# Female rabbit rejected one newborn and bit it's ear off! HELP!



## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

Hello, yesterday after noon I was doing chores at animals when i went to my doe (my first rabbit) she had a nest that was moving (we breed her 25 february, and this was her first litter, previous one was imaginary pregnancy). Suddenly i saw one that was out the nest and she started biting it, the baby was screaming. When i took him out i noticed he had an ear bitten off - whole ear. We took him to our house and put him in a box with old t-shirts and when its cold we put a warm bootle on the box. I've fed him 4 times already, in one hour i'll be feeding him again. I massage his tummy and genitals area slightly. I guess he pooped some - there is some dark "thingys" in the box and even sticked to his legs. I feed him 1ml of warm goat milk with prebiotics every 4 hours and then massage his tummy. I'd be grateful for any advices. I'd really appreciate an answear to this question: when do i change feeding times and quantities? and when do i stop giving him milk? 
PS: the wound has dried, it's about to scab probably.


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## SableSteel (Mar 29, 2021)

I would put it back in the nest. Rabbits can't tell their babies apart, to reject just one of them. They're pretty dumb. Likely when the kit got out she didn't even recognize it was a kit, or thought it was injured or something. He really needs rabbit milk. There are no good substitutes for rabbit milk, goat milk is not near rich enough to sustain them. Ideally he'd do best off with his sibling's warmth as well in the nest but if you don't want to risk putting him back with the mother I would hold the mother down and let him nurse until he is full (can take about 20 minutes) so that at least he is getting actual rabbit milk instead of trying to drink goat milk.


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

SableSteel said:


> I would put it back in the nest. Rabbits can't tell their babies apart, to reject just one of them. They're pretty dumb. Likely when the kit got out she didn't even recognize it was a kit, or thought it was injured or something. He really needs rabbit milk. There are no good substitutes for rabbit milk, goat milk is not near rich enough to sustain them. Ideally he'd do best off with his sibling's warmth as well in the nest but if you don't want to risk putting him back with the mother I would hold the mother down and let him nurse until he is full (can take about 20 minutes) so that at least he is getting actual rabbit milk instead of trying to drink goat milk.


I don't want to put him there. I've just fed him, he seems strong, walks, rolls when i massage his belly. When she noticed he was out of nest she just grabbed him bit him some times and finally bit his ear off. Keepers near me told me not to bother the doe except giving her a lot of water and feeding her and that she may have too many babys or the one wanted to eat too much. It's her first litter. I need to know how and when to change feeding baby one.


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

He has some fur on him, but it's veeeeery short. I can post a picture of him and his wound if you want


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

On top: yesterday
On bottom: today


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

@SableSteel also when can i be sure that he'll probably survive? I mean after how many survived days can i be sure he'll survive?


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## Preitler (Mar 29, 2021)

I wouldn't be sure until he's transitioned to solid food at 2-3 weeks, but I would guess there are chances if he survives the first week. But I wouldn't put hopes up too much when raising solely on replacement milk.
I too would put him back in the nest. Whatever spooked the doe about that kit, she quite likely has forgotten about it. They care about the nest, not about indiviudual kits.

Good luck


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

Preitler said:


> I wouldn't be sure until he's transitioned to solid food at 2-3 weeks, but I would guess there are chances if he survives the first week. But I wouldn't put hopes up too much when raising solely on replacement milk.
> I too would put him back in the nest. Whatever spooked the doe about that kit, she quite likely has forgotten about it. They care about the nest, not about indiviudual kits.
> 
> Good luck


I've just fed him. He walks alot when put in hands, tries to climb my hand and shirt. When massaging he kicks a lot, he looks like he is pretty strong. I'll stay with goat milk, the doe is young and i don't trust her if it comes to this one baby. When should i feed him more (and probably less times than now)? And when to stop feeding him milk and what to give him then? I'll keep u updated


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## Blue eyes (Mar 29, 2021)

Both @Preitler and @SableSteel are very experienced breeders. Such a young kit has a better chance being put back with its momma. You would do well to take their advice.


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## zuppa (Mar 29, 2021)

The baby needs mother's milk and replacements can't be as good as it, as said above, put him back into nest, make sure no foreign smells on him, best time to do it when mother is not there and he can stay in the nest for a while and will smell like other kits.

