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breeder help please?

bunnylove

Wise Old Thumper
how do you know a doe is feeding her litter?

one of the rescue does came in with a day old litter which she has feed and reared to 4 weeks old, on tuesday she has her second litter.

5 in first litter 6 in the second

i have left the first litter in the hutch with mum and second litter, but the second litter keep moving and you normally only find one in the nest, the others are normally in a hundle next to the litter and one or two stray. (al seems warm but is that the weather :? )

this morning again one was in the nest, three were next to it, and two were in the living quaters one buried (alive) under the wood chip and hay and the other just lying on top.

i am just not sure whether she is feeding them saying that they are still here at day 4 :D but i saw one of the kits yesterday trying to feed for one of the 4 week olds and they just seem a little more "popcorn" that the first litter!
why do they keep going walk abouts :?
 
Have you tried putting a thick layer of hay round the edges of the nest to make it deeper, i did this in the past and it stopped the kits falling out the nest. Also sometimes they come out the nest if they`re still latched onto mum from feeding and she decides it time to hop off!
With regards to the mum feeding the kits, i`ve found it`s rare to see mum feeding the kits as she only does it twice a day, often at dawn and dusk and when no-ones around. If they`ve got nice round tums it means mum`s feeding them.

Hope this helps,
Su.x
 
Does are very secretive about feeding. Mine would stop if she sensed me coming near her. The only way you really know is by checking the babies, if they've got round tummies they're fed, if not then they're not, or it's been a while since their last feed.
I find it helps to reenforce the nest as has been mentioned, just makes sure it smells like mum.
 
raven_guest said:
Does are very secretive about feeding. Mine would stop if she sensed me coming near her. The only way you really know is by checking the babies, if they've got round tummies they're fed, if not then they're not, or it's been a while since their last feed.
I find it helps to reenforce the nest as has been mentioned, just makes sure it smells like mum.


that nest is already situated on a hill :shock: :shock: see if i can find the pictures, and they are not fallin gout they are crawling out!

the havent got fat beelys but it is mid morning si would there belly be fall if she feeds them of a night :?:
 
I would check the babys in the morning for fat bellys. Also i would suggest giving extra milk via a bottle or bowl for the older litter. Mum will not have enough milk for all. You may have to show the older babys the milk so they know its good but once they know its milk they will drink it. This will take some pressure off mum. val
 
breeder help

I would suspect that the bigger babies (4 weks old) are pushing the new borns out of the way when mum is feeding them :( so although they are getting some milk it mat not be enough :( I saw the pics of them & the little ones looked as though they had fat bellies but that was a few days ago :) if they are leaving the nest then they are hungry :( I would take the older babies out & let mum feed the tinies then put them back when she has finished :) as they are stronger they will manage to get mum to feed them as well :) or you could try giving them some extra feeds :)
 
Re: breeder help

rabshan said:
I would suspect that the bigger babies (4 weks old) are pushing the new borns out of the way when mum is feeding them :( so although they are getting some milk it mat not be enough :( I saw the pics of them & the little ones looked as though they had fat bellies but that was a few days ago :) if they are leaving the nest then they are hungry :( I would take the older babies out & let mum feed the tinies then put them back when she has finished :) as they are stronger they will manage to get mum to feed them as well :) or you could try giving them some extra feeds :)


thank val, i have been taking the babies out for most of the day and letting mum have the run of the garden with the door open so she can feed them if she wants/needs too without big bubbas interfereing, and this morning theyall in there nest :D , so i will see how they go, have hung some goats milk again to see whether they will feed off that or not! they didnt last time so we shall wait and see
 
taylor v 109 said:
Sometimes you have to sprinkle milk on them so they lick it of so they know what it is. :lol: val


did that they dint seem to like it! :shock: but then have you tasted goats milk? yuck! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
 
I'd check them morning and night for a couple of days to work out when she is feeding, she will only generally do it when she gets uncomfortable from the amount of milk. I've had babies crawling all over the place, one got curried in her dirty corner at two days old! This is why I interfer a lot more than most people recommend, it all depends on how happy mum is with you.

The baby in the dirty corner was fine and popped back in the nest, how it could breathe I don't know!

Poor mum! Having to feed that many! I'd leave if I were her lol
 
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