[cread1]

I found my rabbit had babies yesterday but one was dead and then I came back and there was one outside the cage dead and I don't know how it got there and then I searched the nest and found another dead one all the dead ones were double the size of the ones in the nest,how come ? And I checked them this morning and the babies had moved a bit but one was left behind :( is I possible the mum was feeding them last night and moved the nest as she was doing I ? Should I just put the lonered kit back because it wasn't as warm as the others or should I hand raise it?? Please help

[Wondergirl]

I've PMed the bunny expert to come onto this site and help you out.

[cread1]

Thanks

[Wondergirl]

Where is the loner right now? Did you try to put him back into the nest? If so, what happened?

[Alty]

Hi Cread,

I'm the rabbit expert on this site. Before I try to answer your question I need to ask a few of my own.

Did the mother rabbit make a nest, or did you provide one? What did she use to make the nest?

Usually when the babies are scattered it's because the mother rabbit doesn't have an appropriate nest. You will need to make a nest box for the babies, but first things first, they need to be warmed up, especially the one left behind. If the baby isn't warmed up it won't be able to digest food. The body temperature needs to be normal in order for the baby to be able to digest.

To warm the babies try the following: Place a hot water bottle, filled with warm water (not hot,) into a small box. Any kind of box is okay. Line it with clean, terry cloth towels and place the bottle under the towels. Make a small space within the nest and put the babies in the nest. This is a temporary nest, just to warm up the babies.

Make sure that the babies are not directly on the hot water bottle, because it could become to warm for them.

Now you'll need to make a proper nesting box for the mom. Either cardboard box, or a wooden one is just fine. It should be slightly larger then the mother rabbit. Not too big or the babies will scatter again. Cut a doorway for mom, just big enough for her to get out of. Leave an inch on the bottom of the door to keep the babies in the box.

You will fill the box with straw, or hay. Place the box in a corner of her cage.

You can place the babies in the box as soon as they feel warm to the touch. Don't warm the babies if they're already warm. You may only need to do this with the one that was left behind.

Make sure that her cage is in a warm quiet room. Rabbits are prey animals, and even domesticated rabbits will act like wild rabbits when they have babies. In the wild rabbits only go to their babies when it's time to feed. The mother rabbit has scent glands that could attract predators. The babies do not, so the less time she spends with them the less chance of a predator catching her scent and killing her babies. It's normal for the mother only to visit her babies when she feels it's safe to feed. If there's too much activity or noise, she'll stay away out of fear, and the babies will die.

If you haven't already, remove the male from the cage. A female rabbit can get pregnant right after giving birth.

You can tell if the babies are being fed by looking at them. Their tummies should be extended. Round and plump. A baby that's not getting enough food will be wrinkly, have a sunken tummy and be weak. If one of the babies is not being fed it's best to go to the vet immediately.

If all the babies seem to be starving then it's time to take your rabbit to a rabbit vet to make sure she's producing milk. If she's not a shot of oxytocin may get things started.

When handling the babies make sure your hands are clean, no perfumes, and make sure to pet the mother first, so she associates your smell with her babies.

Once the babies are weaned I highly recommend that you get your female rabbit fixed. It will not only prolong her life, but prevent overpopulation, which is already a huge concern with domesticated rabbits.

I hope this helps.

If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.

[cread1]

Hey thanks umm she made the nest out of her hair an shredder paper which we gave hat :) a baby keeps ending up out side and there were ants in on it is it best to hand raise that one so it doesn't get eaten by birds and ants by the way the make doesn't live wig her we just bred them as people want it buy them:)

[Alty]

Is she outdoors?

It's best to bring the mother and the babies indoors until the babies are old enough to withstand the cold. Also, outdoor rabbits will often times not feed their babies properly because of fear of predators.

The baby is ending up outside because there isn't a proper nest.

Hand raising a rabbit isn't easy, and best left to professionals.

I have to add, as a rabbit advocate and rabbit rescuer, if people want to buy rabbits, there are plenty already out there for sale, there's no reason to breed your rabbits to add to the population. There are millions of rabbits killed, in the US alone, in shelters because of over breeding. It really would be best to have your rabbit spayed after this litter is weaned.

The best advice I can give you is the advice I posted. It's up to you whether you follow it or not.

Good luck.

[cread1]

Umm are you able to tell me how to hand raise a bunny(how often to feed how to keep warn and how much to feed things like that) just in case cause my friend did it before so if I really need too do it I will get her help. She used kmr. Thanks for you answers :)

[Alty]

Hand raising a rabbit is not something I can explain in a simple post. Also, it's better to take the baby to the vet then to try and hand rear.

I really don't recommend an amateur hand raising a rabbit. Of course I also don't recommend an amateur breeding rabbits, but that's another story.

Do you have a vet that specializes in rabbits in your area?

Before you do that follow the recommendations I gave you above for warming up the baby and building a proper nest. That is something you will have to do anyway, even if this baby needs to be hand reared.

[cread1]

Um my female rabbit the one that hd the kits just peed and it had blood in it what's wrong with her??

[Aurora_Bell]

She is sick and probably dying. Do her a favor and take her and the babies to the vet! What would you do if your child was peeing blood?

[Alty]

You should do what's right, and that's take her and the babies to the vet. If there's blood in her urine then something's wrong. She needs to be seen by a vet asap.

[shazamataz]

Why do I get the feeling this poor bunny is going to die a slow, horrible death.

[Alty]

I have a feeling you're right Shazzy, and the OP doesn't know enough to keep the babies alive. She won't follow the advice given, and that's really all anyone can offer her.

I really don't understand why people breed animals when they obviously have no clue how to take care of them, and didn't even bother to do the research before they decided to breed.

People often wonder why the pet experts on AMHD advocate responsible breeding by registered breeders only. Well this is a perfect example of why we do. People that aren't breeders, shouldn't breed.

[dez22]

My rabbit just had babies 2 died so she only got one left but this morning when I went to check on it it was stuck in the cage freezing cold n more or less dead but I wrapped it in a warm towel sat in front of a fire and it came to I was surprised now I have but it back in the nest and put a warm water bottle till it warms am I doing good or could the baby still die we called it lucky cause it has survived nearly 2 deaths now please let me know so I can go and get my rabbits sorted thanks.

[mogrann]

Read the experts posts on the first page. There is all the information you need there