It would be very unwise to keep him separately.

But if you've decided and your word is final you can feed him his mother's milk separately, holding his mother like in this video. Make sure she has milk (not after she just nursed other kits but before that)

But best put him back to the nest, it's not a toy he needs to be with his siblings and get rabbit's milk, there's no equal replacement for it


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

zuppa said:


> The baby needs mother's milk and replacements can't be as good as it, as said above, put him back into nest, make sure no foreign smells on him, best time to do it when mother is not there and he can stay in the nest for a while and will smell like other kits.
> 
> It would be very unwise to keep him separately.
> 
> ...



How long and how often would i need to let him eat from his mother breast? Wouldn't he get sick after such a change in feeding? He eats goat milk with prebiotics and doesn't get diarrhea and seems good


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## zuppa (Mar 29, 2021)

Krank said:


> How long and how often would i need to let him eat from his mother breast? Wouldn't he get sick after such a change in feeding? He eats goat milk with prebiotics and doesn't get diarrhea and seems good


Hi. It will take a few minutes, usually mother feeds her kits 3-5 minutes and do it once or twice a day, usually in the evening or early morning when no one can see.
You will see when he is full he will stop eating and will fall asleep most likely.
He shouldn't get sick from mother's milk, it naturally has everything he needs.
Raising a newborn baby by hand is very risky, he has more chances to survive if you put him back into the nest.
It is not only about feeding him, he needs to stay with his siblings for his first 2 weeks at least, and be with them after that, until they are 8 weeks old, and his mother will not only feed them, she will clean them and she will educate them, you can't replace her with that.
Mother will clean their anuses and will stimulate them to urinate and defecate, it happens often if poos not cleaned they can stuck there and cause inflammation, when kits start eating solid food around 3-4 weeks they also have to eat their mother's poos to get proper bacteria into their stomach's, and there's many more things mother will do so I would really advise on putting him back to the nest. His wound doesn't look dangerous and he will be fine.


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

zuppa said:


> Hi. It will take a few minutes, usually mother feeds her kits 3-5 minutes and do it once or twice a day, usually in the evening or early morning when no one can see.
> You will see when he is full he will stop eating and will fall asleep most likely.
> He shouldn't get sick from mother's milk, it naturally has everything he needs.
> Raising a newborn baby by hand is very risky, he has more chances to survive if you put him back into the nest.
> ...


Yes, he probably shouldn't normally, but i don't know if he had even tried rabbit milk. She probably gave birth just before i checked on her, so he may only know goat milk. +most people in my area told me not to mess with nest and leave it to doe. For me, it's not normal that she just went biting him and ate his ear, probably if i didn't take him, he'd be killed. I massage his anus and genital area and tummy after feeding, clean it when it's dirty. He poops and pees. I really am scared of putting him back to the nest - this is doe's first litter and she didn't stop biting him even when he started screaming like a baby. If that's not a problem, i can get some of mothers poo when he starts eating solid food.


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## zuppa (Mar 29, 2021)

Krank said:


> Yes, he probably shouldn't normally, but i don't know if he had even tried rabbit milk. She probably gave birth just before i checked on her, so he may only know goat milk. +most people in my area told me not to mess with nest and leave it to doe. For me, it's not normal that she just went biting him and ate his ear, probably if i didn't take him, he'd be killed. I massage his anus and genital area and tummy after feeding, clean it when it's dirty. He poops and pees. I really am scared of putting him back to the nest - this is doe's first litter and she didn't stop biting him even when he started screaming like a baby. If that's not a problem, i can get some of mothers poo when he starts eating solid food.


