My rabbit had her babies...

[taraann81]

Quote:
ive raised them for quite a few years.

I know people that have lost bot the doe and the babies just by overfeeding them after giving birth. I have only lost one doe to it. Sometimes its best to err on the side of caution when you are new to raising them, and start off doing things the *safe8 way.

With holding food from any breast feeding mammal is dangerous. Mastitis is not caused by over feeding it is caused by a breast or mammary tissue not being drained enough/consistently + bacteria. I, as a nurse and knowledgeable breast feeding advocate would never suggest with holding food. I personally would rather lose a doe here and there from mastitis than risk starving a whole litter by with holding food=suppressing milk production.

Of course you are entitled to you opinion and from your previous posts I do see that you are knowledgeable about rabbits.

A treatment for mastitis is to cut back on feed, this is not and should not be used as a prophylactic treatment..Too risky in my opinion. But again to each there own.

 

[RabbitMage]

We've always gradually increased the feed-because I do feel a sudden increase in feed may lead to a sudden increase in milk production that young kits won't use. But I'm not lactation expert!

I also know any sudden change in a rabbit's diet can be bad, so I favor a gradual increase. Usually our does go from a measured amount (4-5 ounces of feed) to being free fed by the time their kits are old enough to be out of the nestbox with eyes open and nibbling things-about 12-14 days after birth.

 

[chinbunny]

Quote:
ive raised them for quite a few years.

I know people that have lost bot the doe and the babies just by overfeeding them after giving birth. I have only lost one doe to it. Sometimes its best to err on the side of caution when you are new to raising them, and start off doing things the *safe8 way.

With holding food from any breast feeding mammal is dangerous. Mastitis is not caused by over feeding it is caused by a breast or mammary tissue not being drained enough/consistently + bacteria. I, as a nurse and knowledgeable breast feeding advocate would never suggest with holding food. I personally would rather lose a doe here and there from mastitis than risk starving a whole litter by with holding food=suppressing milk production.

Of course you are entitled to you opinion and from your previous posts I do see that you are knowledgeable about rabbits.

A treatment for mastitis is to cut back on feed, this is not and should not be used as a prophylactic treatment..Too risky in my opinion. But again to each there own.

I have been breeding and showing rabbits for many years. Rabbits aren't like cats and dogs, or other animals that can easily handle a feed increase like that, where they ae also constantly nursing their litters. like rabbit mage says, any type of diet change can be harmful to them, which is why it is bes to slowly increase the feed, after they have been cut back. I have been doing this for many years and ht ebabies have been fine. i learned the tchnique from a very knowledgeable rabbit breeder (my first mentor) who did lose the does and their litters to masitius after increasing their feed, or even their hay. and as I said, I even lost one or two to it. Ive even lost older babies to it, when the doe consumed too much feed, and they were still nursing from her. if you overfeed a rabbit you increase their chances of overmilking. Even the ARBA guidebook to raising better rabbits and cavies say to keep the doe on a restricted diet so she doesn't overmilk. It says prevention for it is to monitor their feed consumption.

Its not dangerous for the rabbit at all. Ive used this method for many years and have never ever had a problem with it. And its not witholding their feed. You are just monitoring their intake. For example, most of my rabbits eat a cup of feed a day. I cut my does back to half a cup the day they give birth, and slowly increase their feed after about 5-7 days. Momma and babies still end up looking just fine. Neither end up starved from it. The babies usually have nice round tummies the entire time.

Rabbits are also not humans, so the nursing techiniques that you know about would not apply to them.

 

[taraann81]

Quote:
With holding food from any breast feeding mammal is dangerous. Mastitis is not caused by over feeding it is caused by a breast or mammary tissue not being drained enough/consistently + bacteria. I, as a nurse and knowledgeable breast feeding advocate would never suggest with holding food. I personally would rather lose a doe here and there from mastitis than risk starving a whole litter by with holding food=suppressing milk production.

Of course you are entitled to you opinion and from your previous posts I do see that you are knowledgeable about rabbits.

A treatment for mastitis is to cut back on feed, this is not and should not be used as a prophylactic treatment..Too risky in my opinion. But again to each there own.

I have been breeding and showing rabbits for many years. Rabbits aren't like cats and dogs, or other animals that can easily handle a feed increase like that, where they ae also constantly nursing their litters. like rabbit mage says, any type of diet change can be harmful to them, which is why it is bes to slowly increase the feed, after they have been cut back. I have been doing this for many years and ht ebabies have been fine. i learned the tchnique from a very knowledgeable rabbit breeder (my first mentor) who did lose the does and their litters to masitius after increasing their feed, or even their hay. and as I said, I even lost one or two to it. Ive even lost older babies to it, when the doe consumed too much feed, and they were still nursing from her. if you overfeed a rabbit you increase their chances of overmilking. Even the ARBA guidebook to raising better rabbits and cavies say to keep the doe on a restricted diet so she doesn't overmilk. It says prevention for it is to monitor their feed consumption.

