winc564
Chirping
I can't help you in any way, but thanks for sharing pictures. I've never seen a rabbit so young. I didn't realize their eyes and ears were closed. Is there a way to make it smell like the others? Good luck with it. Well folks, it's our second really cold day. I think the chickens may have looked around and gone back inside! I've decided to use this weather to clean my basement and garage. Maybe the deep freeze too. (Speaking of, my mom lost her freezer and everything in it yesterday.Yuck, this weather. The poor chickens, we laid down a big bag of pine shavings in the run last week because it was so muddy and the poor things are sloshing around in the mud again. I looked up the past weather in a fit of frustration (because SURELY it hasn't been raining as much as it feels like). NOPE. In the last two weeks it has rained 11 days... only 3 days without rain in the past two weeks! My poor garden is suffering, my poor chickens are muddy, and my kids and I are feeling so cooped up it's becoming unbearable. I just want SUMMER! I DO have a question, but it isn't about chickens... Our neighbor brought over a baby cottontail bunny tonight. Her dog found a nest apparently and there was only one survivor. Unfortunately Momma bunny didn't make it (she said she found a pile of fur and since the babies are still pretty fur-less, I'm sure Momma didn't make it). They thought that since we have rabbits, our doe might adopt it. Clover (our doe) is going to have babies any day now, but no babies yet... we checked when the neighbor brought the bunny over, but she hadn't even pulled fur yet. I told them there probably wasn't much chance of survival, but that we'd take it and try. I put the baby in my shirt to warm it up since it felt cold and my girls filled a box with straw. I added a bit of wool to the nest and put a little 'blanket of wool over the baby. I have a heat amp set up about 2-3 feet above the box... it feels warm, but not hot, I can't find my thermometer. I read about mixing a little egg yolk with goat milk for a formula, so I can try that before I go to bed and again in the morning. It's belly was nice and round when they brought it over, so I figure that buys me a little time. HERE'S THE QUESTION... Do you think I can give this bunny to my doe after she has her kits in the next day or two? It's pretty young, I'd say less than a week old... eyes still closed, ears still closed/down, barely any fur. Edited to add pictures.. it was definitely rooting when I was holding it for pictures.
*I don't know why it rotated these on upload... computer's trying to be smart I guess.
I did find my thermometer last night and it got a little too warm where the thermometer was as the top of the nest (105 degrees) by morning, although it seemed fine when I checked on it first thing in the morning. I think Evie just really scared it and maybe was too rough with it. It didn't want to drink any formula from the syringe or off of my hand and was acting quite lethargic. I know stress can be fatal for them so I didn't push the food too hard even though its belly was small now. I stuck it in my shirt for a few minutes and checked on my doe (Clover), she had *just* had her babies and was still in the nest. I gave her some time to eat the placenta and hop out of the nest then I showed her the orphaned kit... she was uninterested and kept cleaning herself. I wasn't sure how else too help the kit who desperately needed to nurse and also needed to get away from this stressful situation, so I made the call and put it in the nest with the others. It immediately burrowed down into the fluff with the others. I hope clover doesn't wait too long for their first feeding, I'll be checking several times to make sure it's still alive in there throughout the afternoon/evening.
'Peter' is certainly looking better than when I put him in the nest, I'm thinking Clover nursed her kits and included the little cottontail as one of her own! 
