Newborn help please?

[Azu]

Firstly let me state that the breeding was NOT intentional and it was a surprise pregnancy. I am going to spay and neuter soon and they are separated, so please no lectures. My bun is 7 months, she’s known me since she was born and this is her first litter. She appears to have good motherly instincts (pulled a lot of fur, made a burrow in nest box, smells/ checks on babies).
My questions are:
1) the mother gave birth last night and has not nursed yet. When should I intervene (hold her and hold kits to her teets to nurse)?
2) the babies tend to move to the corner of the nest. Is it ok to keep placing them in the burrow(with washed warm hands ofcourse) to ensure they don’t miss a feeding?
3) At what age can babies use the bathroom on their own? Incase the mother does not care for them and I have to stimulate urination/defication.
4) What else can I do to ensure their survival?

[Bam]

I hope someone with more experience sees this thread and helps you out.
Mummy buns feed their babies 1-2 times/day. Their bellies should be nicely rounded after feeding. It’s important the kits keep warm, so maybe you could make their nest a little smaller so they can’t crawl so far?
The mama stimulates their defecation and urination by licking their tummies and area around the anus. You can try it with a q-tip dipped in lukewarm water, if you have to intervene. How does mama bun seem? She needs extra food now, because it’s tough on the body to have babies and produce milk.

Not many of us here have a lot of baby experience (although a few do), so I recommend you also try the forum Rabbitsonline, where there’s a section called the Rabbitry and Show-Room where breeding is discussed. Here’s the link to that forum:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/

[Azu]

I also have a question about lactation. Only a few of her nips look swollen. I tried to check for lactation and nothing came out though her nipples were slightly sticky. I’m not sure what that means.
Is there a food that helps rabbit milk production?
And will checkout the link thanks~

[Bam]

Here are some more links to info about unexpected litters:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html
http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
http://www.rabbit.org/care/newborn.html
http://www.mybunny.org/info/caring-for-newborn-baby-rabbits/

I hope you’ll find answers to most of your questions there.

As for suitable food, pellets for young or junior rabbits are good for new mums, they are richer than normal adult pellets. You can also give alfalfa hay, it has lots of protein and calcium. You can give some rolled oats, it’s easy on the tummy but really nutritious and often well liked by rabbits.

[Roberta]

As stated, make sure they are warm, lift the whole nest into a box with a hole in the front or with sides about 6 inches high. It will take a few hours for mums milk to come in, she will only feed when it’s quiet, late at night or early morning. The kits must be kept warm or they can’t suckle. Mum will need unlimited food, especially greens and some extra pellets. Look for fat tummies in the morning.

[Roberta]

Mum stands above the nest to feed the babies rather than lying down so if you put them in a nest box make sure she has room to go in and stand.

[Azu]

Thank you all for the help
My only concern now is that they nurse and are able to use the bathroom. If they haven’t nursed by tomorrow morning and hand nursing doesn’t work I’m taking momma to the vet for an oxytocin shot to help with milk production. Since its her first litter in extra anxious since I’ve heard its not uncommon for them to not make it, and Violet is inexperienced. Trying to do everything i can to make sure they live.

[Mikey]

http://blog.rabbitholehay.com/momma-stopped-caring-how-to-take-care-of-baby-bunnies
Saw that link and thought it would be helpful for you

Heres a few more that might also be helpful:

http://rabbit.org/domestic-baby-bunnies-and-their-mom/

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=76695

Make sure you read through them all. Theyre all very informative and give great advice on if you should or should not intervene yet, and if so, how to do so safely

[Azu]

Update on newborns:
I did a lot of research. They are now 5 days old & well, & one is albino! Mommy fed them after 36 hours. They’ve been fed daily since. She seems to pick feeding time for late afternoon to early evening. Only thing we need to do is (after washing our hands thoroughly with warm water, then petting mommy & rubbing her shed fur on our hands for her scent) check if they are together in the nest box(if not we move them back), fed, & we induce pooping/peeing once daily via warm, damp qtip ourselves as she never appears to clean their bottoms herself (I read they start using the bathroom on their own at about 2 weeks of age). She has a diet of timothy hay, pellets, a little straw & tons of water. We will clean their nest box once it gets messy & replace towel at the bottom, replace dirty straw/timothy hay with the clean,& put back all of the dry fur to line the nest.

