My rabbit had ONE baby last night, around 5 p.m. As of this morning at 8 a.m., there is still only one baby. She made a beautiful comfy nest - everything seems proper. She did seem to be a bit overdue. After she had the one baby, she continued to bleed a little throughout the evening. She doesn't seem to be in any distress - acting quite normal. She is very accepting of my presence even throughout this past day. I didn't see her deliver, but the baby is right in the middle of the nest, covered in mama's fur. This is her first pregnancy. She was bred with a smaller rabbit.
2007-05-01 05:46:20 · 4 answers · asked by Amy 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
She is not still bleeding. She was passing what looked like a diluted bloody liquid. It would pool about an inch in width, and then she wouldn't bleed for a while. I saw this happen about four times - all yesterday evening. This morning, she didn't appear to be bleeding, seemed in good health, and yes - the baby did jump like popcorn when I disturbed it to check on it.... Maybe everything is okay...
I'm not sure of the breed. Mom is large, entirely white with red eyes. Her ears stand up - do not 'lop'. She was given to me by someone who could no longer care for her.
The male - I bought from a pet store over a year ago. He is almost entirely white, but has a small patch of grey on his nose, and a dusting of the same color on his opposite ear (of the side of the nose with color). He's adorable.... and about a third the size of the mom, although I don't believe he is a 'dwarf'. I would love to know what breed they are...
2007-05-01 06:21:21 · update #1
Man, this is so much fun! I have a huge update... Almost 24 hours after delivering the one baby, she delivered 8 more! She placed 6 in the next, one of which was dead this morning - and I kind of knew it would happen - he was darker and less active. She delivered two on the floor of the cage - not in the nest - and they were dead at birth, and not well developed.
This morning, there was yet one more dead one in her litter box in the cage. One of the healthy ones in the nest is missing - or perhaps, I originally miscounted.
So, a total of 9 or 10 (so far, I should say), five of which seem to be healthy and vibrant. She seems tired and a bit weary, but alert and still tame to me.
Thanks for all your information everybody. I love this! I know it is not suggested to breed two different types, but my son and I love the doe and buck, and really wanted to make them a "family" so we could continue to have their offspring - as melodramatic as that sounds. We're sappy folk that way...
2007-05-02 03:35:14 · update #2
Is she still bleeding? If so, take her to the vet ASAP! Have you give her any privacy? She might not feel relax enough to birth the rest of her bunny babies. Your best bet is to at least call a vet that specialize in rabbits. Your local Petco, can give you a number to a vet or bunny rescue that will be able to answer all your questions. Good luck and congrats!! :)
2007-05-01 05:53:51 · answer #1 · answered by mlsherratt 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You did not mention her breed. Many of the smaller breeds have small litters and a singleton although not common sometimes does happen. It is also normal for a bit of spotting to be observed however if she is actually bleeding and leaving blood puddles best to get her seen right away. If she had more kits inside her she would have either had them by now or she would have passed away due to not being able to have them. (rabbits rarely carry a kit they can not pass a kit that doesnt pass is always fatal during labor where as with some other animals such as dogs they can retain a babe and get very sick later. One major misconception with rabbits is that due to the owner not typically seeing her nurse the kits is that she has rejected them or is not caring for them. It is normal to not see your doe with her kits. They only feed their babes twice a day usually dawn and dusk. If the baby is still alive and will jump a bit like popcorn when you disturb it than all is well. Another misconception is that if you touch the kit mom will reject it. NOT true. In fact the technique generally used by breeders is to remove the box or if you do not have box remove mom. gently remove hair from the top of baby touching it as little as possible check babe ( you can pick it up but becareful they can jump) then once you have checked return babe cover with hair wait ten mins return the box or return the doe after ten mins in moms hair baby will loose your sent.
Best of luck to you
2007-05-01 06:09:09 · answer #2 · answered by my3mohrkids 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not so uncommon, I breed lionheads and have had litters as small as 1 before. Smaller rabbits normally have about 3, but like i said, litters of 1 are not so uncommon.
The only thing you need to worry about is the temperature of the room she's in. With one kit in the nest, the nest wont stay as warm as it should. Make sure the room is nice and cozy.
Sounds like she reabsorbed some of her kits. Please don't breed these animals again. There are so many rabbits hanging around in the shelter due to irresponsible breeding practices, and impulse buying at pet stores.
If you genuinely want to breed rabbits, join the arba, pick a breed, and buy two or more pedigreed rabbits from a responsible breeder.
2007-05-01 06:18:07 · answer #3 · answered by Stephanie V 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like the mother could be a New Zealand White and the father could be a mixed Californian or Himalayan. It's hard to say without seeing pictures. And it sounds like the mom and baby are doing fine. Although that is quite a small litter for a New Zealand. They normally have around 8 babies in a litter. How old is the doe? Her age could play a part in how many babies she had and so could it being her first litter.
2007-05-02 01:33:11 · answer #4 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