New Babies Mom has REJECTED

[gaswampgirl]

My female just had babies.... she is rejecting them!!! She has eaten 2 of them - I was able to remove the remaining 2. I need help keeping them alive.... any suggestions

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

You need some hot water bottles and some kitten replacement formula...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyMo1hFuohY[/ame] This is a video to show you how to feed. I have never done it before but this is the best advice I can give until someone with kit experience shows up...

 

[Imbrium]

here are good sites on dealing with orphaned/abandoned kits:
http://www.mybunny.org/info/newborn.htm
http://www3.telus.net/raisinghouserabbits/orphans.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html

the survival rate of kits without mom's milk is pretty low, though - your best bet is to see if you can hold her and force her to nurse the remaining kits for a few minutes at a time once or twice a day.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat::yeahthat:ray:

 

[majorv]

Completely agree. It is VERY difficult to keep kits alive without Mom's help. If there is any way possible try to at least hold her so they can nurse 1-2 times/day. The rest of the time keep them warm together in a nestbox or other.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

I read somewhere that sometimes you can get another female rabbit to nurse the kits for some time, I don't know how true this is but its worth a try... just research online.

I bought a book called Rabbits for dummies, and I remember reading what to do if a mom rejects her kits, I would tell you what they said to do but I currently do not know where the book is, so tommorow I will try to find it and tell you what they said to do. You could also buy your own Rabbits for dummies book, but you might have to get one day shipping, Because you are going to need help for your baby buns. Maybe you could take them to the vet.

Anyways, I hope your two baby buns survive, I'll pray for them ray:

 

[Imbrium]

♥Ilovemyrabbit♥ wrote:

I read somewhere that sometimes you can get another female rabbit to nurse the kits for some time, I don't know how true this is but its worth a try... just research online.

if there is another doe available that's currently nursing her own kits, fostering is a *great* option. easy way to do it is to remove the mom from the cage, add the abandoned kits to the nest and leave 'em together for a bit so their smell gets on her kits and vice-versa, then add the mom back to the cage (an hour or two of having her out would be fine). the kits don't actually have to even be that close in size/age - rabbits tend to be very easy-going about fostering.

 

[Hyatt101]

I agree!

How are the kits?

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

The link (http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html) from the HRS was very helpful and recomended to me when I raised 8 cottontail kits.

Also, the info here was a HUGE help. http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm Even though this is directed more for people with cottontails, it should help.



I fed KMR (kitten milk replacer) 2 times a day. Some argue the need feedings more frequently when they are little but I'd heard rabbits only nurse twice daily so we syringed the KMR mixture 2X a day and it worked wonderfully.

It's important to use POWDERED KMR not premixed KMR from a can. It has *much* higher protein which is essential for their development and survival.

I mixed it like this:

3 parts KMR
3 parts water
1 part heavy whipping cream

Without the whipping cream, it is not rich enough for them. Also, I added Benebac powder which gives alot of highly needed probiotics.

 

[Hyatt101]

I agree with Mia. I've seen those sites before when i was doing my own research, and they were very helpful!
How are your kits?