Its not dangerous for the rabbit at all. Ive used this method for many years and have never ever had a problem with it. And its not witholding their feed. You are just monitoring their intake. For example, most of my rabbits eat a cup of feed a day. I cut my does back to half a cup the day they give birth, and slowly increase their feed after about 5-7 days. Momma and babies still end up looking just fine. Neither end up starved from it. The babies usually have nice round tummies the entire time.

Rabbits are also not humans, so the nursing techiniques that you know about would not apply to them.

I guess I had the wrong idea. I was under the impression that you would gradually increase the does ration until kindling and then continue to gradually increase it. I didn't mean one big increase all at once. Chinbunny I thought you were suggesting to decrease the mothers ration from her pregnancy ration. That is what I was advising against.


Can we see picks of the babies yet!!!

 

[BBK]

congrats on new lil buns... can't wait to see them.

As for the feed, we don't increase or decrease any food rations. our buns eat what they want and leave the rest. And that's a half a cup to 3/4 cups...Netherland Drawf and Lionheads. Never had a any problems...knock on wood.

We also take a carrot and rub it all over our hand B4 going into the nest to check, this seems to cut down on the stress of us peaking in. We only do it the first couple of days, then after that, mom's usually ok with us peaking...

Melinda

 

[chinbunny]

Quote:
I have been breeding and showing rabbits for many years. Rabbits aren't like cats and dogs, or other animals that can easily handle a feed increase like that, where they ae also constantly nursing their litters. like rabbit mage says, any type of diet change can be harmful to them, which is why it is bes to slowly increase the feed, after they have been cut back. I have been doing this for many years and ht ebabies have been fine. i learned the tchnique from a very knowledgeable rabbit breeder (my first mentor) who did lose the does and their litters to masitius after increasing their feed, or even their hay. and as I said, I even lost one or two to it. Ive even lost older babies to it, when the doe consumed too much feed, and they were still nursing from her. if you overfeed a rabbit you increase their chances of overmilking. Even the ARBA guidebook to raising better rabbits and cavies say to keep the doe on a restricted diet so she doesn't overmilk. It says prevention for it is to monitor their feed consumption.

Its not dangerous for the rabbit at all. Ive used this method for many years and have never ever had a problem with it. And its not witholding their feed. You are just monitoring their intake. For example, most of my rabbits eat a cup of feed a day. I cut my does back to half a cup the day they give birth, and slowly increase their feed after about 5-7 days. Momma and babies still end up looking just fine. Neither end up starved from it. The babies usually have nice round tummies the entire time.

Rabbits are also not humans, so the nursing techiniques that you know about would not apply to them.

I guess I had the wrong idea. I was under the impression that you would gradually increase the does ration until kindling and then continue to gradually increase it. I didn't mean one big increase all at once. Chinbunny I thought you were suggesting to decrease the mothers ration from her pregnancy ration. That is what I was advising against.


Can we see picks of the babies yet!!!

You feed them their normal ration right up till they give birth. Increasing their feed at that time is dangerous. It can make the doe overweight and can cause some problems when she is trying to give birth. you decrease the feed by giving her half her normal ration the day before or after she gives birth. Feed her that for about aweek, then slowly increase the feed. You should never self feed a doe while she is prengant.

 

[taraann81]

Chinbunny. While I know I should start a new thread here (op sorry not hijacking) I had a does due on the 20th. She has not kindled yet, at what point can I safely remove the nesting box and rebreed? Its just I've heard of late kindlings, I'm just not sure how late.

 

[chinbunny]

I'd wait a few more days, since rabits give birth at 32 days. Go ahead and rebreed her if she doesn't have them within the next week.

 

[Overeasyplz]

I give mine a bigger ration while they are gestating along with free choice hay. When they kindle they usually eat everything. Never had a mastitis problem. I did lose a litter due to doe eating all the straw in the nest box because she was so hungry and the babies were really fat and happy but still hairless, so they froze. I was so tramataized I always made sure there was plenty of hay to eat all the time along with her pregnancy ration.

 

[kidzmom5]

Wow so many resposes I checked them today and they are getting bigger and growing hair a little and I never changed the way I feed her..Thanks for the many advice on it and I think they are going to be ok. But if something happens I will let you know I will take photos as soon as they start coming out of the nest. So pics comin soon.