newborn kits

[lynnnora2]

I wrote a thread not long back about my rabbit having 4 babies and that they sadly all died. We noticed the babies 4 weeks this wednesday and now she has had 3 kits last night, She must have been pregnant twice at the same time as as soon as we found the babies a month ago we seperated them. Its not even 28 days since the last kindling and Im confused. She had been nesting right from a couple of weeks ago. Sadly one of the babies died during the night, it wasnt moving around as much as the others and felt alot cooler to the touch. I did try and put it closer to the other babies to see if it could warm up but to no avail. But for all it was the biggest kit it seemed not as developed as the smaller ones. Its so sad to lose any. Anyway, the remaining 2 seem to be thriving, they are lovely and warm to the touch and are moving around plenty. Ill keep posting about their progress.
Lynnnora2

 

[rabjet52]

Sorry for the loss, how old is the mother and what breed?
My Holland Lop had her fist bunch 9 days ago and she had 7 babies and so far so good.

 

[majorv]

It's possible she was pregnant with two litters, but it's also possible she got pregnant right after she had the first litter and had them a little early. It's not unusual to have one in the litter that didn't develop right or fails to thrive. If they were born last night then Mom should nurse them either tonight or in the morning. I hope everything goes well with the other two!

 

[lynnnora2]

I got her when she was around 8 weeks in March last year. She is a lionhead rabbit. Checked on the other 2 kits and they seem to be still warm and theyre wriggling about alot. Just glad to have 2 still ok. The baby we found alive from her last litter only lived a day and night after we found him, so everythings crossed that these little babies will be ok.

 

[tonyshuman]

Is the mom housed with a male bunny? That could have caused the second pregnancy, and it can put the babies in jeopardy. Some male buns aren't very good fathers, so it's best to keep them away from litters.

 

[lynnnora2]

I separated them as soon as I found the first litter. They are in a cage in my bedroom while the buck is downstairs in a hutch of his own.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Rabbits can get pregnant right after having a litter, so by the time you found the first litter, they had mated already. Rabbits can be pregnant from 28-35 days with the average being 31, so it's not impossible for her to have al litter at 28 days.

 

[rabjet52]

Do you have pictures of the mom and dad, and the babies? Hope all is well.

 

[ldoerr]

That happened with my first 2 litters. One litter was born the 15th of October and the next the 15th of November. The parents were caged together. Litter 1 had 3 babies and all survived. Litter 2 had 5 babies and all made it to weaning.

 

[tonyshuman]

That's good to hear. Are the babies doing well?

 

[lynnnora2]

this is a pic of the kits. I took it last night.

 

[lynnnora2]

Another thing I noticed was last time the mother looked abit skinny afterwards, this time she looks healthier than ever. Hope it all works out this time. I showed a friend the picture above and she told me off for touching them. But the trouble was the first time I did touch them I had gloves on so couldnt feel the temperature of the kits, and later on with no gloves I could tell straight away that the kit that later died was alot cooler to touch than the other 2. If I hadnt had gloves on I might have saved the other one.

 

[lynnnora2]

This is a pic of the mother. She is gorgeous, bluey grey in colour. She is lovely with a very placid nature. She is also my first rabbit and got me hooked straight away.

 

[lynnnora2]

this pic was taken tonight, they are now 3 days old. They are tiny, but they are growing, bellies are looking slightly rounder so will keep doing what Im doing and keep all fingers and toes crossed.

 

[Hyatt101]

They look a little too skinny to me. Also, is it just the pictures, or is that a weird lump on one of the kits heads?? And don't worry about touching them, as long as the mother is fine, then it's actually good to handle them gently so you can tell if they're plump and healthy and can examine them.

 

[woahlookitsme]

The bellies look okay in the second picture. They arent too full so the picture might had been 30min or 1hr after they were fed but they look like theyre getting something. Tell your friend it is perfectly fine that you are handling the babies. This is a total myth and all of our babies are handled from day 1!

 

[Hyatt101]

Do you see the lump on the head, or is it just me??

 

[lynnnora2]

I think its just the light and the camera. It looks fine in the flesh lol. Thankyou all for your advice. Much appreciated.

 

[lynnnora2]

Just wanted to say, my babies are still doing fine. I think they might just be going to be small rabbits. They seem to feed quicker since last nights feed and are definitely rounder when they have been fed. They are very active squirming around, especially when feeding, lol. But Im sure theyre going to be fine. I have become very attached to them. Really hoping one is a girl so I can keep her with her mam, my brother wants the other one. If theyre both boys, I think I might have to get a new cage, as Im not sure how the dad would react to having another male in the hutch.

 

[lynnnora2]

6 days old today. Theyre getting stronger and rounder now. Feel hopeful that they will be ok.