my rabbit just had bunnies

[kayleimae]

my rabbit (Skeeter) just had five really cutebunnies, but she wouldn't take care of them and was throwing themaround her cage so i had to take care of them only i have no clue whatI'm doing!! I've gotten a few pointers about what to feed them andthings like that but the more input i get the merrier. i really am theEllie Mae type and don"t want to see any of them suffer because of mylack of knowledge so if there is anyone who has more know how then memy ears are open and i would welcome and greatly appreciate the help

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Hello, Kayleimaeand welcome to the forum. Please pardon the lack of responses to yourquestion, it's common practice for folks to pass over a question thatthey don't feel they have enough knowledge to give a solid answer to.We don't see a lot of this kind of thing discussed here, though I'msure in some forums it may be more common. I think house bunnies/petbunnies tend to take care of their babies better because they are moresocial. Though I could be mistaken and we could check with a couple ofour breeders on the forum whom I trust most implicitly. Most of ourmembers have pet bunnies and therefore that's where our more commonexperiences are. I can't be of any help to you either, but I did asearch and did find a thread titled "I need HELP?????"thatdiscussed hand feeding baby bunnies. You might check it out. You mightdo a search yourself and see if you find something more helpful aswell. Good luck!

RaspberrySwirl

 

[Carolyn]

Don't agree about house/pet bunnies being bettermothers than breeders bunnies. Like people, some rabbits arebetter mothers than others. Pets or not.

If the babies are out of the nest, put them back in. It'svery hard to get the dosages correct as to how much to givebabies. You have to be careful as to syringe-feeding thembecause you could easily drown them. Some people use goatsmilk, some use KMR with a dash of cream.

For more information, go to:http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.htmlIt covers dosages, care, etc.

-Carolyn

 

[AnnaS]

is there a way to take them to a humane society, may be they have doctors who would be able to show you how to do it?

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Glad Carolynchecked in on this. She knows much more than I do about these kinds ofthings. Perhaps some of the other more knowledgeable bunny folk will bearound later and give you their opinion also.

RaspberrySwirl

 

[Delphinum]

Let us know how the little ones get on. I hope they're okay!

 

[JimD]

Carolyn wrote:

Don'tagree about house/pet bunnies being better mothers than breedersbunnies. Like people, some rabbits are better mothers thanothers. Pets or not.

If the babies are out of the nest, put them back in. It'svery hard to get the dosages correct as to how much to givebabies. You have to be careful as to syringe-feeding thembecause you could easily drown them. Some people use goatsmilk, some use KMR with a dash of cream.

For more information, go to:http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.htmlIt covers dosages, care, etc.

-Carolyn

Carolyn to the rescue as always. Espcially about the syringe feedingand drowning. Be soooo verrrry careful. It may seem like they they aredrinking, but they use that tiny mouth for breathing, too. Not to forcefeed please. Little bit at a time. Watch. Listen.

You'll do fine as their bunnie mommy. Trust you inner instincts. Bring us your questions if your not sure.

Great website/pics here: http://www.mybunnies.com/baby_bunnies1.htm

Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Jim

 

[Gabby]

http://www.rabbitweb.net/wild-babies.asp

this can be used with domestic rabbits as well. the text below is from the web site link listed above

[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]Inthis situation, you might need to nurse the babies until you can getappropriate care arranged for them. Here's a rabbit formula you canmake to feed them.[/font][/align]
[align=justify]





[font=Verdana,][size=2 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]RABBIT MILK FORMULA
1 can of sweetened condensed milk or fresh goat's milk (don't use cow's milk)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons Karo corn syrup
1 egg yolk[/size][/font]

[font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]Combineingredients in a plastic bowl. Warm in microwave and heat mixture untilit's slightly above room temperature. Test it by putting a fewdrops of the formula on your wrist first because you don't want toaccidentally scald the babies. [/font]
[/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]Feed the babies with a pet nurser bottle or afeeding syringe or an eyedropper, and do so slowly. Baby rabbitsare quite uncoordinated and can easily inhale fluid into their lungs.If they aspirate the formula into their lungs, they will die. Please,take it slow![/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]After feeding the babies, you must massage theirlower abdomen with a warm, moist washcloth to stimulate urination anddefecation. Feed them every three hours or so.[/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]The baby rabbits should be kept in a cardboard box.Place a blanket or old sweatshirt inside for them to snuggle into. Youwill need a heat source to keep them warm. Place a heating pad beneaththe box set on low (or medium, but beware of high heat - youdon't want them to cook). A hot water bottle will also work for a heatsource, or in a pinch, a 60 watt lightbulb placed over the box (youmust make sure they don't get too hot). Ideal temperature isaround body temperature; anywhere from 85 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit willsuffice. If the babies are restless and are trying to get away from theheat, it is too hot for them.[/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]The babies must be kept warm at all times. Feedthem only when they are nice and warm. Cold babies do poorly -their digestion falters, and they will usually die. Handle them aslittle as possible; wild rabbits are very sensitive and can die fromthe shock of being handled by a human![/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]After nursing them, you might be tempted to keepthem as pets. Don't do this! Wild rabbits are meant to be free and donot make good pets. They are skittish, nervous, and can be veryaggressive when mature. They do not deal well interacting with humansbecause they are very sensitive and can stress out quickly. It is alsoillegal to keep wild animals or game without the proper permitfrom the F&WS or your state Wildlife or Fish & Gamedepartment.[/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]Note: if you find a wild baby rabbit that wascaught by a predator such as a cat or dog, the baby can have severeinternal injuries and will probably die from the shock alone. A loss ofone wild rabbit or even a whole litter is not a threat to the species.Up to 95 percent of all wild rabbits die before they are six monthsold. It's cruel, but it is nature's way.[/font][/align]
[align=justify][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif"]For more detailed instructions and advice on whatto do about wild baby rabbits, please visit the followingpages:[/font][/align]

