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PLEASE HELP!! Newborn kits!!

Katy

Young Bun
Hi there! Today I thought my rabbit was 12 days pregnant.


Turns out she was a lot further on. She gave birth today! I was in such a state! I thought she had a miscarriage. The babies were mOving and a reasonable size. So they can not have been the 12 day kits could they?

I need urgent help! She's had her babies in the corner of the hutch ( which isnt ideal as I got her a nest box)

I was in the hutch when she started givig birth. And I saw two. But left her to it, I don't know no many she has had.

My question is WHAT DO I DO :( I'm worried about the kits! ( and mum of course, bu I saw her hopping about about 20 mins after)

Do I check on the kits tonight? When do I check on them? Do I consult a vet? I'm so worried about her.




PLEASE HELP
 
Ooh I don't know sorry, hope they're all ok and mum is well, someone who knows about little ones will be here shortly I'm sure!
 
Hi there!

Has mum had an accidental litter or was this planned breeding?

Ideally you need to up mums food... Slowly introduce unlimited pellets as she'll need more energy and nutrients whilst feeding the kits.

You also need to make sure she is provided with a lot of hay, especially to help keep the kits warm if they are outside.

Please don't touch the babies with your hands until you have given mum a good rub over and rubbed your hands into her substrate - this is to make you smell like mum so there's no chance of her rejecting the kits.

You need to check after all kits have been born that all are alive and remove any dead babies. In the next 24 hours, you need to check that mum has fed them, they should have bellies like ping pong balls.

I know how scary it is, we've had an accidental litter here. Let us all know if there's anything we all can do, many members have a lot of experience in kits.
 
Hi there!

Has mum had an accidental litter or was this planned breeding?

Ideally you need to up mums food... Slowly introduce unlimited pellets as she'll need more energy and nutrients whilst feeding the kits.

You also need to make sure she is provided with a lot of hay, especially to help keep the kits warm if they are outside.

Please don't touch the babies with your hands until you have given mum a good rub over and rubbed your hands into her substrate - this is to make you smell like mum so there's no chance of her rejecting the kits.

You need to check after all kits have been born that all are alive and remove any dead babies. In the next 24 hours, you need to check that mum has fed them, they should have bellies like ping pong balls.

I know how scary it is, we've had an accidental litter here. Let us all know if there's anything we all can do, many members have a lot of experience in kits.

Hiii!

Thanks for the help! This was an accidental litter - I thought there might have been a chance she was pregnant so I carried on with the treatment as if she was pregnant.

She definitively conceived 12 days ago as I suspected there was a mating (My male rabbit escaped) and checked her area and there was something there. So she shouldn't be having her kits already? They would be deformed and fetus' wouldn't they? So I don't know where these babies have come from :(

I'm just worried that mum will not look after her kits as I was in with her when she started giving birth! I would feel so guilty if that's the case! I'm going to check on her tomorrow morning, I have decided to see if she and the babies are okay.

And is there a chance she might be having a second litter in a couple of weeks? Because that would mean two litters to feed :O


Thanks,

Katy
 
Hiii!

Thanks for the help! This was an accidental litter - I thought there might have been a chance she was pregnant so I carried on with the treatment as if she was pregnant.

She definitively conceived 12 days ago as I suspected there was a mating (My male rabbit escaped) and checked her area and there was something there. So she shouldn't be having her kits already? They would be deformed and fetus' wouldn't they? So I don't know where these babies have come from :(

I'm just worried that mum will not look after her kits as I was in with her when she started giving birth! I would feel so guilty if that's the case! I'm going to check on her tomorrow morning, I have decided to see if she and the babies are okay.

And is there a chance she might be having a second litter in a couple of weeks? Because that would mean two litters to feed :O


Thanks,

Katy

How many times has your male rabbit been near your female? You are right, babies have been born too early for them to be the litter from mating 12 days ago. Maybe try and go and check on them now, see how they look? If they are fully formed and have been born at full gestation then yes, you possibly are looking at another litter.

