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I have taken on a lot!

petparadise123

Mama Doe
I have cross posted this here so that people will see it as it is also in Rabbit Chat, hope thats ok.

I had a man phone me yesterday who had heard that I have rabbits to ask if I could take in a doe and 9 kits as they are his wifes and she has been taken very ill. I said yes and have collected them (I have been given them so they are mine now, I am hoping to keep the doe and 1 or 2 babies and rehome the others) The kits and 2 weeks old and are so cute :love:. The doe is a Lop and the father is a dutch who belonged to a friend of theirs apparently.

Then this afternoon my uncle was cleaning out our hay shed and accidently ran over (he was in the teleporter) and killed an adult wild bunny who came out between 2 bales. He moved the bale and saw 6 little babies who are now orphans I am guessing that they are 6-7 days old as their eyes havent quite opened yet. I have put them in with the doe and kits but she will not be able to rear 15, will she? I dont think that she will attack them but I'm keeping a close eye on her and she seems fine with them.

I have some Cimicat, so I am thinking of giving them some Cimicat but their belly's look full atm so the doe must have just fed them.

Can I have some advise please?

And vibes please that the babies make it:)
 
Oh my goodness - what a handful! Bless you for taking all this on though and hope it all works out for the best. I'm afraid I have no advice to offer but sending vibes for a successful outcome.
 
Not sure about nursing 15 kits but goats milk is ment to be good if the doe cant handle them!
Youve got your hands full there and i do hope the wildies make it:love:
I would LOVE a wildie, its my dream to have a wildie they are the most beautiful ever:love:

Sending loads and loads of vibes xxxx
 
Not sure about nursing 15 kits but goats milk is ment to be good if the doe cant handle them!
Youve got your hands full there and i do hope the wildies make it:love:
I would LOVE a wildie, its my dream to have a wildie they are the most beautiful ever:love:

Sending loads and loads of vibes xxxx

Thanks, If they do make it, We could arrange a bunny run?:wave::lol:

I dont have an goats milk and dont know of anyone with goats:( We have a cow that I could milk but I think that Cimicat is better than cows milk?

Should I be giving mum any extra food? She is not thin but lean so I dont want her to get dragged down by the babies. I am miles from anywhere but I have some Cimicat and Infacol. Should I give her infacol? I gave the doe a bit of Cimicat earlier and she drunk it out of her water bottle-I emptied it b4 putting the milk in. Should I give her more and if so how much?
Thanks
 
She should be able to manage if you supplement the milk of the older ones. If they are out and about you can feed them milk in a bowl/bottle otherwise you'll have to do it the same as if you are handrearing. As they are drinking extra supplement they'll drink less from mum so she'll have more to feed youngest. Breeders often put a bottle of milk in for mum when there is a big litter, that was she has all the nutrients needed for producing a lot of milk.
 
Thanks Tamsin, If I put a bottle of milk on her cage, should I give her Cimicat or cows milk (full cream although we have done the cows tonight so I wont be able to get any til morning)?
 
Goodness me :shock: Well done for taking them all in & good luck with all of them. I don't have any advice, but I really admire you for doing what you are doing :)
 
No, don't feed cows milk, goats is fine but there's something in cows milk that's bad for most (non cow) babies. If you can't get goats then cimcat is fine. You really need to stick with one thing so go for the one you can get a supply of for the next three weeks or so.

Tam
 
Thanks everyone, I have given the mum a bottle of milk as well as a water bottle, which she has drunk some of and plenty of food. Her babies started trying to nibble some of her food this morning:D All the babies have full bellies so I'm sure that she has fed the wildies:D:D I am wondering, if they all make it, how hard will it be to rehome wildies? I presume I shouldn't let them out as they will be tame in a few weeks:?
 
Thanks everyone, I have given the mum a bottle of milk as well as a water bottle, which she has drunk some of and plenty of food. Her babies started trying to nibble some of her food this morning:D All the babies have full bellies so I'm sure that she has fed the wildies:D:D I am wondering, if they all make it, how hard will it be to rehome wildies? I presume I shouldn't let them out as they will be tame in a few weeks:?

You could start looking for a wildlife rescue or rehabber in your area now, and the babies could learn to be 'wild' from about 5 weeks of age. They shouldn't have too much of a problem going back into the wild because they have been reared by a rabbit rather than a human...but it will be a difficult balancing act for you to socialize the domestic babies without taming the wildies too.

If the wildies do end up too tame to be released, then I might be on the lookout for a boy to go with my hand-reared wild girl. whereabout are you?
 
You could start looking for a wildlife rescue or rehabber in your area now, and the babies could learn to be 'wild' from about 5 weeks of age. They shouldn't have too much of a problem going back into the wild because they have been reared by a rabbit rather than a human...but it will be a difficult balancing act for you to socialize the domestic babies without taming the wildies too.

If the wildies do end up too tame to be released, then I might be on the lookout for a boy to go with my hand-reared wild girl. whereabout are you?

I am in mid wales but could sort something out if that was the case to get one to you:) I am going to have to handle the does own babies so that they get tame so I do think that the wildies will also probabily get tame even though I will not handle them much:? I think I will just have to wait and see...I'm not sure yet how many babies I will be able to keep as even though I have several spare cages,they are not really big enough for large bunnies and I think that the doe's own babies will be big when they are fully grown. I will try and adapt them or possibly rabbit-proof my 6'x8' shed and have a group in there:love: How many bunnies can live in a 6'x8' shed with limited access to a run?
 
pictures pictures pictures pictures! :love::love::love::love:

sorry, I have no advice, but you have such a handful on you! Best of luck to you!
 
I'll try and get some pics later:wave: I have just had to give the domestics all a bit of milk because they were looking a bit hunched up. I think shes giving more milk to the wildies than her own:? After I gave them some milk, one of the babies went up to the milk bottle (the one on the side of the cage) and started licking it :love:. The wildied eyes are still not open but I'm sure they will do any time now asI'm guessing that they are 8-9 days old:)
 
:cry: I lost 2 wildies today :cry: One this morning and one a few minutes ago:cry: I am not holding much hope for 3 of them to make it as they wouldnt take much milk just now (im giving all the babies milk as mum is struggling:() and 3 wildies are just sitting in the nest whereas 1 is running around with the others:love:. I feel so guilty as I think I am loosing them cos I only managed to feed them 3 times yesterday as we were shearing sheep all day and I just couldnt get away for a second to do them as I need to be there to wrap the wool:(
 
Sorry that I havent posted piccies-I can't find my camera:oops: Unfortunately I have lost all but 1 baby:cry::cry: and it is touch and go whether this one will make it:( I dont think mummy has much milk at all as her babies drink milk like mad everytime I put the bowl in the cage:( They are 3 weeks old and are eating some of her food now as well:) I am so stressed atm:(
 
Handrearing is really difficult. Scamp was one of five but he was the only one that made it. They were all doing great then about 3 weeks they just went down hill really fast.

I've my fingers crossed for the last little bun :)
 
Sending huge vibes to little wild bun hope he/she makes it and sending loads of nose rubs for mum. Stick with it girl and bunny mum i think your doing a great job coz alot of people wouldn't have took them all on.:D
 
I feel so awful:cry: I now only have 7 domestics left and no wildies:cry::cry: I really dont know what else I could have done to help them but everyone is telling me that its my fault:cry::cry::cry:
 
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