New mom won't leave nest box.

[rwalston86]

I have a dwarf hotot who is 7 months and a first time mom. She was already bred when I got her. She had two kits this morning. One looked like it was a peanut and it was dead outside of the nestbox within a few minutes after she gave birth. The other on looked okay.
The doe though, won't hardly leave the nest box. She pulled extra fur after she had them. And stays in there with her one kit most of the time. Whenever I go near the cage she make whining noises. Is she just being super protective?

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

That sounds normal! She's probably just very protective.

 

[JBun]

It's also possible she may still be feeling uncomfortable and that's why she won't leave the nest box, and may deliver more kits. If it seems like the one kit may be getting stepped on with her not leaving the box, you may want to provide a second nest box and hopefully she'll go hang out in that one, then remove it when she seems to have settled down.

 

[ladysown]

make sure the kit is tucked into a corner where she doesn't sit or she'll kill it. If she's whining she may still be in labour.

 

[rwalston86]

Kit looks okay so far. Mom seems to be calming down a bit but still protective. Thank you guys!

 

[majorv]

Is the doe eating okay?

 

[squidpop]

Actually, I don't think that sounds normal. Most rabbits have the instinct to stay away from the nest box and away from kits so they don't attract predators to the nest. So, even when they are in cages they usually only stay with the young to feed them a few minutes and then hop out of the nest box. The whining doesn't sound normal either. I would be worried she might have a stuck kit.

 

[majorv]

I agree with squidpop. It isn't normal. We've only had one doe do that right after kindling. She just sat there. If I took her out of the box she just sat in the corner. I'd go back later and found her in the box again. She also wasn't nursing the kits. Turns out she had ketosis and we saved her by taking her straight to the vet. I'm not saying that's your problem, but if she's just sitting, not eating and not nursing, then something is wrong.

 

[rwalston86]

Is the doe eating okay?

She isn't eating her pellets very well. When I give her an apple, lettuce or grass, she acts like she's starving and starts to eat it but will only eat a small amount of it.

 

[rwalston86]

Actually, I don't think that sounds normal. Most rabbits have the instinct to stay away from the nest box and away from kits so they don't attract predators to the nest. So, even when they are in cages they usually only stay with the young to feed them a few minutes and then hop out of the nest box. The whining doesn't sound normal either. I would be worried she might have a stuck kit.

That's kinda what I thought. All my does in the past have left the nest box unless they were nursing.

 

[rwalston86]

I agree with squidpop. It isn't normal. We've only had one doe do that right after kindling. She just sat there. If I took her out of the box she just sat in the corner. I'd go back later and found her in the box again. She also wasn't nursing the kits. Turns out she had ketosis and we saved her by taking her straight to the vet. I'm not saying that's your problem, but if she's just sitting, not eating and not nursing, then something is wrong.

I'll watch how she acts today and take her in if its not better by the of the day. She seems to be nursing,(from looking at the kit) just not eating much

 

[squidpop]

There also might be the chance that she has a lot of milk and only one kit to feed, so maybe she feels so full of milk she is trying to nurse the kit constantly to get rid of the feeling of having too much milk. I think its a good sign if she is nursing.

 

[TopDoll]

Are momma bun and her kit doing better?

 

[rwalston86]

No, I think the mom has pasteurella. The kit died this morning.

 

[TopDoll]

Oh no I'm so sorry. Poor girl..