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Why would a mother rabbit separate?

melodyeye

New Kit
Hi everyone,
Our dwarf lop rabbit had babies yesterday morning (we didn't know she was pregnant when we got her) and today when we checked on her we found that she had moved one of them away from the others. The one that she moved is the biggest one and the other two are a lot smaller. The two smaller ones didn't feel as warm and the bigger one (they weren't really cold though) and after weighing them we found that the bigger one has gained 7 grams but the smaller ones have lost 1 gram each. Is she rejecting the two smaller ones? Is there any way to tell if she is feeding them or not?
 
She wouldn't have moved it, they have no way too. It either wriggled itself, or when she was feeding she moved and it stayed attached (probably the most likely if its biggest). Alternatively, she may have had one yesterday, and a further two today (although if you saw all three yesterday, that's not the case- given you weighed them, it sounds like that's not the case).

Are they in a nest box? Has mum made a good nest?

You can tell they are being fed if their bellies look like they swallowed a pingpong ball.
 
Are their tummies well rounded, or is the skin wrinkly? If the 2 littlies aren't feeding you may need to hold mum, and hold the babies to her nipples so they can suckle.

Is there a good nest? Are they outdoor buns? At this time of year they'll need extra protection or they may die from the cold. Try adding a snugglesafe, and cover the hutch with a duvet and a hutch cover at night.

Make sure when you handle the kits you rub your hands in the dirty bedding first. The mum may reject or kill them otherwise.
 
Yeah I agree it probably got out of the nest by accident. I'd put it back in and hopefully she will feed them all together next time. Check them later today and tomorrow and see if their bellies look round.
 
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