Two first members commented on this thread are professional breeders raised many hundreds of baby rabbits, there are four people in total commented on your thread and all said same thing, please put the baby back. It is your choice to take or not to take advice, as far as I get this is your first ever litter and first ever rabbit, but it is your decision and sure you can do whatever you think is best for you. Raising baby rabbit by hand is very entertaining (sometimes it is necessary but not in your case in my opinion), but it is also very risky, but good luck in any case I hope the baby will survive please keep us updated


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

zuppa said:


> Two first members commented on this thread are professional breeders raised many hundreds of baby rabbits, there are four people in total commented on your thread and all said same thing, please put the baby back. It is your choice to take or not to take advice, as far as I get this is your first ever litter and first ever rabbit, but it is your decision and sure you can do whatever you think is best for you. Raising baby rabbit by hand is very entertaining (sometimes it is necessary but not in your case in my opinion), but it is also very risky, but good luck in any case I hope the baby will survive please keep us updated


I'll ask you to be sure - i feed him 6 times 1 ml each 24h. Sometimes when he looks hungry and searches for nipple in his nest i give him mayybe half ml and then a bit less than 1 ml. When should i give him more (and how much more) milk and should i feed him less times then?
I'll keep you updated. If he gets weaker (hopefully not), then i'll try feeding him his mother milk just as on the video you posted.


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## Krank (Mar 29, 2021)

And i guess he isn't hungry when he sleeps rolled up like dog, but instead he's hungry when acts like crazy, makes squeeky sound and searches for nipple, am i right?


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## Blue eyes (Mar 29, 2021)

He needs to be with his siblings and with momma. As already said, his best chance is to be with momma. Momma won't single him out once he's been back with the siblings, as has been explained. Experienced breeders have given their best advice. Why ask a question if that advice is only going to get ignored?


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## Preitler (Mar 29, 2021)

zuppa said:


> Two first members commented on this thread are professional breeders raised many hundreds of baby rabbits, there are four people in total commented on your thread and all said same thing, please put the baby back. It is your choice to take or not to take advice, as far as I get this is your first ever litter and first ever rabbit, but it is your decision and sure you can do whatever you think is best for you. Raising baby rabbit by hand is very entertaining (sometimes it is necessary but not in your case in my opinion), but it is also very risky, but good luck in any case I hope the baby will survive please keep us updated



I'm not a professional breeder, I just happen to do that for some years now. Losing kits is part of it, fortunatly a small one - and the perspective shifts with time. I wasn't lucky in my few attempts to handfeed, on average my does do a better job, I now prefer indirect methods like taking the fatter third of the litter out for a feeding to give the weak ones a fighting chance or to foster kits to even out litters between does. Also, I can't handle getting attached to the little ones too well.

I totally understand the urge to care for the little one, I was in that spot myself. I do not tell you what to do, just what I, with my current background, would do in that situation. Either way the outcome can be bad, so I reckon it's your decision what's right for you.
Since I'm no expert on hand feeding I'll keep out of this thread, but I really wish you good luck


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## SableSteel (Mar 29, 2021)

I've hand raised them before (only when the mother died), and held the dam down for them and everything in between. If you have a living doe with milk you definitely should try to get the baby real milk imo. It might survive for a bit of time on goat milk - after all, it won't immediately die of dehydration like it would without any milk - but goat milk isn't very rich so it won't gain/keep weight well on goat milk alone and will start to fade away. Usually don't last more than four-five days at most without rabbit milk. The benefits of real rabbit milk are absolutely worth the risks of switching it over from one type of food to another. I've raised plenty of litters with forced feeding. I would place a towel in a top opening carrier, place the babies in, place the dam on top of them, and hold her still, forcing her to let them nurse. Let the baby nurse for about twenty minutes - whenever it gets tired, hopefully will have a visibly full belly by then. Baby rabbits need to nurse until they are full. Also I usually have better luck with this if I put one strong baby alongside the weaker baby when I'm doing this, if I'm only doing it to supplement one baby.


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## Krank (Mar 30, 2021)

SableSteel said:


> I've hand raised them before (only when the mother died), and held the dam down for them and everything in between. If you have a living doe with milk you definitely should try to get the baby real milk imo. It might survive for a bit of time on goat milk - after all, it won't immediately die of dehydration like it would without any milk - but goat milk isn't very rich so it won't gain/keep weight well on goat milk alone and will start to fade away. Usually don't last more than four-five days at most without rabbit milk. The benefits of real rabbit milk are absolutely worth the risks of switching it over from one type of food to another. I've raised plenty of litters with forced feeding. I would place a towel in a top opening carrier, place the babies in, place the dam on top of them, and hold her still, forcing her to let them nurse. Let the baby nurse for about twenty minutes - whenever it gets tired, hopefully will have a visibly full belly by then. Baby rabbits need to nurse until they are full. Also I usually have better luck with this if I put one strong baby alongside the weaker baby when I'm doing this, if I'm only doing it to supplement one baby.


