# baby bunnies - rejected



## chadk (Apr 29, 2010)

So our rabbit regected her kits yesterday. Luckily I was home yesterday and found them within an hour or so of birth.

She has been nesting for over a week. She'd gather the hay, build a nest, then take it down again. She seemed pretty intense about having her first kindling. 

Tuesday I saw that she had started pulling belly fur, so I knew we were close (besides watching the calendar...). 

So when I went out around lunch to check on things (no babies when I fed the animals in the morning), I immediately saw one kit on the ground. Looked dead. Then I saw 4 more lifeless kits spread all over the bottom of the cage - not even in the nesting room - but on the open wire floor area. Some looked kinda trampled. Not even sure how one could be on the ground like that...

I read a while ago that it is not a dead kit until it is a warm dead kit.... So I rushed them in to warm them up.

Anyway, we are going to attempt to hand feed them and see how things go. They are still going today, even the tiny little runt I thought would be dead for sure.

Hopefully I have a good story to tell - i'll post updates. If not, it is a learning experience and something all the kids are coming together to help with.


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## Tom (Apr 29, 2010)

chadk said:


> So our rabbit regected her kits yesterday. Luckily I was home yesterday and found them within an hour or so of birth.
> 
> She has been nesting for over a week. She'd gather the hay, build a nest, then take it down again. She seemed pretty intense about having her first kindling.
> 
> ...



I've got a few animals that won't reject them. 

Oh lighten up people... it is a reptile forum...


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## dmmj (Apr 29, 2010)

So any idea what makes a mommy bunny reject them? Remember the slogan from that michael moore movie? "pets or meat"?


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## terryo (Apr 29, 2010)

Brings back memories. We found a destroyed nest in a hay field, with only one baby alive, and bottle fed it. It was the most unbelievable experience for my kids. They are men now and still talk about it. They named her butterball. If they survive I'd love to see pictures.


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## Kristina (Apr 29, 2010)

One thing that I found when nursing baby bunnies was that they tended to get sterile gut syndrome. One way I learned to prevent that was to crush a piece of poop (lovely, I know, lol) from a HEALTHY, parasite free adult, preferably mom, and soak it in some of their milk, and then pour it through a coffee filter. It helps make sure that the babies have a healthy flora in the gut.

Good luck, baby bunnies are soooo delicate, but when you raise them it is a very rewarding experience.


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## Stephanie Logan (Apr 29, 2010)

Oh, the poor little things! I've always wondered why that happens: mothers rejecting babies (I can see it happening when the offspring are teenagers, but infants?!)

Good thing you have a full squadron to provide support. That's going to be a lot of feedings and cuddlings round the clock...good luck and good on you for trying!


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## ChiKat (Apr 29, 2010)

Ohh good for you for saving the little guys! I agree that you must post pictures  What's cuter than a baby bunny?! (I say that about every baby animal )
What a great experience for your children too.

Hope the little babies hang in there!


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## sammi (Apr 30, 2010)

So sad =[ Yes, I would love to see pictures too!


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## chadk (Apr 30, 2010)

Well, they made it another day. Have some pics - will post later.

I made up a batch of goat milk + cream + egg white + probios + keifer + goat-aid (for boosting energy of weak baby goats) + molassas + vanilla. They have been taking it just fine and seem to be getting stronger. Will not be suprised if we lose at least 1, but who knows...


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## ChiKat (May 4, 2010)

How are the babies doing?


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## Candy (May 4, 2010)

I just read this thread for the first time and there's no updates.  How are they doing Chad? I hope all of them are doing good. I myself rescued kittens that were about 3 days old after some evil person threw them in a trash can at Target on a 103 degree day in August (that's how I can always remember their birthday). I had to bottle feed them and I really didn't think they'd make it, but they did.  One is the nicest cat ever and her sister is the meanest ever.  Let us know how things are going.


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## terracolson (May 4, 2010)

hope its easier than kittens


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## dmmj (May 4, 2010)

goat aid? is that like gatorade?


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## Kristina (May 5, 2010)

LOL dmmj. Sort of, only for goats and not Floridian football players 

Bunnies are WAY harder than kittens. Kittens are a cake walk compared to bunnies.


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## chadk (May 5, 2010)

They all died  I think they were stomped by the mother too much before I found them...


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## Stephanie Logan (May 5, 2010)

That is very sad. Poor little things. Nature can be so brutal...


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## Josh (May 5, 2010)

that is, indeed, brutal. sorry chad.


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## Itort (May 5, 2010)

Sorry Chad. The only time I brought off rejected rabbit kits was with a foster mom (a cat of all things).


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## Tom (May 5, 2010)

Don't take it too hard Chad. Its really hard to get bunnies to survive that way. Squirrels are pretty tough too. At least you tried. You get an "A" for effort and being an all around good guy.


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