help rabbit question "please help"

Let's see, the Broken Black mix's babies are, what, 6 days old at this point? How do they compare in size to the Sable Point lop's babies? How do the mothers compare to each other, size-wise?
Does the lop only have 2?

On the one hand, 2 is a small litter; I've heard that 6 is considered optimum size (for large does, that is - I wouldn't like to see a 2 lb. Netherland Dwarf with 6!). When there are only one or two babies in the litter, they grow very fast - sometimes, too fast. You can get digestive problems and malformed bones in kits that have grown too quickly. So, a certain amount of competition is a good thing. But babies that are almost a week old are much stronger and more coordinated than newborns; putting significantly larger and more developed kits in with newborns could result in the new kits dying due to too much competition. I rearrange babies in nest boxes all the time, no problem, but I like the kits to be closer together in age than this.

Don't worry about the doe's feelings - rabbits can't count. As long as she has something to look after, I don't think a rabbit notices litter size - not to the point of recognizing them as individuals, at any rate. I can see that you would want to ease the burden of the broken black, since she's not well - maybe move a couple of her kits, in a couple of days, when the lop's babies are a little stronger and a little more stable? Maybe move a couple more a couple of days later, once you are sure the lop's babies are holding their own?
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Good luck, and love the pics!


BTW, Sour, the link Mrs. Feathers posted pretty much covers the subject of wry neck.
 
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ok so i will give it a couple of days to see...the broken black babies are a little bigger but are growing slow for a week old...but in a couple of days i will see how things are going...because i dont want anymore to die :( ...but the broken black has to be taken care of them...or they wouldnt have lived this long right?...thanks so very much for all your help...i raised rabbits when i was im high school like 15 years ago lol...now i have animals for my kids to grow up with...and never had a rabbit like this...so ty for all your help its much needed
 
i have to start putting the babies with the new mom....i lost another one today...and i think the best thing to is put them with the other and see what happens...they are weak the ones born today or moving more than the week old ones...im crossing my fingers they all live ...i will keep everyone posted
 


ok so they are doing much better with the foster mom...look at the pink one lol thats the 2 day old one...he is bigger than the older ones lol...i think i did the right thing...so i lost 4...two of those little black ones are from my friends litter....my friends rabbit was eating her babies and she had two left so i told her to bring them over...so the 3 tiny ones are from the broken black one...they are so tiny compared to the 2 day old ones...i think they will all make it...and the foster mom is the best mom ever...for the broken black mom...her eyes have stop twitching...other than that she is doing the same :(
 
Well, if the eyes have stopped twitching, that's improvement. It can be really slow going, but she may be normal within the month.

Sorry to hear about the kits you've lost. I bet you understand why I say that those who believe in the saying "breeding like rabbits" have never tried it." huh? I'm glad to hear that your lop is turning out to be such a good mom. Keep us posted, and good luck!
 
thanks for the web site....update all the babies are doing good...im going to try and post pics every couple of days
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....broken black mom is doing the same but moving more...so maybe thats improvement...here is the babies...3 are a week and ahalf (the smaller ones) and the other 4 are i think 3 days old...


 
update...the mom isnt doing to good...she is starting to roll... i think im going to put her down...i dont like to see her suffer
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...on the other hand all 7 babies that are with the new mom are doing great...she was the best mom for the job....

 
I'm sorry to hear about the broken black doe. That's what happens sometimes.
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Glad to hear that your other doe has proven to be such a good mother, though!
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