HELP !!! 3 rabbits had babies the same time in same area!!

[Truffle]

If anyone can advise me...I have 3 rabbits that possibly gave birth same time last night...I found 3 dead and don't know who they belonged to. The smallest of the 3 has always been an outsider and did'nt get along with the other 2. The 2 were together in the same nest with a few live young! Should I just leave them and let nature take it's course or try to separate them some how?
If I touch the babies will they be rejected?

THANKS !!! Holly

 

[waryyear950]

We have taken baby's away from one and gave them to the other already.Take some of the mothers hair and rub them on the baby's to get her sent them put them in the nest box.We have are rabbits in separate cages ,with there own nest boxes. So this isn't a familiar problem for me.If there runts or theres something wrong with them the mother sometimes takes them out of the. nest box

 

[Duck Keeper]

I've only ever had three litters, but to handle the kits, my aunt and uncle (who used to raise many rabbits for meat) told me to rub vanilla extract on the mother's nose to mask your scent. Just the cheap stuff. I imagine it would work to give the babies to different mamas. As an extra measure, I'd dab a little bit on the kits too so even if there isn't enough on the mama's nose, she'll still not be able to tell the difference.

To apply it, just put two fingers over the bottle opening, tip it onto your fingers (less wasted the better), then rub that all over and around the does' nose.

It works so well, that the ONE time someone handled some of my kits without rubbing enough vanilla on the mother's nose, she chewed the arm off of one of them...

I tried to save it, but it was a no go. I was laid up because of my back and couldn't check on them as often as I would have liked.

 

[dutchhollow]

You can touch and move the babies, to one nest box in a cage with just one of the mothers, if you are sure who gave birth. I have never worried about rubbing fur on them or trying to mask scent in any way and never had a problem. This is why breeder should be in separate cages (well imo all should be in separate cages) if you leave them odds are one or both mothers will start killing them, by fighting over them or territory. And yes I know folks colony raise rabbits, but the successful ones I have talked to are in very large fences area's where the mother can dig burrows and have their own area.