If you are looking at another litter, mum may find it difficult to look after 2 lots of babies. I have no experience with does having 2 litters at the same time but I'm sure that someone will be along soon who does.

I would check on the kits now to check them over.

After all of this, I would seriously consider getting your buns neutered so this doesn't happen again but we can go onto that later on when these kits have been sorted out.

If something happens with the kits, it won't be your fault. These things happen. Just be careful from now on.
 
As long as the male has been nowhere near her since giving birth then she shouldn't have another litter. Bunnies mate again almost immediately after giving birth but if they mated again 12 days ago when she was already pregnant from an earlier meeting then she shouldn't be pregnant separately from that. Mum buns do ignore their babies for all but a few minutes a day, so don't fret if she does seem to be completely ignoring them most of the time, that's normal.

I would advise getting your male booked in for neutering while mum is raising her litter, that way you can be sure that there won't be any more accidents and it would be a good opportunity to get it done now.

Good luck x
 
As long as the male has been nowhere near her since giving birth then she shouldn't have another litter. Bunnies mate again almost immediately after giving birth but if they mated again 12 days ago when she was already pregnant from an earlier meeting then she shouldn't be pregnant separately from that. Mum buns do ignore their babies for all but a few minutes a day, so don't fret if she does seem to be completely ignoring them most of the time, that's normal.

I would advise getting your male booked in for neutering while mum is raising her litter, that way you can be sure that there won't be any more accidents and it would be a good opportunity to get it done now.

Good luck x


Thanks for the reply!

Yeah I think I'm going to get my male neutered, then I was thinking of putting him in with one of the girls or maybe even the guinea pig (he's only a small Netherland Dwarf so he isn't that much bigger than a guinea pig.)

I checked on the babies this morning and I saw five moving about. All warm and I couldn't see any dead ones. The nest was a a lot better built this morning with lots more fur.

I did check on them - I rubbed my hands on mum and in her shavings and then moved the babies SLIGHTLY to see if there was any dead ones at the bottom. Couldn't see any but I didn't dig too deep in case mum got angry.

Mum was a bit shy from me, but she was happy to eat her cabbage with me there and wasn't too upset I was in her nest. She just sat in the opposite corner.

I've given her two water bottles and more food. She seemed to be acting like usual - is this a good thing? Shouldn't she be really territorial of her nest? I'm worried that she is neglecting her nest or not properly being motherly towards them.

Also, I checked on them at 6:25 this morning. When do i next check her and her babies? This lunch time? tomorrow?

Thank you for the help!
 
You can't keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, so you know, so thats not really an option :wave:

They have different dietary requirements, can't talk the same language and can pass on illnesses to each other. A rabbit could easily accidentally kill a guinea pig when doing binkies etc.
 
Thanks for the reply!

Yeah I think I'm going to get my male neutered, then I was thinking of putting him in with one of the girls or maybe even the guinea pig (he's only a small Netherland Dwarf so he isn't that much bigger than a guinea pig.)

I checked on the babies this morning and I saw five moving about. All warm and I couldn't see any dead ones. The nest was a a lot better built this morning with lots more fur.

I did check on them - I rubbed my hands on mum and in her shavings and then moved the babies SLIGHTLY to see if there was any dead ones at the bottom. Couldn't see any but I didn't dig too deep in case mum got angry.

Mum was a bit shy from me, but she was happy to eat her cabbage with me there and wasn't too upset I was in her nest. She just sat in the opposite corner.

I've given her two water bottles and more food. She seemed to be acting like usual - is this a good thing? Shouldn't she be really territorial of her nest? I'm worried that she is neglecting her nest or not properly being motherly towards them.

Also, I checked on them at 6:25 this morning. When do i next check her and her babies? This lunch time? tomorrow?

Thank you for the help!

