New bunny mama

[faerydust16]

So we've been trying to breed our new Zealand and surprise when she had babies! There were 10. I've had to move them back into the nest three times now. They keep ending up out on the wire.
So I can't tell if she's moving them or rejecting them. She's a first time mama so I'm wondering if she's doing stupid mama things or if they're wandering out of the nest themselves onto the wire.
So now I'm also wondering if touching them was a no no. I've had to move them and have had to bury two already.
Her cage is the one in the middle. I moved the other rabbits out of her cage already so it's just her and babies.

 

[cassie]

Touching them shouldn't be an issue. How do the babies look? Do their bellies look full or are they all sunken in? Some does lose their first litter because they haven't a clue how to care for it. Others refuse to be mothers. You said you were wondering if the babies were walking out of the nest box on their own. I have never seen a proper nest box that the babies could walk out of. See if you can contact Bunnylady. She ought to be able to help you.

 

[cassie]

I just looked at your picture. Is there more than one rabbit in that pen with the litter? That could be your problem right there. If your new mother is sharing her cage, that may well stress her out. Stressed mothers often reject or even kill their litters.

 

[faerydust16]

I just looked at your picture. Is there more than one rabbit in that pen with the litter? That could be your problem right there. If your new mother is sharing her cage, that may well stress her out. Stressed mothers often reject or even kill their litters.

We removed the other doe sharing her cage as soon as we saw the babies. Her nest box has a doorway they seem to be able to get out of. I put a piece of 2x2 in front of it to create a ledge they have to climb over. It seems to be working.
I went through her nest and the entire box and cleared out any dead, then out the living in the nest. There's 5.
We have buried 6 so far.
Their bellies look between full and not. I think she is feeding them or attempting to. I just think the ledge isn't high enough for them not to crawl out. They're really fiesty.

 

[cassie]

It sounds like you are doing the right things. It sometimes takes a while for new mothers to figure things out. In any case, she will probably do better next time. I hope you don't lose any more babies. Keep us posted.

 

[faerydust16]

Yeah they have a hutch but because the front of it doesn't have a ledge or a lip that they have to climb over I think that's just how they're getting out and then they're crawling and wiggling and moving to the wire or while they're nursing she's moving because of noise and dragging them by accident
We're going to add a panel into their hutch so that she has to go through a whole to get into it but we can still open the lid and see the babies and also move their nests if she has it on the other side of that hole it'll prevent them from getting out and it'll also keep mama from dragging them out to unless she actually moves them so since this is our first litter we're all kind of learning to

 

[faerydust16]

Lost 2 more. The last 2 have full bellies so I'm hoping they'll survive.

 

[cassie]

You can buy commercial nest boxes. Maybe you should look into it.