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Urgent Please Help -mother Rejecting Babies.

H

honeybee100

New Kit
Hi.
As a follow up to last nights thread.
I had placed the nest in big box as the babies were all over the bedroom floor.
This morning two babies cuddled up together , lively and warm and the other much bigger , barely alive and cold at other end of box.
I , using a glove tried to warm it with a towel and a little hot water bottle(well padded) but it died after half an hour.
At the moment the other two are vey much alive.
However the mum has gone mad.She is obviously angry and is taking every bit of beding and other stuff (Her mouth is utterly full) and has broken through into the area of bedroom I had cut off which is underneath some cupboards, so presumably I cant get to them.
She has obviously built another nest , but wont be able to get the babies in there so I presume she has rejected them.
Their nest is now in a litter tray inside the big box.
I know I have interfered too much but what can I do?
Should I go to a chemist and buy some formula milk?

I feel so bad as these are so lively at the moment.
 
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Oh dear.It gets worse.

She has gone into their box, trampled all over them and pulled all the bedding out and taken it to her new nest.
Should I leave them to it?
I just cant watch her kill them!
Should I remove them from the room in the box and get some formula milk as.
Any suggestions I feel so bad.
 
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I have absolutely no experience to be able to offer advice just sympathy!

I've read your previous thread and as Snowy said there is such a small chance of you being able to hand rear them from that age, I'd try as hard as you can (difficult I know) to let her get on with it.

It sounds like she's building a nest somewhere else? My instinct says if she's doing that, she may be intending to move them somewhere she considers safer? Like I say, I have no experience, just answering on instinct.

I hope someone with experience comes along to advise soon and good luck!
 
PLEASE .Can anyone help.I cant go to work or anything.

If she is obsessed with making a nest elsewhere should I try and put them in that nest?
I have closed the box up for now so that she cant harm them.
I know they stand little chance with me feeding them, but her new nest is under a cupboard area and inexcessible to me, which is I guess what she wants.She isnt a very handable rabbit either,and very nervous.
thanks.
 
Try editing your heading to make it stand out - put URGENT or something so that someone with expertise will see it quickly!

Good luck
 
Don't feel stupid! You're somebody with an awful dilemma trying hard to do your best.

Did the babes look as if they'd been fed this morning? (Based on the advice you had yesterday). I'm just trying to get as much info together for when an expert is able to give you some advice.
 
You need to go back to your first post and click on edit on there to change the heading (you've probably sussed that you while I'm replying!)
 
Hi

Put the two remaining babies in her new nest, rub your hands in her poo before you touch the babies or the nest
 
Thanks.Can you explain why she has made a new nest ?
Problem is it is under a cupboard,directly on the carpet, so they will roll around as before and end up in nooks and cranies.If they die its going to be very hard to know under there.
Could I slide the litter tray they are in under there and change the exsisting bedding for her new.I know she doesnt want me interferring but they are going to be inneccesible.
Your advice is very much appreciatted .
 
Can you plug the 'nooks and crannies' with rolled up newspaper or something so that the rabbits can't get stuck in there?
 
honeybee100 said:
Thanks.Can you explain why she has made a new nest ?
Problem is it is under a cupboard,directly on the carpet, so they will roll around as before and end up in nooks and cranies.If they die its going to be very hard to know under there.
Could I slide the litter tray they are in under there and change the exsisting bedding for her new.I know she doesnt want me interferring but they are going to be inneccesible.
Your advice is very much appreciatted .
Click to expand...

Can you pm me your telephone number
 
It might be she had babies in more than one place. I agree, the best thing to do is to move the babies into her prefered nest - she can't move them herself. Babies are easily dragged out of the nest if they are latched on if mum leaves. YOu can help prevent this by placing a barrier around the nest. Eg get a cardboard box and cut the top/bottom out so you just have a ring made of the sides. You can then place this around the nest - without needing to lift/disturb in. It needs to be low enough for mum to climb out easy but still keep the babies in. You can make a lower point on one side if necessary so mum can get out easier.

Mum will only feed once a day so you may not see her in with them much.

Tam
 
Thanks so much for all your advice.
I moved the litter tray they were in under the cupboard where she had made the new nest and put the new nest in the litter tray with them.
She has been spending quite a time under there,although initially started carting bedding backwards and forwards like a demented rabbit and for a while looked like she was moving the nest again.
Despite lifting one baby back earlier I have resited checking on them.
However tonight on coming home I couldnt restt until I had checked.
Lucky for one baby as cotton wool caught around his throat which I struggled to pull off.Seems ok!
Took out a bit of bedding as overflowing and the shavings have mixed in with cotton wool and her fur , but a few miutes later she was taking it back again!
She truely hates my intervention!

I so want them to survive ,but I have to let her take control.It is difficult to know if she is feeding them though.Also she is very young!
I dread tomorrow morning and trying to get to work.Trying to keep one alive was hard enough and my efforts futile!:cry:
 
You're doing OK, you have to let them do what is natural to them and it's hard to stand and watch but that's bunnies for you, I did say I would't recommend putting cotton wool in, mummy will pluck her fur to make it warm

It sounds like you have done the best for her, some bunnies really don't know what to do when it's their first litter and when they give birth they scatter it, it's happened to some of my rescues, but you have done all that you can

Good luck
 
Yes, don't use cotton wool. Usually the mums chest fur is quite loose so if she's relaxed you might be able to brush more out if she nhasn't added much.
 
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