyone to feed her but it's not working so far. If she makes it until tonight i will be taking the stronger babies out of the nest and let the smaller 3 feed, but maybe i should try syringe feeding until then? It is that desperate for the one. What did everyone decide was the best replacement milk?

 

[Pipp]

Why isn't the separate feeding working? Are you holding the doe over the kit while giving her tiny treats?

I'm not a breeder, haven't had experience at all, but I think if she's given birth she needs to be feeding somebunny to keep her milk producing, so I'd definitely see how maybe the stronger kits will do with her and try the mom with the weaker ones.

Or just keep trying it with both. Get in extra feeding with the weaker ones with whoever will feed them.

I really think you have to do that right away and not do any hand feeding. Prognosis with replacement formula isn't anywhere near as good.


sas :clover:

 

[grumpybabies]

I will keep trying then with both mums. I like your idea of giving the new daughter the stronger babies, will do that, however i did just give KRM just to keep her alive until tonight when i'll give her and 2 other smaller ones the exclusive feed with mum, i'm not planning to hand feed for good but i really didn't think she'd make it until tonight without. As for how did i try with mum, i held her over, i tried to bribe her to sit over the nest, i found a nipple and put baby on it, and i held mum upside down and put baby on, but i think mum was too stressed to drop her milk. So the plan now is tonight put the stronger babies with the daughter to feed, leave the weaker ones with mum and hope for the best!

 

[grumpybabies]

Sorry about all the posts, i panic and i don't want anybunny hurt. So Runt is still holding on but she can't move properly just on her side, she can't crawl and her front bottom teeth stick out it's really weird. anyway i did what Pipp suggested and put the stronger ones with daughter and kept the weaker ones with mum, they are both with their babies, have a nest each because i didn't like keep moving the babies especially as i got bitten! So tonight i am going to keep a close eye on who gets fed and i hope daughter won't reject her four because she only fed them once last night at 7. Here are some pics, first the babies: The runt is the bottom pink one, also can someone give me an idea of the colour of the baby next to the runt?

Mum:

Daughter feeding:

And dad of daughter to give you a genetics plan:

Excuse the cages, i've done my back in and cleaning isn't easy!

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Mom looks like a broken magpie, dad is a sable, and the daughter looks like a sable point. Possibly

 

[grumpybabies]

That explains why to my untrained eye the runt looks like a magpie, however they are my total favourite colour so it's not fair if she doesn't make it, i've named her Felix because i had to give her KMR. What do you think the ears will turn out like?

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Does the daughter have white on her? I see so many broken colored babies that it makes me think at least them are the mothers.

The ears will probably be up or air plane. It looks like the mother has a tight crown, and if the wire of the babies is the buck shown he has up ears so I would think up ears.

 

[grumpybabies]

No white on daughter, when she was young she was kind of brown but then turned to that grey colour, so i think that will be like the baby next to the runt maybe? I've got a stack of magazines and now i am going to watch the rabbits until they feed like a weird rabbit stalker lol

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Haha, might be there a while. My guys normally feed around 7-9 am.

 

[grumpybabies]

Don't say that!!!