Help!!! *graphic image*

[wlschwallenberg]

We have two rabbits that have been housed together since August and when we went outside today to the hutch there were three dead kits.

I have no idea if they were full term it if it was a miscarriage. They are about 2.5 inches long. One looks to be half eaten. I am so upset can anyone give me some insight as to what may have happened?

 

[sourland]

You will have to provide a nesting box with bedding and separate the buck and doe if you want to raise a litter successfully. The buck may have killed the kits, or the doe may have become anxious and killed them. If they are still together, she may be rebred already.

 

[TravisE]

Was the male in with them? The males will kill the babies to bring the female back into heat. Also some females will do this if stressed. All though some females will do it every time. I haven't had them in years, but have experience with them do this.

 

[wlschwallenberg]

Were they full term???

 

[Ariana Martinez]

It was definitely a miscarriage, the kits are not fully developed and shouldn't have such red/pink skin like these ones. Rabbits will munch on/eat just about anything that's sitting in there cages, or maybe she thought the kits were alive and was just eating the afterbirth. If there's a male and female that you own, and I assume there's a male. He might be the one and most likely is the one who took a few bites out of one of the kits. You might wanna Google it and do a bit more research about it, it might give you better and more information about this. sorry for the lose. But hope my reply might of helped out a little

 

[TravisE]

They look full term to me. All mine were about that size when they were born.

 

[wlschwallenberg]

Ok so she could be rebred already? Should I remove the buck now?

 

[sourland]

I would absolutely separate them, NOW. Kits were full term - I agree with TravisE. Yes, the doe may be rebred. Rabbits do not 'come in heat'. They are induced ovulators. The act of breeding cause them to ovulate if they have term ova.

 

[TravisE]

X2 what sourland said

 

[Bunnylady]

It was definitely a miscarriage, the kits are not fully developed and shouldn't have such red/pink skin like these ones. Rabbits will munch on/eat just about anything that's sitting in there cages, or maybe she thought the kits were alive and was just eating the afterbirth. If there's a male and female that you own, and I assume there's a male. He might be the one and most likely is the one who took a few bites out of one of the kits. You might wanna Google it and do a bit more research about it, it might give you better and more information about this.

sorry for the lose. But hope my reply might of helped out a little

Those kits look just a trifle premature to me - maybe 3-4 days, not more.

I've never known a buck to kill kits, though other people have said they have. My bucks have never shown the slightest interest in the kits at all. However, they do show extreme interest in the kits' mothers. Rabbits don't "come into heat," but they do experience hormonal peaks and valleys that make them more fertile and likely to breed at some times than others.One of the highest peaks a doe will ever hit comes right after she kindles, and every buck in my rabbitry knows when I have a newly-kindled doe out there. A doe that has a buck in the cage with her when she kindles will very likely get bred immediately afterward, so I would mark the date on your calender, you probably have a litter due in about 30 days.