help with mother & babies

Hi, im new to the forum.

ive kept rabbits for over 20yrs and currently have 8.

2weeks ago, my otter female had 2 baby bunnies. healthy litter of 2. their 2wks old now and its was very cold lastnight. i uncovered the cage this morning and checked on the babies and they were cold! ive brought them in and warmed them up. mums fine with me touching babies, this is her 2nd litter.

the hutch is covered with a thick blanket and then waterproofing all night but its not keeping them warm enough.

has anyone got any suggestions? my husband says a hot water bottle may help?? but i dont want them getting ill from the rubber...

i would bring them all in (mum tutsie, big sister from 1st litter tootie and 2 babies all live together) but i dont think it will help as the mum & sister are out in the garden everyday.

im just totally stuck to what to do. i cant let these babies die from the cold!

I would bring them all in for the winter.

I beg to differ..
If they are used to being outside its best to keep them there.
Taking them indoors might stress them, and depending on how the temperature change is it might actually get too hot.
Its actually more likely a rabbit will get sick from extreme heat rather than cold.

The doe will make sure to keep the nest warm with her fur.
I had two litters in early spring (same doe, different years)
When I had them early in the year when it was still quite cold (and "cold" here means it was still snowy outside and the water would freeze in their bottles), Aroma (the mom) stuffed the nest box full of straw, hay, fur and sadly even dirty shavings (which I had to clean out).
Her next litter were born a month later, and the box wasn't half as full since the weather was warmer.
Note these were rex-rabbits too, with extra nice fur, and they were fine with the temperature:3

It may be that Mum hasn't used enough fur to keep them warm, sometimes the babies move away from the nest and get cold and need to be gently placed back into the snug nest.
You could try a 'Snugglesafe heated Pad' they stay warm for hours and would keep them warm but they may feel the cold again when the pad loses it's heat. Have you got a wind and waterproof cover on the hutch they are quite good as long as you leave them some ventilation.
One of my rabbit's had 5 babies but she was indoors, I just put a box in for her and she made it into a nice cosy nest for her newborn's. You could also put extra bedding in to keep them warmer.

Maybe a 'Snugglesafe Pad' would not be ideal unless placed well under the bedding.

I wouldn't use a snugglesafe on babies that are so small as they might not be able to move off of it if it's too hot for them.

timb0h said:

I wouldn't use a snugglesafe on babies that are so small as they might not be able to move off of it if it's too hot for them.

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I was thinking more really right under the hay, not so much the baby, oops I think I should have said that :? :?

Depending on the type of accommodation you can stick a hot water bottle or snugglesafe on the underside of the hutch, directly beneath the nest (so not in the hutch itself and not in any area where the rabbits can get to).

You can also try putting them in a nest box (open at the top, big enough for mum to jump in and turn around in, but high enough sides so the babies can't get out.

Is the hutch covered at the front? Is the nest in the bed area? Is there a lot of hay around? Did mum pull fur? Is mum on unlimited food? Are the babies clearly being fed?

Sky-O said:

You can also try putting them in a nest box (open at the top, big enough for mum to jump in and turn around in, but high enough sides so the babies can't get out.

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That is actually something that should have been put in before the babies were born, espesially for outdoor rabbits.
Its not good to be messing with the nest more than necessary while the babies are still young.

Do you breed or was it accidental?

ZakuraRabbit said:

That is actually something that should have been put in before the babies were born, espesially for outdoor rabbits.
Its not good to be messing with the nest more than necessary while the babies are still young.

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Yes, I know it should have been done before, especially in the winter, but not everyone uses a nest box, hence why I said it. Sometimes the nest has to be messed with, for the best interests of the buns. But yes, I agree, really my point should be moot because it should have been done previously.

This was a total suprise litter. my male got out of his run cage but i didnt think he had mated with my female. but anyway, im keeping the babies so it doesnt matter.

ok, so my girls are in a chicken coop lol it has a nesting box.
as the flooring in the nesting box was so thin, i re-inforced it with more wood. plus, theres a massive fleece cover over the cage and a rainproof cover.
Also, the babies are in a plastic tray in the nesting box, lined with paper, sawdust, straw/hey. this seems to help keep their warmth in.

i took desperate measures and put hot water in a glass bottle (tightly secure) and covered it in a towl held on my gaffer tape lol i put it next to the plastic nest box so babies can get away if too warm. they perked up alot after doing this. i had to throw abit of the fur away as their big sister used some to go toilet on! tut! mummy hasnt pulled anymore out tho. i wish she would! it would bloomin help!

ive now brought a snuggle pad off ebay. i plan on putting it under the bedding. not too hot tho, dont want them to overheat. i did breed rabbits years back but it was always in the summer months so ive never had this problem before (it was quite the oppisite actually..used to have fans on them lol)

my husband says i worry too much. i cant help it! they should be strong enough in a few weeks time to take the cold. just for now, i want to make sure there ok.

Aw! Two lovely fat babies!

Are they in with mum and an older sister? If so, I would watch mum with the older sister, especially as the babies start to move around.

You can pluck fur from the mum. It will have loosened due to hormones. You can pluck for her dewlap and around her nipples, and that might help you make a good nest for her.

I would suggest putting the snugglesafe not in the cage, but stuck on the bottom of the bed so the warmth comes through, but not too much and there is no risk of any baby getting burnt (which can happen with something in the nest, even with te best protection).

cor moms doing well with those two lil tubbies

cor moms doing well with those two lil tubbies

Yea the big sister lives with them but shes such a darling, i doubt she would harm the babies. if she did show any signs of aggression towards them, i will split them up straightaway. fingers crossed i dont have to tho! i want to keep them as a family unit. (unless the babies are male!!) yes, the babies are massive! just how i like them

ok so if i put the snugglesafe underneith everything and dont warm it up too much. the weathers warmed up today and babies are nice and warm. will only need the snugglesafe for those chilly nights.

thanks for the advice peeps! xx

Dementis_Mulier said:

Yea the big sister lives with them but shes such a darling, i doubt she would harm the babies. if she did show any signs of aggression towards them, i will split them up straightaway. fingers crossed i dont have to tho! i want to keep them as a family unit. (unless the babies are male!!) yes, the babies are massive! just how i like them

ok so if i put the snugglesafe underneith everything and dont warm it up too much. the weathers warmed up today and babies are nice and warm. will only need the snugglesafe for those chilly nights.

thanks for the advice peeps! xx

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They look lovely. You seem to be doing brilliantly. Why wouldn't you want to keep the family together if they are male? I don't understand, males can get along too.

babies!!!

Dementis_Mulier said:

Yea the big sister lives with them but shes such a darling, i doubt she would harm the babies. if she did show any signs of aggression towards them, i will split them up straightaway. fingers crossed i dont have to tho! i want to keep them as a family unit. (unless the babies are male!!) yes, the babies are massive! just how i like them

ok so if i put the snugglesafe underneith everything and dont warm it up too much. the weathers warmed up today and babies are nice and warm. will only need the snugglesafe for those chilly nights.

thanks for the advice peeps! xx

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I was actually more worried about mum getting stressed when the babies start moving around and taking it out on the sister. If the sister is not spayed then that is a completely different risk.