I echo what Graham has said on the bunny/guinea pig combination. Buns and guineas can't communicate at all and buns can pass on a disease called Bordatella to Guineas. It's best to keep them completely seperate :)

Re. the kits. It's good that you managed to check on them! 5 kits is the same sized litter that we had last year! It's also good that mum has built up the nest.

Mum buns don't really go near the next until it's feeding time. My doe never seemed interested in her babies until it was time for food, or if she noticed they needed some more fur/nest material for warmth.

I wouldn't check on them too often, but maybe try tonight to check they've all been fed. You'll need to check that they all have round, full tummies so that you know mum is feeding them properly.

I had a peek in at our nest once a day, usually in the evening. I didn't touch the babies every day though just popped my head in. You do just really need to check that they are all full and eating well.

It sounds like you're doing the right things so far, it's just a case of carrying this on and worrying like mad constantly! Haha!
 
You can't keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, so you know, so thats not really an option :wave:

They have different dietary requirements, can't talk the same language and can pass on illnesses to each other. A rabbit could easily accidentally kill a guinea pig when doing binkies etc.

Okay thanks, I know I read somewhere that you can keep guinea pigs and rabbits together. But I won't if it isn't right, i'll just put him in with one of my females.
 
I echo what Graham has said on the bunny/guinea pig combination. Buns and guineas can't communicate at all and buns can pass on a disease called Bordatella to Guineas. It's best to keep them completely seperate :)

Re. the kits. It's good that you managed to check on them! 5 kits is the same sized litter that we had last year! It's also good that mum has built up the nest.

Mum buns don't really go near the next until it's feeding time. My doe never seemed interested in her babies until it was time for food, or if she noticed they needed some more fur/nest material for warmth.

I wouldn't check on them too often, but maybe try tonight to check they've all been fed. You'll need to check that they all have round, full tummies so that you know mum is feeding them properly.

I had a peek in at our nest once a day, usually in the evening. I didn't touch the babies every day though just popped my head in. You do just really need to check that they are all full and eating well.

It sounds like you're doing the right things so far, it's just a case of carrying this on and worrying like mad constantly! Haha!

Thanks for the reply!

I just wanna check on them all the time to make sure they are well and none have fallen out or anything. xD I did look at the tummies but they didn't seem 'pingpong ball' sized, but they didn't dip either. Does this mean that I should worry some more? I feel helpless :(

I'm also a little worried because I couldn't find any dead babies. And they should be! I don't want to have a rotting baby with the healthy babies. :(
 
Thanks for the reply!

I just wanna check on them all the time to make sure they are well and none have fallen out or anything. xD I did look at the tummies but they didn't seem 'pingpong ball' sized, but they didn't dip either. Does this mean that I should worry some more? I feel helpless :(

I'm also a little worried because I couldn't find any dead babies. And they should be! I don't want to have a rotting baby with the healthy babies. :(

Honestly, there may not be any dead babies, we didn't have any at all. If you are that worried, go distract mum, rub your hands on her again and take them out, one by one and lay them next to the nest. You'll soon see if any are dead.

I wouldn't worry too much about their tummies atm. Give mum until tonight to feed them.

It is normal to feel pretty helpless and worried. I felt awful constantly when our bun had her babies. It was horrid. It gets better though, honestly! When they open their eyes and then start hopping about, the worry subsides a lot! :D
 
Honestly, there may not be any dead babies, we didn't have any at all. If you are that worried, go distract mum, rub your hands on her again and take them out, one by one and lay them next to the nest. You'll soon see if any are dead.

I wouldn't worry too much about their tummies atm. Give mum until tonight to feed them.

It is normal to feel pretty helpless and worried. I felt awful constantly when our bun had her babies. It was horrid. It gets better though, honestly! When they open their eyes and then start hopping about, the worry subsides a lot! :D

I just checked on them - (the rubbing and shaving etc) and found 6 babies. All alive, all a reasonable size. that's gonna be it i think for today. I just hope mum feeds them D:
 
She might only feed them once a day, she will be fine I am sure....sounds like she is taking it all in her stride! nature is a wonderful thing :)
 
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