If this is in the wrong section, please feel free to move it
Hi everyone.
This is my first ever post on here and I imagine I am not going to be an overly active member - I only work with rabbits, I don't own any!
I have a mother and babies at work at the minute that I am really concerned about, but I don't know if I am being over dramatic because I have never done this before.
The story behind it is long and complicated. We had two "male" lionhead rabbits handed over to us from somebody who didn't want them anymore. My colleague decided to trust these people and didn't double check their sex. So of course, a few weeks later we had a surprise of two very large (atleast three inches in length) and very still born babies. The male was left in with the female for another 7 days before he was removed and neutered (not my responsibility and not something I agree with before anyone rips my head off). So of course, another litter appeared yesterday. There were four, although I found one dead this morning. With the first litter the mother had built a huge nest from fur, hay, all sorts of stuff. This time round there is nothing. I have given her a box and nesting material but she isn't interested. I don't have a proper nesting box, just a cardboard box. The babies are all over the place though. She keeps walking on then and standing on them. One has small cuts on its back from her nails. They have been wriggling around all day and I can't see any milk bands on their bellies. One of them was feeling colder than the others so I don't have high expectations for it, unfortunately.
I have been careful with scent when handling the babies to try and not put the mother off. I checked her underneath and it took me a long time to find her nipples because she obviously hadn't removed any hair from around them. I don't know if her mammary glands should be 'full', but they definitely don't feel it and i couldn't express any milk from her nipples.
I am at work tomorrow (i don't normally work weekends) so I am going to check and see if they are still alive or if there is any difference. But, what do I do? When do I decide to step in and take over if I need to or do I even bother at all? I don't know what the success rates of hand raising rabbits at this age is. I have never done it before. Are any of the things I have described above natural or IS there something to worry about?
oh FYI - Mum isn't very tame and doesn't like to be handled much - I think they were just locked away in a hutch all the time
I think I know what answers I will get here but its worth a try anyway
Thanks!
Hi everyone.
This is my first ever post on here and I imagine I am not going to be an overly active member - I only work with rabbits, I don't own any!
I have a mother and babies at work at the minute that I am really concerned about, but I don't know if I am being over dramatic because I have never done this before.
The story behind it is long and complicated. We had two "male" lionhead rabbits handed over to us from somebody who didn't want them anymore. My colleague decided to trust these people and didn't double check their sex. So of course, a few weeks later we had a surprise of two very large (atleast three inches in length) and very still born babies. The male was left in with the female for another 7 days before he was removed and neutered (not my responsibility and not something I agree with before anyone rips my head off). So of course, another litter appeared yesterday. There were four, although I found one dead this morning. With the first litter the mother had built a huge nest from fur, hay, all sorts of stuff. This time round there is nothing. I have given her a box and nesting material but she isn't interested. I don't have a proper nesting box, just a cardboard box. The babies are all over the place though. She keeps walking on then and standing on them. One has small cuts on its back from her nails. They have been wriggling around all day and I can't see any milk bands on their bellies. One of them was feeling colder than the others so I don't have high expectations for it, unfortunately.
I have been careful with scent when handling the babies to try and not put the mother off. I checked her underneath and it took me a long time to find her nipples because she obviously hadn't removed any hair from around them. I don't know if her mammary glands should be 'full', but they definitely don't feel it and i couldn't express any milk from her nipples.
I am at work tomorrow (i don't normally work weekends) so I am going to check and see if they are still alive or if there is any difference. But, what do I do? When do I decide to step in and take over if I need to or do I even bother at all? I don't know what the success rates of hand raising rabbits at this age is. I have never done it before. Are any of the things I have described above natural or IS there something to worry about?
oh FYI - Mum isn't very tame and doesn't like to be handled much - I think they were just locked away in a hutch all the time
I think I know what answers I will get here but its worth a try anyway
Thanks!