Saturday, January 16, 2010

Why would a mother rabbit separate one of her babies from the others?

Our dwarf lop rabbit had babies yesterday morning (we didn't know she was pregnant when we got her) and today when we checked on her we found that she had moved one of them away from the others. The one that she moved is the biggest one and the other two are a lot smaller. The two smaller ones didn't feel as warm and the bigger one (they weren't really cold though) and after weighing them we found that the bigger one has gained 7 grams but the smaller ones have lost 1 gram each. Is she rejecting the two smaller ones? Is there any way to tell if she is feeding them or not?Why would a mother rabbit separate one of her babies from the others?
Are they in a nest box? If not you should put them all in a nest box together with the fur she pulled.





She may be rejecting the 2 smaller ones.





the way to tell if she is feeding them is if the kits look round and their bellies look full then she is feeding them. If the kits look skinny and are wrinkly then she is not feeding them.





by having the kits in a nest box you can regulate how much the doe is feeding them. You can remove the kits from the doe completely and then place the do in the nest box 2 times a day. Place the nest box on a secure surface and place the doe in the box then cover her with a towel. Leave her in the box for 15 minutes then remove her to her cage. Then check the kits to see if they have been fed.Why would a mother rabbit separate one of her babies from the others?
VET.

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