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Need desperate help hand rearing baby rabbits.....please

:wave:....hope somebody can help me..I have a doe who had a litter 4 weeks ago..but didn't realize she was pregnant until I noticed the babies so straight away separated her from the buck..but he had already got her pregnant again...iv just found another 4babies in the nest looking around 2 days old she doesn't look like she's feeding them as they look wrinkly....I'm desperate to try and save these babies....do I bring them in and hand rear?? Could I bring the older kits in once a day so at least the babies get 1 feed a day..?? iv got no experience with rabbits but have done lots of research as to what to feed ..how much etc ..just need reassurance I'm going down the right path.??? I would really appreciate some help....I feel terrible as it was my own inexperience that caused this ....my doe has been a very good mum to the 4week kits so feel really bad iv put her under this pressure..thanks guys xx
 
I would say that it would be better to help mum feed the kits. It would be worth removing the others and NOT giving them any milk. Just the food they are used to, a snugglesafe (or other safe heat source) and mnimal stress. (and obviously water and hay).

To help mum feed the kits you can stand her over the nest and stroke her and feed her and keep her there to help her relax and hopefully they will feed from her.

Another option is to get someone to hold mum and then hold each kit to her nipples in turn and see if they can get enough that way.

Handrearing needs to be the last possible option because it has a low success rate and there is nothing you can supplement that comes close to mum's milk.
 
Best option is to use the mums milk, if she's not going in to feed them then hold her in a sitting position and then hold the babies one at a time to a nipple to suckle. Hopefully she should have milk if the first litter are only 4 weeks. It's easier with two people sometimes. I would do this 3-4 times a day and also wipe their bottoms with a damp bt of cotton/towel to stimulate weeing.

You can lower the immediate risk if you're having trouble with the above by feeding them water (use stuff thats been boiled and cooled) via a 1ml syringe. Do it slowly so they don't inhale it. That will tide them over as dehydration is a much more immediate risk that starvation.
 
hi i think you should leave the babies were they are, they may look small as the mum is struggling to feed two litters, but i personally think mum knows best and at present should be left, are the babies wriggling and making noise? healthy babies would be doing this and should have round full belly but maybe the mum just dont have lots to go round and she is probly worn out from giving birth twice so quickly, good luck
 
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Thankyou for the advice every 1 ...the babies are wriggling around and she has built them a really good nest but they look wrinkly and iv read this is a sign of not feeding ...my poor doe she has goats milk also as i Wastold by a breeder to do this....will try anything x
 
I don't know why they would suggest that, that is likely to upset her tummy. Just her normal water and unlimited food and unlimited hay should be all she needs :)
 
If I separate the older kits from mum then....do they need anything to help with there digestion...iv read that when they are pulled away from mum too early they can suffer with problems later in life?? ...read read read that's all iv been doing on rabbits :lol: why didn't I think of a forum sooner ..thanks so much everybody x;)
 
I presume the older kits are eating quite a bit of solids by now. Just continue on with the same foods they are already eating and lots of hay and they should do fine :)
 
When the babies turn about 4 weeks old they begin to eat the solid food. They injest bacteria that will eventually become their normal gut bacteria. Since they have not been exposed to it they need their mothers milk to regulate the pH and keep the bacterias from causing enteritis. It takes a few weeks and they really should not be weaned until they are 8 weeks old. weaning them early is extremely dangerous
 
When the babies turn about 4 weeks old they begin to eat the solid food. They injest bacteria that will eventually become their normal gut bacteria. Since they have not been exposed to it they need their mothers milk to regulate the pH and keep the bacterias from causing enteritis. It takes a few weeks and they really should not be weaned until they are 8 weeks old. weaning them early is extremely dangerous

This is not entirely accurate.

The babies will sgtart eating solids from a very young age. I remember seeing some 10 day old babies chewing on hay. They will eat pellets as soon as they leave the nest.

A baby's gut changes from a baby gut to an adult gut at between 3-4 weeks, so they are able to cope without mum's milk. Its obviously not ideal, but it is likely to be necessary in this situaiton.

The next few weeks, with minimal stress, and good care, and a bit of luck thrown in, and you will hopefully be fine :)

I've had a kit here who was abandoned at roughly 3-4 weeks and is a very healthy chap now :) And I also fostered a litter whose mum died when they were 5 weeks old, and they also had no gut problems.

There are a good few people on here who have had similar situations to yours, so please don't feel alone with it. I believe the majority of them have managed to help the kits to adulthood :)
 
Where are you? It might be worth phoning a local rescue to see if they could give advice or even practical help, as they will have experience in this area.
 
need desperate help hand rearing baby rabbits...please

I would seperate the older babies:)they are bigger and stronger than the new litter so will push them out of the way when mum is feeding (she will only normally do this once a day and you probably won,t see her feed them)leave the new babies with mum and she should start to feed them properly:)you can pop the older ones back when you can see the new ones have been fed:)the will have full,round tummies:)they will then help themselves to mum,s milk:)i woidn,t try to hand rear as they very seldom survive:cry:being with mum is the best option for them:) good luck and hope they survive:)
 
Good news the newborn kits have full round bellys this morning.....:love: ..leave well alone now mum is feeding ..thanks again for advice xx
 
That's excellent :)

If you haven't separated the older litter, then watch out for any signs of aggression from mum to kits and they will need to be separated instantly. By nature she will want to drive them away.
 
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