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15 week old bunnie not eating...long story.

N

nickybradley

New Kit
Hi Guys, I bought 2 female 14 week old Continental Giants from a breeder in West Midlands last Sunday. The settled in well to their double hutch and their 8' by 8' run!

Both eating well and running round fine, until....i noticed on the 3rd day the smaller one 'humping' the larger female (remembering they are only 14 weeks!!). I texted the breeder and i was advised that they usually do that????.

I printed a picture on the internet of the sexual organs and went an had a look. The smaller rabbit is a boy.

I seperated the rabbits into the top and bottem of the double hutch and have to let out one out for few hours then the other.

Now, the female has not eaten very much at all, i have put in a few dandylion leaves and she has turned her nose up at those. I have seen her nibbling her hay. She comes out of her hutch and hops around but just sits there most of the time. She stamps her feet and huffs off if i get too close. Her tummy seems big too. It has been 2-3 days with not a lot of food as her bowl is full!

They are both very timmid still, though i try to spend as much time with them as i can.

Any advise ?? could she be missing his company? Could she be pregnant?

I am going to exchange the male for a female on Sunday 9th so she can have company but will she remember her sisters?:cry:

Please help
Nicky
 
Last edited:
nickybradley said:
Hi Guys, I bought 2 female 14 week old Continental Giants from a breeder in West Midlands last Sunday. The settled in well to their double hutch and their 8' by 8' run!

Both eating well and running round fine, until....i noticed on the 3rd day the smaller one 'humping' the larger female (remembering they are only 14 weeks!!). I texted the breeder and i was advised that they usually do that????.

I printed a picture on the internet of the sexual organs and went an had a look. The smaller rabbit is a boy.

I seperated the rabbits into the top and bottem of the double hutch and have to let out one out for few hours then the other.

Now, the female has not eaten very much at all, i have put in a few dandylion leaves and she has turned her nose up at those. I have seen her nibbling her hay. She comes out of her hutch and hops around but just sits there most of the time. She stamps her feet and huffs off if i get too close. Her tummy seems big too. It has been 2-3 days with not a lot of food as her bowl is full!

They are both very timmid still, though i try to spend as much time with them as i can.

Any advise ?? could she be missing his company? Could she be pregnant?

I am going to exchange the male for a female on Sunday 9th so she can have company but will she remember her sisters?:cry:

Please help
Nicky
Click to expand...

It is highly unlikely that the Doe is pregnant. It is very likely that she is ill. The symptoms you describe, not eating/bloated stomach, a extremely concerning and personally I'd want to get her to a Vet tonight

Are you seriously going to take the Buck back to the Breeder to swap him for a Doe ...............:shock: :cry:


You are far more likely to successfully bond a Buck and a Doe once they are both neutered than you are bonding two Does.
 
I agree with this, I'm having all kinds of bother with a male/male bond and I think girls are even harder. :( get her to a vet asap, if she is pregnant you can get an emergency spay i think. i think giants become fertile later than smaller breeds so you should be ok. I would keep the boy and keep them in separate cages/hutches side by side so they can still see and smell each other. I really wouldn't swap your boy for a girl :(
 
Hi, Thank you for your reply.
So you think it may be serious eventhough she seems ok in herself? I will look at the opening times of my vet then.

With the 'swaping' of the male for a female (from the same litter), it was the sex's i asked for in the first place from the breeded. I wanted them the share the run and NOT have to separate them?

What do you think?
Nicky
 
nickybradley said:
Hi Guys, I bought 2 female 14 week old Continental Giants from a breeder in West Midlands last Sunday. The settled in well to their double hutch and their 8' by 8' run!

Both eating well and running round fine, until....i noticed on the 3rd day the smaller one 'humping' the larger female (remembering they are only 14 weeks!!). I texted the breeder and i was advised that they usually do that????.

I printed a picture on the internet of the sexual organs and went an had a look. The smaller rabbit is a boy.

I seperated the rabbits into the top and bottem of the double hutch and have to let out one out for few hours then the other.

Now, the female has not eaten very much at all, i have put in a few dandylion leaves and she has turned her nose up at those. I have seen her nibbling her hay. She comes out of her hutch and hops around but just sits there most of the time. She stamps her feet and huffs off if i get too close. Her tummy seems big too. It has been 2-3 days with not a lot of food as her bowl is full!

They are both very timmid still, though i try to spend as much time with them as i can.

Any advise ?? could she be missing his company? Could she be pregnant?

I am going to exchange the male for a female on Sunday 9th so she can have company but will she remember her sisters?:cry:

Please help
Nicky
Click to expand...

Trying to bond un-neutered females back together is a bad idea- I would neuter the male for sure and then keep him with his girly friend. I would see a vet if in doubt of her eating etc. It may just be adapting to the new home and being seperated from her friend. Rabbits forget each other after 2 hours and the rebonding has to be done again. Keep them side by side in there hutches and runs.
 
not eating is an emergency for rabbits, they can rapidly decline. you might need to go to your emergency vet surgery. is she pooing? they will only need to be separate for a few weeks, and then they can share the run :)
 
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