Doe rabbit died, need suggestions

[The Rooster]

Hi everyone. This past weekend, one of my production does died and left behind 3 babies. We are trying to raise these 13 day old rabbits, but I'm not sure if it's going to be worth it. The runt of the litter isn't doing very well at all, and I'm sure that one will be dead before I get home tomorrow. Anybody have this happen to them and if so, what did you do?

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I always try to have several does having litters at the same time.
That way I can foster kits out to different does with kits about the same age.

I can't help much with bottle feeding kits, I haven't had good luck doing it.

I did get a milk replacer recipe from a breeder, though. I have never used it, so I don't have any first-hand experience with it.
Here it is.

Jean

Bunny Milk

1 pint skim milk
2 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons Karo Syrup
1 teaspoon of Bone Meal

Baby will drink 5 - 7 cc's (ml) at a time.

 

[The Rooster]

Thanks for the recipe.

 

[()relics]

I did. If you have any other doe that had a litter of babies put them with her

 

[vicki2x2]

At 13 days, I would try giving them baby food spinach, I have heard of breeders successfully raising babies on this. Just use a dropper or syringe and squirt a drop at a time on their tongue. Baby rabbits are very hard to bottle feed, but at 13 days, they have a shot.

 

[mekasmom]

Goats milk in an eye dropper is what we have used. At two weeks old, they should be able to eat some pellets. If you have any other rabbits to put them in with, they will do better than they would alone. In a pinch you can easily wean 3wk old rabbits, so if you keep them alive for just a few days, you will have a good chance.
It is very difficult to hand raise rabbits. If they die, don't feel like you failed. Few survive. But yours are older, so there is hope.

 

[The Rooster]

Thanks for the info everyone. This doe was sort of the odd one out so to speak. She didn't take the first time and I've got 20 that I weened a little over a week ago. So putting the kits in with another might be out of the question. But you all have given me a little hope that this might be possible. Thanks again.

 

[calgal98]

When I raised rabbits I had good luck holding a lactating doe on her back and letting the orphan kits nurse one at a time. You don't have to do it often with the rabbits as they usually only feed their babies once or twice a day. Good luck. Goats milk would be a good second choice (fresh goat milk)

 

[Georgia Rose]

I had success once with kitty formula. One of my does had a massive litter for her breed and my other doe had one of her own and it was pushing the others off, so I supplemented the kitty milk with what little they were getting and they did fine.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I'm hand raising wild rabbits right now. The one big thing with them and I would imagine it will be the same with tame rabbits is feeding the first droppings of the day(the grape like ones) from a doe. It has probiotics and enzymes in it that they need for stomach development.