I just had babies!

[Myia09]

So the confusion of Chewy being pregnant is over...

she had babies! She started pulling fur and had babies.

She had six, but one died. One other is very small. I am very worried..

However, all are super warm and seemed to be fed (even the runt)

PLEASE tell me any advice..this is a accident breeding (Chewy wasn't supposed to be a girl)

Bellies seem full..her nipples are very prominent.

I took some photos so you could see. There is no actual box..I tried giving her one but she made the nest next to it...

How long does it take for them to grow fur and hop around?

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

EEEEKKK Babies. There so cute.

 

[TinysMom]

I am moving this to the rabbitry so that breeders can help you.

I would put them in the nestbox now - she'll feed them in there once she gets used to the idea (most likely). The smallest one could be a runt or a peanut - you can try to put it with her for extra feedings - I've had runts make it several times with litters as long as they got extra feedings those first few days to help them catch up.

These are pictures of babies that have been well-fed so you know what you'll be looking for:

Congrats on the litter - they'll be opening their eyes in about 2 weeks - maybe a bit less - and then the FUN begins!

 

[Myia09]

Those are a lot fatter than mine. How do I tell if she is ignoring them? I tried turning her over to feed and she wouldn't

 

[TinysMom]

She will feed them once or twice a day when you're not around - usually in the middle of the night so she can have privacy. If she just had them today - she'll probably be feeding them sometime in the next 12 hours or so - so that is what you want to see them looking like tomorrow.

 

[Nela]

How cute! Mmmm might I make the suggestion to make that cage safer though? Am I right that I am seeing NIC panels? The babies will be able to pass through the openings soon enough so you won't want them scattered about. I found that out myself with my foster litter. Lol. As for the rest I will let the more experienced people guide you :rose: Congrats on the sweet babes

 

[Pipp]

Myia09 wrote:

Those are a lot fatter than mine. How do I tell if she is ignoring them? I tried turning her over to feed and she wouldn't

You don't want to turn her over, you want to hold her upright over the kit. You can give her a treat to calm her down while you're holding her.

Cute babies!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Definitely move them into a nestbox NOW! They have no fur when they're born (as I'm sure you noticed) and they generate and keep body heat by snuggling against other bodies as well as burrowing in their bed of (usually) hay and fur. If they are left alone like that, they will probably all crawl away from each other and you'll start losing one by one because they can't keep warm.

A shoebox or small rubbermain storage bin should be fine for the doe, depending on her size. Put lots of hay and shavings in the bottom. Then at the back of the box, punch a hole into the materials and place the babies down into this dip you made. Put the fur she pulled over the babies. If it doesn't cover them, you can pull some more fur from her belly or dewlap, it should come out easily. This will help contain the babies and will keep them warm until they can grow fur and go out on their own.

 

[BlueGiants]

I would pick up all the babies and all the fur she pulled and put it all in the nest box. Put the nestbox where she delivered them. She will find them and she will nurse them. A mother's intinct to care for the babies is much stronger than new smells. If you don't putthem in a box, someone (especially the runt) may miss a meal by crawling off or getting pushed away.

As Pipp said, don't turn Chewy over to nurse the babies. If you think she is not feeding them, Put her OVER the babies and let them suckle. I find parsley or small pieces of Cheerios works well as a treat to distract her.

But please wait a day before you try to intervene. No sense stressing out Chewy... It can take 12-24 hours for a does milk to come in (especially for a first time mom.) And a lot of does will not nurse if someone is watching... the best thing to do is make sure the babies are safe and warm (in the box) and leave them be until tonight. Check their bellies tonight and see if they look a little plump. By tomorrow morning, they should look better.

Their eyes won't open until they are 10-12 days old. They will have baby fur in a day or so. (They already have some, it's just very fine.) They will start crawling around in the next few days, but actual hopping will come around 3 weeks of age.

 

[Myia09]

I already did the whole nest box thing, I had made one a long time ago thinking she would be expecting.
They are still warm, but the same size. They dont' look skinny, but def not as big as the ones in the photos.

One of the babies crawled out of the nest box, and she coverd him with more fur lol. I put him back in with the others however.

 

[BlueGiants]

Make sure the nest box has sides high enough that the babies can't crawl out. Chewy can hop over the sides to get in and out, but you have to keep the babies together. If they get chilled, they can not digest their food (milk) and leaves them open to a whole host of problems.

Glad to hear they are doing OK so far. They will probably resemble the babies in the picture with a day or so... it takes time for Chewy's milk to come in full enough to meet the demand from the babies.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Keep in mind that in a larger litter (4+ kits), they will be less fat and filled out than a litter with 1-3 kits. So don't worry too much about their belly size. As long as they look well filled out and the skin is tight (not floppy and baggy), they are eating well.

 

[Myia09]

Update:
All babies have passed away. She was not lactating. I took her to the vet with babies, and my vet told me there was nothing I could do. I tried supplement feeding and it was no use, as it seems she would uncover the babies and in the morning I would find them cold. I am very sad about it
I thought about trying again in a while as my vet told me she should lactate next time as I got real attached to the idea of babies and I had homes for all of them, but I probably wont.

 

[BlueGiants]

I am so sorry. I know how hard that is to lose them... you have my sympathy.

 

[irishbunny]

I'm really sorry about the babies Chewy has a bit of head tilt right? I wonder if it's dangerous to breed her because of that?

 

[Myia09]

Not anymore irishbunny, she had a one but now it is completley gone, as the vet said it was probably due to a back problem that has cleard up (Yet still no x rays have been referred...)
But this was a accidental breeding, and I am sure I don't want to do it again just because I don't think I could lose another litter

 

[Blaze_Amita]

aw, I'm sorry. I hate loosing kits, it's just so depressing.
Hang in there.

 

[Silver Star Rabbitry]

So sorry about the litter.
How old were they? Newborn kits can go 3 days without being fed. If they were younger than that there was probably just something wrong with them.

Emily

 

[Wabbitdad12]

I am so sorry.

 

[Myia09]

Well, two died within the first 3 days of birth, then one died I believe on the fifth day, and on the sixth day the rest passed away.

And I was SO excited to have babies..and to see what the heck they would look like (Father is a REW Netherland dwarf, mom a Tort Lionhead) and we even had a little black sheep. The vet did say he thought she just didn't lactate due to the fact she was "Under stress" of having her first litter. Then I don't know what happend with her uncovering the babies.

Well, thank you for all your condolences, in better news Chewbacca is doing great. She has gained weight back and he fur is growing in and is active as ever.