Mama Rabbit Separating Her Babies

[machoman]

Hi All,

Mama bunny had 7 kits this past Saturday, so they're 4 days old today. She's separated them into two nests, 4 in on and three in the other. Any reason why? They seem to be okay. We had an unusually hot day yesterday and are expected to get more, could this be it? She put one of the nests outside the box, of course she still put her fur around them, but not on top.

 

[Bunnylady]

Baby rabbits are very mobile. They crawl around quite a bit. When the weather is cool, they crawl to find each other, so they can share warmth. As temperatures climb, they begin to spread out, to avoid overheating. They burrow under the nesting material or move on top of it, depending on the temps. I strongly suspect that the babies themselves are responsible for where they are, not the mother. I would put the babies that are outside the box back in it, and do whatever is necessary to keep them from getting out again. If they are crawling around in the cage, the risk of the mother accidentally stepping on them is much greater.

 

[machoman]

Thank you. I put them back in the box and blocked the hole so they can't get out, but mama can get it. Their "box" is actually a big wooden cage at the end of the run. It's about 2.5' x 2.5' and is completely enclosed and covered, then there's an opening leading to a 5' wire run that's on the ground so Mama can forage. They had moved out on the grass and rain was coming. They're three days old nobody is thin, so I'm assuming she's feeding them.

 

[hollyk]

I would think they might have been latched on when she hopped away and then wound up outside the box. However, it sound like Mama is taking care of them. Congrats on the new bunnies

 

[machoman]

Well, the plot thickens.

I have another rabbit that had one baby yesterday. I found it dead in her food bowl. She has a large covered area to nest and she it was 5' away from her box. She still felt pregnant. I checked this morning and she had 5 more in her food bowl. One was dead and four are alive. One was in the process of being eaten by her. It's missing a front leg and some flesh. They're all inside my house now and have all eaten and pooped. I have the three separate from the injured one, who's also eaten and pooped. I treated that one with colloidal silver. Please say some prayers.

I bought this female along with about 12 others from a woman. They were all for meat, but I felt sorry for this one because she was a little deformed. I'm beginning to wonder if she's in-bred and doesn't know how to be a mama. When my husband gets home and can watch our son, I'm going to feel her abdomen and see is she's still pregnant. If she is, I'm faced with decision of culling her to save the babies or letting her have them and kill those too. I feel so awful.

Homesteading can be so hard at times.

 

[Bunnylady]

If this doe is a first-time mother, she may just be displaying the typical stupidity of a first-time mom. I have had quite a few does to get carried away, and remove ears or feet from newborns. Gruesome, but not necessarily an indication of future behavior. This doe might do a decent job of raising a litter, it's really hard to say at this point.

 

[machoman]

Well, she had another and killed that one too. The one she ate the leg off died last night. We have three little ones and they're eating very well and very mobile. They're in the house with me in a carrier next to my bed.

As for the other ones she had in her food bowl, she actually buried them alive, I had to find them. I thought she could still have babies so I did decide to cull her to save her babies. She was not still pregnant but it was obvious she had completely eaten maybe two other kits. She did in fact have some internal problems. She only had on kidney and she appeared to have a very impacted bowel. She escaped her run a couple of weeks ago and I believe she ate something that caused the problem. She was a fluffy girl, but after culling I was able to see she was very thin. The poor dear was not going to make it and ate her babies most likely because she could not care for them. I feel somewhat better know I ended some suffering, but I feel horrible knowing she did suffer.

 

[jayluvs]

Hi I have a rabbit who just had babbies at 2 this morning she killed all but one and that is because I took the one out so she couldn't but now need to know what I need to keep the baby alive

 

[cassie]

I can't help you with raising that orphan bunny, but it sounds like you need to get a book on raising rabbits. From your description it doesn't sound to me like your nesting arrangements are suitable. I could be wrong.

 

[StephanieM268]

Hi I have a question I have a hunting dog she found rabbits nest got ahold of two babies but there r more in there I won’t let her near it will the mama come back to feed them