So how much times a day would i need to do something like this? I mean letting the baby drink mothers milk and how do i know that she has milk right now?
Wouldn't she get scared after treating her like this? I'm afraid she'd reject the litter because of stress?


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## SableSteel (Mar 30, 2021)

Krank said:


> So how much times a day would i need to do something like this? I mean letting the baby drink mothers milk and how do i know that she has milk right now?
> Wouldn't she get scared after treating her like this? I'm afraid she'd reject the litter because of stress?


I do this twice a day. She should have milk. And yeah, she probably wouldn't enjoy this. But if you want the baby to live and don't want to return it to the nest this what you'd have to do. Alternatively you could just put it back in the nest, would stress the dam out less.


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## Krank (Mar 30, 2021)

SableSteel said:


> I do this twice a day. She should have milk. And yeah, she probably wouldn't enjoy this. But if you want the baby to live and don't want to return it to the nest this what you'd have to do. Alternatively you could just put it back in the nest, would stress the dam out less.


What about rejecting whole litter after this? is that possible?


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## Catlyn (Mar 30, 2021)

As far as i have read, it is unlikely. Why don't you just take the advice that's already given? Just put the kit back into the nest when momma's away resting, and go check on them once or twice a day and see if the kit has a full round belly like all the other littermates. There is really no good substitution to a momma's milk and caregiving. The kit should be fine after that.
Please stop asking such unnescessary questons when many, many people have given you advice with literally the same meaning- the kit will be better off with his momma and littermates.
Anyway, good luck with the kit.


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## Preitler (Mar 30, 2021)

Krank said:


> What about rejecting whole litter after this? is that possible?



MY impression is more that the doe feeds to get rid of the milk, not so much because caring for the litter, so I guess it would be extremly unlikely. I had the problem once that a doe started to feed the wrong litter, I guess because it was closer, I put both litters in one nest then and they were fed by both does.


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## Krank (Mar 30, 2021)

Well, ik what you guys are probably gonna say, but i need an answear. I feed him even a bit more that internet says and he stills looks like searching for a nipple, doesn't get this full, round belly even after feeding 2ml of milk at one feeding. Should i feed him more or change his milk to more caloric i mean like add yolk? He has 3 days.


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## JBun (Mar 30, 2021)

You have received good answers already. The best answer is to put the kit back with it's siblings for mom to feed. As long as mom is feeding the kits and they have nice round bellies after eating, there's no reason to be hand feeding it.


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## Krank (Mar 30, 2021)

JBun said:


> You have received good answers already. The best answer is to put the kit back with it's siblings for mom to feed. As long as mom is feeding the kits and they have nice round bellies after eating, there's no reason to be hand feeding it.


My question was how to hand feed it in such case when he's such an eater and still doesn't have round belly.


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## Apollo’s Slave (Mar 30, 2021)

Krank said:


> My question was how to hand feed it in such case when he's such an eater and still doesn't have round belly.


As mentioned before, goats milk (with or without probiotics) isn’t a good supplement for rabbits milk, so he won’t get as full as if he would from his mum. Rabbits milk has more nutrients and is better for a rabbit than goats milk can ever be. I am not an experienced breeder, nor have I ever bred a rabbit, but you’ve had pretty good advice already. Is there a specific reason why you won’t take it into consideration or even try it out?


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

Apollo’s Slave said:


> As mentioned before, goats milk (with or without probiotics) isn’t a good supplement for rabbits milk, so he won’t get as full as if he would from his mum. Rabbits milk has more nutrients and is better for a rabbit than goats milk can ever be. I am not an experienced breeder, nor have I ever bred a rabbit, but you’ve had pretty good advice already. Is there a specific reason why you won’t take it into consideration or even try it out?


