Help please!

[ChristyTide]

I hope this is the right forum to post, I just signed up for this site. My situation is I bought 3 rabbits from the pet store and was told they were all girls. Well turned out 1 is a male. After my first female had her babies 4 weeks ago, I seperated them. Well my 2nd female had her little 3 weeks after the first one did and she had 8. All have died except 1. She shows no interest in the baby anymore. The baby is always cold and does not have a full belly. I have tried bottle feeding the baby and it does not take it very well, I have even tried putting the baby with the other mom and I don't think she is getting fed that way either. I have searched everywhere online on what I can do and came across a youtube video where they have the mom on its back and held the baby on the nipples and let him suck that way. Should I try this, is this safe for the momma? Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

That's my only suggestion.

 

[missyscove]

I moved your thread to our rabbitry where our breeders may be able to give you some advice. In the meantime, this thread may help you out.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f23/feeding-orphaned-bunnies-those-who-need-supplemental-formula-52399/

I have heard of holding mom on her back or of holding mom over the nestbox if she's calm enough. Hopefully someone more experienced will chime in soon.

 

[ladysown]

a cold baby rabbit does not have energy to drink OR to digest food. FIRST you need to get that kit good and warm. Popping it in the litter with the others will help it stay warm IF (at three weeks older) they are still in the nest.

The easiest feeding will probably be using the older doe and just removing her kits for one feeding. At three weeks of age they will survive just fine without nursing as long as they are started on solids.

 

[majorv]

Agree that you need to warm up the baby. The first Mom is probably close to weanng her litter, but if you can't get the baby's mom to nurse it then try the other mom again. You can try putting the doe on her back and see if the baby will nurse. Moms naturally stand over their kits and the babies are on their backs. Doing it that way, though, can be dangerous if you don't know how the doe will react. If the lone kit is about 3 weeks then you could let the kit nibble on hay. By 3 weeks kits are usually nibbling on pellets, and you could supplement with KMR (kitten milk replacer).

 

[ChristyTide]

Thank you. I have the kit with the other doe, been with her since yesterday and no change in the baby. The baby is a week old. The doe she is with, her litter is 3 weeks old.

 

[ladysown]

if the baby is a week old and still alive is probably doing fine. Won't be as strong if didn't have competition of older kits, but give it time, it should come along.