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Help!!!

Gel403

Gel403

New Kit
I have four adult, two male and two female. One of our females gave birth to 4 babies almost 6 weeks ago and then the other gave birth to 5 babies almost 5 weeks ago. I have just had the shock of my life and found that that female who gave birth 5 weeks ago has just given birth to four babies. She must have got pregnant straight away. I didn't know they could get pregnant so quickly. My problem is do i leave her first litter of babies with her while she is looking after the new litter?

We've separated the males from the females and we thought that we would decide when they mated rather than them, obviously it didn't work that way and so I'm now stuck as to what to do for the best.Could her first lot of babies be put in with the female who had the first litter and would she accept them as perhaps her own? I'm sorry if this sounds confusing, but i really need help urgently. :shock:
 
Oh dear! Yes the mums can get pregnant 1 hour after giving birth, so if you left the other male with the other female when she gave birth the first time she too will likely be about to give birth again too!

I'm sure someone experienced will be along soon to offer advice about whether to leave the first litter with the new litter. I think I have read on another thread that you can put the first litter on their own and just let mum feed them once a day as they will already be eating pellets and hay.
 
LionheadLuver said:
When were the males separated from the females?
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Hi the the first was separated as soon as she gave birth almost 6 weeks ago, the second as soon as we came home and found she'd also had babies, which again is almost 6 weeks. Unfortunately she must have got pregnant straight away.

We don't know whether to leave her with both her first litter and the litter she's just given birth to. Would it be possible to put her first litter with the other female rabbit and her 4 babies, or could she attack them?

Thanks Gel :)
 
I would not put the one rabbits babies with the other as I believe there is a strong chance she would attack them. Also this doe is likely to be about to give birth again too.
 
Dustyrabbit said:
Oh dear! Yes the mums can get pregnant 1 hour after giving birth, so if you left the other male with the other female when she gave birth the first time she too will likely be about to give birth again too!

I'm sure someone experienced will be along soon to offer advice about whether to leave the first litter with the new litter. I think I have read on another thread that you can put the first litter on their own and just let mum feed them once a day as they will already be eating pellets and hay.
Click to expand...

Hi, I had not idea that they could get pregnant within an hour of giving birth. I got the biggest shock when i went out to feed and water them all this morning and found the new editions to the family :rabbit2: :rabbit2: :rabbit2:
 
Poor Bunny :cry:

You will need to remove the older kits but do not attempt to put them in with the other litter and Mum. Mum is very likely to attack the kits that are not hers.

5-6 week old kits should be eating hay and pellets so although not an ideal age to wean they will hopefully be ok. I would add a probiotic to their water to support their guts during the stressful time of weaning.

I do hope that the Doe will be rested for several months before you breed from her again :cry:
 
Dustyrabbit said:
I would not put the one rabbits babies with the other as I believe there is a strong chance she would attack them. Also this doe is likely to be about to give birth again too.
Click to expand...

Hi Dustyrabbit, she certainly is not pregnant as we watched her give birth while in her own hutch, so i know for certain that there are no more babies due from her :)
 
Sorry, rereading your first post I see that it is the doe who gave birth second has just had another litter so hopefully the other doe is not pregnant again.
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Poor Bunny :cry:

You will need to remove the older kits but do not attempt to put them in with the other litter and Mum. Mum is very likely to attack the kits that are not hers.

5-6 week old kits should be eating hay and pellets so although not an ideal age to wean they will hopefully be ok. I would add a probiotic to their water to support their guts during the stressful time of weaning.

I do hope that the Doe will be rested for several months before you breed from her again :cry:
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Hi, i had no intention of breeding them again, we had already decided that we would decide if and when they had babies, unfortunately this was taken out of our hands :(
 
Gel403 said:
Hi Dustyrabbit, she certainly is not pregnant as we watched her give birth while in her own hutch, so i know for certain that there are no more babies due from her :)
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I see, sorry, it wasn't clear when you separated the males and I assumed as the one has given birth a second time that you must have kept the males with them up to and including the time of birth, as you must have with the one doe who got pregnant for a second time, if your with me.
 
Dustyrabbit said:
I see, sorry, it wasn't clear when you separated the males and I assumed as the one has given birth a second time that you must have kept the males with them up to and including the time of birth, as you must have with the one doe who got pregnant for a second time, if your with me.
Click to expand...

I know it's very confusing isn't it. My husband built another hutch so all the rabbits had homes of their own,we had to keep one of them in a dog cage until the new one was built, it now looks like he'll have to build another one :shock:
 
Yes plenty of DIY still to do I'd say:lol:

Maybe you could use the dog crate to house the older babies until you can get something else sorted?

My 2 bunnies came from a lady who allowed her bunnies to breed once and not knowing that she could get pregnant again so soon left the dad in and hey presto 31 days later another litter appeared - mine are from this litter. Now I know that all the babies and mum and dad were kept together - Dad was popped to the vet for the snip and luckily there were no more babies as the vet didn't tell her that he could still get her pregnant for up to 6 weeks after the op and he just went straight back in with his family! When I collected mine at 11ish weeks, mum, dad and elder sister were all still in together with my babies who were the last to go. Now I think they were just extemely lucky and would certainly follow Jacks-janes advise and take the older babies out and keep them on their own.

Good luck in keeping them healthy and finding them good, forever homes.
 
Thanks very much Dustyrabbit, Think you might be right about using the dog cage AGAIN to house the older babies. Just gonna sort them out now, will keep you posted :)
 
isla said:
Blimey, sounds like you have your hands full atm :shock:

Will you be getting them all neutered?
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Yes i think we might just be doing that, we're not keeping them all obviously :lol:
Just need to find some good homes for the most of them :D
 
Gel403 said:
Thanks very much Dustyrabbit, Think you might be right about using the dog cage AGAIN to house the older babies. Just gonna sort them out now, will keep you posted :)
Click to expand...

Good idea.

Don't forget the probiotics for the older babies it really is important to support them over this change. I've always got mine from the vets - just ring and ask, but think you can get it at some petshops. Don't make any changes to the diet they are used to - don't introduce any new foods or veg and watch very carefully for any signs of illness especially runny poos at this age they are very vulnerable and can go down hill extremely quickly. Keep them warm as they are used to mum cuddling up with them too.
 
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