i didn't know she was pregnant now she has givin birth to 4 babies. she wont pay n e mind to her babies. i reseached online and it said not to touch the litter for up to 72 hours. but if she doest feed them how will they survive? should i give them what she eats?
2007-01-20 04:46:42 · 6 answers · asked by leesah s 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
i had the same problem with the previous litters one of my rabbits had..if you dont think shes feeding them then you can try making her feed them (no this is not mean and will not hurt the rabbit) it sounds cruel but what you have to do is keep her steady and hold her up to her babies until they drink what they want. this is the only thing you can do to make sure because when they are first born..they can really only survive on mothers milk. but if their bellies are round and they dont look skinny then they are ok..you wont need to do this then
you can check on them a little to see how theyre doing but other than that you should leave the mom and them alone...only go to the cage when you feed the mom. to avoid temptation: you can have the cage in a room you dont go to as often (unless they are outside then it doesnt matter)
ONLY feed them yourself as an absolute last resort because mothers milk is what they need.
im not telling you what to do but learning from experience..this is what i would recommend.
after their eyes open and they grow fur..you can probly see them a little more.
but once they start eating regular food (which will be about 7-8 weeks after birth) then you can play with all the rabbits. the babies you can take out and love on too. of course you will have to put em back in after a while so they can get some mommy time. but this is the time when you can play with em for hours.
if any of the rabbits die..dont fret. theres nothing else you could do (besides what i said) so dont ever blame yourself. sometimes this can happen. you could always try breeding again..sooner or later the mother is bound to keep a litter living but make sure you always use this same method.
2007-01-20 14:56:58 · answer #1 · answered by Garbo's snowflake 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure she hasn't tended the babies? Normally, feeding the litter takes a few minutes, and she ignores the nest the rest of the time.
If the babies have full stomachs, they've eaten. They should be fine. If their stomachs are hollow, wait until evening, and check again. If they're still hollow, it could be that the mother's udders are too sensitive for her to nurse, or that she just has no idea what to do.
It's a good idea to take her to the vet in case she has an infection. To make sure she feeds the babies, though, just take out the nest box, put the doe in it, and once you're sure she's not standing on any babies, hold her there until they can nurse. Some of them might need help finding the nipples. You only need to do this twice a day. Every morning, before you take her out, check the litter to see if they've already eaten. She might catch on, then you won't have to bother her in the future.
As a last, last, last resort, you could try feeding the babies yourself. You need the right food and the right tools: whole goat's milk or pet formula (not cow's milk; it gives them gas, which stops them from taking in any more food and starves them), and a 1 cc syringe or a cotton ball to feed them with. You'll get impatient, but feed them as slowly as possible. You're more likely to drown them than feed them, but if the mother dies, and there is no other nursing rabbit you could foster them to, their only chance is with you. Feed them four or five times a day.
With any rabbit birth, and especially for small litters, you're likely to lose some of them. Be ready for the worst, but do whatever you can. Let the mother have as much peace and quiet as possible, and check on the litter once or twice a day.
2007-01-20 14:41:02 · answer #2 · answered by Rachel R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OMG! uh rabbit only feed there litter once a day and aren't with them unless they are feeding them. you can tell if they have been fed by looking at there bellies, they should look rounded and full. You can check the babies right after birth. but just make sure you distact the doe. my website www.freewebs.com/creekside_rabbitry has more info if you need it
2007-01-20 18:26:44 · answer #3 · answered by Olivia W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i breed lionhead and mine are 1 month. they should be in a nest box and she should of pulled her fur out. they dont eat wat there parents eat until about 3 weeks. if there out of there nest box you can pick them up and put them back in nut you have to wash your hands and only you. since it;s her first litter they will all probaoy die. my first little i had six and 3 died and 3 lived but she was an exalent mom.some rabbit's should not be breed. this sounds like she imature and not be breed. you can buy some kitten formula o feed the babies out of a dirper but really slow. or you can flip her on her back and put the babies on. if more then 2 die they will all die because they need 3 or more to survive. if she didnt pull out her wool, go to your pet stoor and buy some also get a nest box.
Hoped I'ved Helped :):D
2007-01-20 12:53:13 · answer #4 · answered by Lexi S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
feed them by bottle ... you can go to a feed store and get powdered milk w/ lots of nutrients and some might survive and some might not... but get a squirrel bottle so the nipple will be small enough
2007-01-20 12:52:19 · answer #5 · answered by Taylor 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Tend to them your self, or get another rabbit.
2007-01-20 13:02:38 · answer #6 · answered by dreamteen144244 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