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

kayleimae wrote:

my rabbit (Skeeter) just had five really cute bunnies, butshe wouldn't take care of them and was throwing them around her cage soi had to take care of them only i have no clue what I'm doing!! I'vegotten a few pointers about what to feed them and things like that butthe more input i get the merrier. i really am the Ellie Mae type anddon"t want to see any of them suffer because of my lack of knowledge soif there is anyone who has more know how then me my ears are open and iwould welcome and greatly appreciate the help

Hello kayleimae,

I'm not quite sure what you meant by "she was throwing them aroundher cage". Do you mean they were scattered on the bottom ofthe cage... or did you ACTUALLY WITNESS her throwing them?

If they were just scattered around on the bottom, more than likelyit's because she had them there. Did you have a Nest box inwith her to give her a place to have them in? Pleaseunderstand, Rabbits (unlike dogs & cats) cannot carry theiryoung. Where they're born is where they stay until they'reold enough to crawl around to other areas.

I would suggest putting a box in with her - just big enough for herto jump into, turn around and jump out. Fill it with someshavings and lots of Timothy hay, if Skeeter has plucked any fur, place1/2 the fur in a fist sized areain middle of the box, put thebabies on top, then cover them with the remaining 1/2 of her fur mixedwith a little hay. Then leave her alone with them and checkon them at least once a day to make sure their bellies lookfull. Mama rabbits only nurse their babies once a day, mostlyit occurs in the late hours of the night. If they don'tappear to be full in the evening, don't worry chances are she hasn'tyet done her feeding, so check again in the morning.

How big is Skeeter? Do you know what breed of rabbit sheis, or what breed(s) she may be? Are you able to postapicture of her for us to see?

~Sunshine

 

[lanna21974]

SunnieBunnie........

Kayleimae wrote:

"the bunnies are 3 days old and we do have them in a nest box. ive trieto place them with the mom but she get vicious with them and beginsflinging them around. i have no clue what im doing. i fell bad for themom because she wants nothing to do with them but is constantly diggingat her cage like shes trying to find them..it breaks myheart."


She also wrote that she's lost two already. I suggested maybe finding abreeder in her area that might be willing to foster if they have doesthat are nursing. I wish I lived closer I would do it for her.Do you think she could hold the doe down and see if shewould nurse that way? Just curious?

Lanna



Lanna

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

Okay, thanks Lanna... I didn't see her postthatanywhere (stillcan't find itfor thatmatter...lol) I guess that'll teach me from spending too muchtime away from the Forum

Do we know where abouts in MI she is? I know of a breederin North Central MI that *might* be able to help, I'm not too surethough, she'll need to contacther.(Websitew/email addy is here).

What she could do in the meantime is, like you said, hold the doedown for the babies to get their fill. But she needs to beextremely careful when doing this! The doe must remain calmand needs to relax in order for her milk to "let down"... and she mayalso injure the babies trying to break free. What I have donein the past was "hypnotize" the doe while holding her securely with onehandandthe box of babieswithin armsreach, then when she's relaxed (still holdingher for the kitssafety) gently stroke her belly one or two times to get her used to thefeeling of her belly being touched, then place the babies on her tummyfor them to nurse. They'll be done with nice round fullbellies within a minute... it doesn't take long at all.

~Sunshine

 

[lanna21974]

SunnieBunnie Rabbitry wrote:

Okay, thanks Lanna... I didn't see her postthatanywhere (stillcan't find itfor thatmatter...lol) I guess that'll teach me from spending too muchtime away from the Forum

Do we know where abouts in MI she is? I know of a breederin North Central MI that *might* be able to help, I'm not too surethough, she'll need to contact her.(Websitew/email addy is here).

What she could do in the meantime is, like you said, hold the doedown for the babies to get their fill. But she needs to beextremely careful when doing this! The doe must remain calmand needs to relax in order for her milk to "let down"... and she mayalso injure the babies trying to break free. What I have donein the past was "hypnotize" the doe while holding her securely with onehandandthe box of babieswithin armsreach, then when she's relaxed (still holdingher for the kitssafety) gently stroke her belly one or two times to get her used to thefeeling of her belly being touched, then place the babies on her tummyfor them to nurse. They'll be done with nice round fullbellies within a minute... it doesn't take long at all.

~Sunshine

I'm sorry Sunshine. I should have also posted that she told me that in a private message. Sowwy.

I dont know exactly where she is. I do know some of the towns she is close to as I was trying to help her find a breeder.

The towns closest to her are....coldwater, quincy, bronson, allen,union city, hillsdale, and reading. I was able to find four breeders inthose towns with phone numbers.

Here's the last private message I got from her.

"she had 5 but i lost 3 today ill let ya know how it turned out.. thank you"

I hope she can get the dam to nurse them the way you suggested!!! that would be great.

Lanna

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

LOL... Well that might explain it .

I sure hope one of those breeders can help out. It's terrible that she has to go through this.

I sure do wish her the best of Luck.

 

[lanna21974]

How are the babies?

Lanna