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Rabbit Kits missing

Arnav

New Kit
Yesterday when i went to sleep there were 5 kits with their mother in a room but now only 4 of them are there and 1 is missing i searched the whole house and didnt found him any suggestions . Is there any chance she could have ate the baby

Note: 2 other babies were found on the floor but they were okay
 
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How old are the kits ?

Indoors or outdoors ?

If a very young kit was latched on to Mum as she hopped out of the nest he/she would be dragged out and dropped. He/she may then try to crawl back to the nest, depending on age. If eyes still closed kit would probably perish. If out doors this could result in kit being taken by a predator if environment not secure , especially from Rats.

If Mum does eat a Kit it is usually in the first few days after birth and due to Mum feeling anxious due to an inappropriate environment, interference of the nest or a lack of dietary protein.. Very young first time mother Does are more likely to eat a kit. But if it happens then the Breeder needs to be mindful that it could happen again next time.
 
The kits are 4 day old i searched everywhere but couldn't find him the other kits are ok and healthy with round tummies the nest is indoors and i do not have any rats or any other predator in my house . I am very confused that how can a 4 day old baby disappear like that i m still searching again and again for him and i m not a breeder they are my pet rabbits i was told they both were male but you know what happened
 
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I give her hay ,coriander ,spinach carrot and a supply of clean water at all times . She also eat pulses sometimes i do not think she can eat due to lack of protein
 
Have you searched through the Hay? Has your Doe got privacy so she feels safe? I can't add any more really. Inspector Morse has covered everything else. Hope the 4 will be ok.
 
I searched each and every thing . If the mother would have ate him will there be any remains of him
 
Yes on the day of delivery . These babies were unexpected but i searched the web really fast and did everything and separated them
 
I dont know about privacy but she feels safe i guess we check the babies 3 times a day to see if she had fed the babies
 
1 day before this happened my mum went to check the babies if they are well fed then the doe bited my mother which was very strange and now when we got to see the kits in the room 1 kit was missing
 
1 day before this happened my mum went to check the babies if they are well fed then the doe bited my mother which was very strange and now when we got to see the kits in the room 1 kit was missing

Perhaps it's better not to handle them yet, Mum bit your Mum to warn her. Rabbits like to be very private when they have kits. I hope they have shelter in the nest so they can develop properly. I would leave them in peace now until they are about 3 weeks old. They will be popping out of the nest by this time and nibbling at Mum's food. I have heard of Rabbits killing all their babies after a human has handled them.
 
It sounds as though the Mother was unsettled by the nest being disturbed. In the wild if a nest in a burrow is disturbed, by a predator of some sort, the Doe may kill and eat the entire litter to remove all trace of a nest being there. She won’t want to draw attention to a Warren. This instinct remains imprinted in Pet Rabbits. So I would not handle the kits at all for a while, remove Mum from where the nest is before checking the nest twice a day. You should be able to assess the hydration and activity status of the kits without touching them. When you do handle them again rub your hands in some of Mums soiled bedding first to get her scent onto your hands.
 
I didnt like touched the babies but just saw them from above see their tummies but from now on i will not touch the babies. The mother was friendly to us whenever we checked the babies before. But ok thanks for advice
 
It sounds as though the Mother was unsettled by the nest being disturbed. In the wild if a nest in a burrow is disturbed, by a predator of some sort, the Doe may kill and eat the entire litter to remove all trace of a nest being there. She won’t want to draw attention to a Warren. This instinct remains imprinted in Pet Rabbits. So I would not handle the kits at all for a while, remove Mum from where the nest is before checking the nest twice a day. You should be able to assess the hydration and activity status of the kits without touching them. When you do handle them again rub your hands in some of Mums soiled bedding first to get her scent onto your hands.

Ok
 
I wanted to know when can i re home the kits.I am planning to re home 3 kits and the mother and keep one male rabbit to accompany my other rabbit
 
Whatever rabbits you keep permanently together should be neutered. Un-neutered rabbits of any gender / mix are prone to fight and will inflict nasty injuries on each other. Females are also prone to uterine cancer (around 80%) which shortens their life considerably, plus pregnancy is a risk - so neutering a doe will give health benefits. The buck could be neutered now, then re-introduced to the doe when this litter has moved on (assuming she's not pregnant again). If your doe was with the buck for anytime after she started giving birth to this litter, she may well be pregnant again.

The babies can be rehomed at 8 weeks old. You may need an expert to determine the gender of the babies when they are older as it can be difficult to assess (as you have found out).
 
Lol yes . Pet shop owner tricked me . I m giving the kits to my relatives so i can know if they are taking proper care of them
 
2 males don't always get along so the best course of action would be to neuter Dad now and keep a female baby because when a male gets around 6 months he and Dad might start fighting.
 
Sorry you lost one baby. They can be difficult to count when they are in the nest your doe made with all the fur. Are babies in a box inside cage? If so they would be less likely too fall out of nest area. There is advice on accidental litter and care of babies on a sticky note in the health section of this web site.
 
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