Yeah, there is a specific reason - gramps who is the "main" owner tells me not to bother the rabbit mom so i can't take her out of hutch and let the small one nurse + if i was about to put him in the nest, she would probably eat him just like she wanted to in the beginning. So i'm askin once again - what do i do in my situation


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## Catlyn (Mar 31, 2021)

Krank said:


> Yeah, there is a specific reason - gramps who is the "main" owner tells me not to bother the rabbit mom so i can't take her out of hutch and let the small one nurse


I know that it is hard to act according to advice given by others if you have someone else who is ''technically'' the main owner. (I'm not the solo owner of my boys either) But if he's the only one who is telling you not to bother the mum, and at least FIVE OTHER PEOPLE have advised you to put the kit back with its momma and that they would be fine and best off with their littermates, then why is this ''gramps'' person stopping you from acting according to the advice given by other, more experienced rabbit folks? Say a couple words back to him, maybe show him this thread of people that have given you great advice, and if he doesn't speak english, translate it for him. It's exactly what i've done and it has helped me many times. I can't say for sure, but i am more than certain that the well-known folks over here are way more knowledgeable than your grandparent is.



Krank said:


> if i was about to put him in the nest, she would probably eat him just like she wanted to in the beginning. So i'm askin once again - what do i do in my situation


You have been told multipe times now that the kit would fare best with their momma and if she isn't dead or anything, you shouldn't really be the one taking care of the kit. As mentioned before by other members, if you place the kit in the nesst when mum isn't looking, she will most likely just keep on doing what she's got going-caring for the kits. She wouldn't really single this one kit out, and she isn't going to eat the little kitling. She has other, more important things to do than consuming her young.
No matter what argument you bring up, the kit would still do best with their mum as no other thing or person is gonna be better than care and nutrition from their own mama.


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

Catlyn said:


> I know that it is hard to act according to advice given by others if you have someone else who is ''technically'' the main owner. (I'm not the solo owner of my boys either) But if he's the only one who is telling you not to bother the mum, and at least FIVE OTHER PEOPLE have advised you to put the kit back with its momma and that they would be fine and best off with their littermates, then why is this ''gramps'' person stopping you from acting according to the advice given by other, more experienced rabbit folks? Say a couple words back to him, maybe show him this thread of people that have given you great advice, and if he doesn't speak english, translate it for him. It's exactly what i've done and it has helped me many times. I can't say for sure, but i am more than certain that the well-known folks over here are way more knowledgeable than your grandparent is.
> 
> 
> You have been told multipe times now that the kit would fare best with their momma and if she isn't dead or anything, you shouldn't really be the one taking care of the kit. As mentioned before by other members, if you place the kit in the nesst when mum isn't looking, she will most likely just keep on doing what she's got going-caring for the kits. She wouldn't really single this one kit out, and she isn't going to eat the little kitling. She has other, more important things to do than consuming her young.
> No matter what argument you bring up, the kit would still do best with their mum as no other thing or person is gonna be better than care and nutrition from their own mama.


I'll try. Grandpa had bred many rabbits in his life


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

So a question about nursing a the little one - which is better - to hold doe belly up and let the baby crawl on her and suck milk or to hold doe in place belly down just like she feeds kits naturally? On yt i see first option but isn't putting a rabbit on its back dangerous? I've heard some things about trance because they are play animals etc.


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

Krank said:


> So a question about nursing a the little one - which is better - to hold doe belly up and let the baby crawl on her and suck milk or to hold doe in place belly down just like she feeds kits naturally? On yt i see first option but isn't putting a rabbit on its back dangerous? I've heard some things about trance because they are play animals etc.


He got some mom's milk. Doe is stressed, when she got back to hutch she went with her nose into the nest. He just sucked on her for maybe 2-3 minutes but maybe he was a bit full from the goat milk? When do i repeat this process again? Its 4:45PM in my timeline


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

and i think he made some yellowish poo after that feeding


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

I think he may've aspirated some milk a few hours ago, as he coughed a bit and made some clicking sounds. Now when i picked him up he made some clicking sound while opening and closing his mouth and suddenly stopped moving. After a minute he started moving a bit and idk what's wrong with him??? When i took a look and uncovered him he was moving a bit


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## Krank (Mar 31, 2021)

He "froze" a few minutes ago and doesn't move...


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## Watermelons (Mar 31, 2021)

Please leave any future babies in the nest with their mother. 
You were told to put the baby back. 

Topic closed.


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