new litter problems :/

[Duckchick2011]

Hey guys,

One of my bunny girls had a new litter a few days ago and seems to be having problems. The new babies are obviously getting fed, they are plump and full of life but I'm getting worried :/ Apparently she is not cleaning them or even bothering to attend the nest. A few are getting bald patches on their bodies, from pee burn I guess(I'm bringing them in and giving each a very light sponge bath) :/ and the nest is starting to lose it's shape. My other bun mom's normally pull more fur and clean their babies but she hasn't been doing that. I not even sure she is feeding them, it just looks like she hops over their to get hay to munch and the babies are just happening to get food. I found one bunny passed away this morning.

I'm kinda on the fence on what to do. Should I do what the momma bunny in me wants to do and take the buns in and give mom limited guardianship in the evenings so the kids can eat, or will moving them sever any motherly instincts this rabbit might have for this litter? I do not want to fight with her to get her to feed babies. She is very high strung >.<

 

[aprille218]

Most mother rabbits don't do much for grooming/ care of the babies other than feeding them once daily. You can clean out the bottom of the nest and put new hay or straw in the bottom of it but keep the top fluff to cover them up with. If you move her or them you risk loosing them all with a nervous mom.

 

[Duckchick2011]

Most mother rabbits don't do much for grooming/ care of the babies other than feeding them once daily. You can clean out the bottom of the nest and put new hay or straw in the bottom of it but keep the top fluff to cover them up with. If you move her or them you risk loosing them all with a nervous mom.

Thank you, I'm going to give the kits a better nest, hopefully that will help things. I know that momma bunnies don't typically have that much to do with their kits, but the last two mom's at least seemed to have some fastidiousness when caring for there young. They would clean them up when feeding and would pull fur for the nest on nights when it was going to be cold. They weren't hovering over them or anything but when I went to check on the kits I always found dry happy well fed kits, not so with this litter.

I'm guessing it has something to do with her nervousness, jumping squirming little creatures would intimidate anyone.