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck on raising them to be healthy and happy <3

[12345ABCDE]

Posted By Azu on 1/13/2017 3:04 PM

Update on newborns:
I did a lot of research. They are now 5 days old & well, & one is albino! Mommy fed them after 36 hours. They’ve been fed daily since. She seems to pick feeding time for late afternoon to early evening. Only thing we need to do is (after washing our hands thoroughly with warm water, then petting mommy & rubbing her shed fur on our hands for her scent) check if they are together in the nest box(if not we move them back), fed, & we induce pooping/peeing once daily via warm, damp qtip ourselves as she never appears to clean their bottoms herself (I read they start using the bathroom on their own at about 2 weeks of age). She has a diet of timothy hay, pellets, a little straw & tons of water. We will clean their nest box once it gets messy & replace towel at the bottom, replace dirty straw/timothy hay with the clean,& put back all of the dry fur to line the nest.

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck on raising them to be healthy and happy <3

You’re feeding her straw? And no greens?

[Azu]

Posted By sarahthegemini on 1/13/2017 3:40 PM

Posted By Azu on 1/13/2017 3:04 PM

Update on newborns:

I did a lot of research. They are now 5 days old & well, & one is albino! Mommy fed them after 36 hours. They’ve been fed daily since. She seems to pick feeding time for late afternoon to early evening. Only thing we need to do is (after washing our hands thoroughly with warm water, then petting mommy & rubbing her shed fur on our hands for her scent) check if they are together in the nest box(if not we move them back), fed, & we induce pooping/peeing once daily via warm, damp qtip ourselves as she never appears to clean their bottoms herself (I read they start using the bathroom on their own at about 2 weeks of age). She has a diet of timothy hay, pellets, a little straw & tons of water. We will clean their nest box once it gets messy & replace towel at the bottom, replace dirty straw/timothy hay with the clean,& put back all of the dry fur to line the nest.

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck on raising them to be healthy and happy <3

You’re feeding her straw? And no greens?

Greens gave her babies jelly-like poops. Since I cut the greens their poo is normal.

[12345ABCDE]

Posted By Azu on 1/13/2017 4:09 PM

Posted By sarahthegemini on 1/13/2017 3:40 PM

Posted By Azu on 1/13/2017 3:04 PM

Update on newborns:

I did a lot of research. They are now 5 days old & well, & one is albino! Mommy fed them after 36 hours. They’ve been fed daily since. She seems to pick feeding time for late afternoon to early evening. Only thing we need to do is (after washing our hands thoroughly with warm water, then petting mommy & rubbing her shed fur on our hands for her scent) check if they are together in the nest box(if not we move them back), fed, & we induce pooping/peeing once daily via warm, damp qtip ourselves as she never appears to clean their bottoms herself (I read they start using the bathroom on their own at about 2 weeks of age). She has a diet of timothy hay, pellets, a little straw & tons of water. We will clean their nest box once it gets messy & replace towel at the bottom, replace dirty straw/timothy hay with the clean,& put back all of the dry fur to line the nest.

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck on raising them to be healthy and happy <3

You’re feeding her straw? And no greens?

Greens gave her babies jelly-like poops. Since I cut the greens their poo is normal.

Okay, but the straw?

[Azu]

I use it for bedding and she chews it?? She’s been doing this since she started eating timothy hay and is healthy. Our vet even said she was extremely healthy at our last checkup. So what’s your point?

[12345ABCDE]

Posted By Azu on 1/13/2017 4:36 PM

I use it for bedding and she chews it?? She’s been doing this since she started eating timothy hay and is healthy. Our vet even said she was extremely healthy at our last checkup. So what’s your point?

You originally said “her diet is timothy Hay, pellets and a little straw…” and straw has no nutritional value. If she’s just having a nibble here and there, that’s fine but that’s not what you originally said. It sounded like you actively provide straw to eat. Hence I queried it.

[Azerane]

It’s good that things are going well with the kits. A word of caution with putting a towel in the nest box, you are probably better to replace the bedding with more straw/hay or a fleece blanket instead as the long threads in towels if they get loose can wrap around the kits legs and get caught there which can lead to loss of limbs etc.

[Azu]

Posted By Azerane on 1/13/2017 6:13 PM
It’s good that things are going well with the kits. A word of caution with putting a towel in the nest box, you are probably better to replace the bedding with more straw/hay or a fleece blanket instead as the long threads in towels if they get loose can wrap around the kits legs and get caught there which can lead to loss of limbs etc.

Don’t worry we read online about the danger of loose threads in blankets and cloth and triple checked it for any- it is fine thank you though.

[Author]

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