# Rabbit giving birth



## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

I need help a couple weeks ago, i brought my son a rabbit! Not Knowing is was about to give birth (which is fine) we are excited i walked out to the cage to check on her and saw two tiny babies, i did not have a nest in the box! Since then i put a box in there! I dont know what to expect or not to expect! How to tell if they are ok or not ok! Ne help would be great!


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

She is a large breed of rabbit weighs about 6 lbs or so! I now think after reading online that the 3 we have now are stillborn! They are not moving or nething! How can i tell if she is done and all that ! I wish i was better prepared its breaking my heart!


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## Becca (Nov 4, 2008)

I'll get a mod to move this to the rabbitry for you - you'll get more answers and quicker there 

Good Luck


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## polly (Nov 4, 2008)

I will move this to therabbitry for you.

If she is that size of rabbit I would expect a couple more. DO you know if it is her first litter? and has she pulled fur? they will usually pull fur to cover the babies and keep them warm.

Take the dead babies away make sure they are dead and not just cold. then I would leave her a while and then check if she has had any more.


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## JadeIcing (Nov 4, 2008)

*polly wrote: *


> I will move this to therabbitry for you.




I think we did it at the same time!. Hehe


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## polly (Nov 4, 2008)

ope was just about to you beat me to it lol thanks Alicia


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

she has pulled fur but i saw no sign of the fur in the cage, she looks as if she was mangled she is missing so much! So if they kits are dead i should move then now or later! She also keeps moving her nest around the in cage Where i can not see it! I put my hand in when i found the first too and she groweled at me! So i havent done nothing since then but put the box in there!


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## Becca (Nov 4, 2008)

I would move the dead kits now, make sure they are deifnelty dead though.

Also if she hasn't made a nest you could always pull fur for her and cover the babies with it.


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## Pipp (Nov 4, 2008)

Definitely make sure they are indeed dead. Babies have been known to show signs of life by warming them up (hold them against your body for awhile, or even even pop them in a plastic bag (open at the top) and immerse it in warm water. 

How is she doing? 


sas :?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

just watched her give birth to number 4! Was moving little arms afterbirth she is eating all the stuff! but still had it outside of the box! She had this one after we removed the others for sure not alive!


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

i so should i try to see if they are alive they were very cold and i saw no heartbeat, but with it being to little cold i have missied it!


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## polly (Nov 4, 2008)

I don't use nest boxes so its hard to tell but my guess is its really to late to use a box. she will make her nest where she is happy with it. as long asthe baby iscovered and warm its ok. If it isn't then you would be better taking it out until she is finished then help her to make her nest where she has chosen to make it.

I would still be expecting another couple yet. what about the other babies? are they alive or dead?


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## polly (Nov 4, 2008)

we usually give them a chance to warm up take them inside and put them in a hay lined box near a radiator or try warming them up in your hands if that doesnt work then they may have passed. Incidentally we usually find if their little tongue is sticking out a little bit they have passed over. But still give the warming up a go first


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

trying the warm water now will bring them in and put them next to the heater! i JUST took the nest box out and they are just hay in there, no one but her!


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## paul2641 (Nov 4, 2008)

First can we have pics? I read on here if you are going to pick up the babies make sure you have your hands covered in her scent.


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## paul2641 (Nov 4, 2008)

Are you saying she eat the babies?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

no she is eating the after birth! I did the scent thing is has covered the last one up! but now is thumping on here cage!


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## BSAR (Nov 4, 2008)

You need to explain clearer so we can know what is going on. If you waited a while to warm the babies up than it might be to late but keep trying. Has she had any more?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

not since number 4! The others i have next to the heater, should they be making noise or moving?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)




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## polly (Nov 4, 2008)

how long since those 3 were born? thats been quite a while as you had 2 by 8.30pm (here sorry if u r in the us) so that was 2 hours ago if they haven't moved they are dead and you will need to dispose of them.

How is the 4th one doing? sh could be finished or she may still have another couple. What is teh doe doing? is she resting? eating? if so then she may well be finished if she is still nesting or around where she thinks her nest is she may still have more


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## BSAR (Nov 4, 2008)

If they are alive then yeah they will be moving and making some little noies. The babies in that picture almost look like they are born too early or are peanuts ( sorta big head, small bodies, very teeny.) They are defintley dead and you should take them out of the nest and dispose of them.

How is the fourth one doing?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

i was thinking they looked early to me not that i know that much! The fourth one was with the mother and i just brought it in too it was cold when i touched it! What are somethings that could cause early labor, or if i could tell if they are too early the last one i saw move at birth but not since then! My doe is cleaning her self kinda like a cat, is she down or just getting ready for another one! This last one is a bit bigger than the picture much longer then the others! Took the others away and put him in the nest! I FEEL so helpless thank all of yall for helping me i hope we might get one to make it! But in the peanut litters they all die correct?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

I have not heard any noises from ne of them


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

this is my doe dont really know what she is but im sure she is hertbroken now!


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## BSAR (Nov 4, 2008)

Peanuts don't always die but most do. You shouldn't put the other three back, they are pretty much dead so they don't need to be in the nest. I hope the other one makes it.


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## paul2641 (Nov 4, 2008)

Do you think there all dead?


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## ummhelp (Nov 4, 2008)

still praying that the 4th makes it


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## BlueGiants (Nov 5, 2008)

The photo of the babies looks like they are premature, not fully developed. There is not much you can do for them. Keep the single one warm and dry. Don't worry about your scent on the baby. The moms instinct to care for her baby will be stronger than any smell you can put on it. 

The mom will only feed twice a day, don't be surprised of you don't see it happening. But if the baby is getting fed, it will have a full round belly (kind of look like it swallowed a ping-pong ball!)


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## ummhelp (Nov 5, 2008)

Number four also had the same sour luck as its siblings! I cant believe this! It never moved after it was 1st born when i saw it move its arm! 

Doe acts a bit better this morning! What do i need to do to get our bunny back to normal, or does this happen naturally? If we decided to breed again later is this something else that can happen again and again? I have read on here that the mother rabbit knows most of the time they are something wrong with the babies and that is why they dont take care of them! In this case i believe that is what happened, she would have then clean them, as if she was checking on this and then just walk away! So I think so just knew! 
All the help i have recieved from here its been wonderful, i hope to be a member now of this family that has a love of bunnies ever so much!


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## TinysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm sorry for your losses. I had a litter like that once - they were born a day early - but they looked just like that. The consensus was that they had probably died in the womb or the mom might've had a virus or something during the pregnancy or something basically happened so that they were born unable to survive. Fortunately, I was able to foster another baby with her and she got out of her funk at losing the litter.

Some does will grieve when they lose a litter- others are just fine and don't really seem to care. I would remove the nest and I'd give her a new toy or two to help her think about other things. For example, a lot of my bunnies like the cat balls that have a bell in them. Or you could take an empty cardboard toilet paper roll and put hay inside it and put it in her cage to toss and eat the hay from. I never worry about the cardboard roll - I've had them chew on it and maybe eat pieces but I've never lost anyone yet. Or just take the cardboard roll out after she's played with it and gotten the hay out... Another thing you could do is crumple up some printer paper and put it in the cage and let her throw it around.

In other words - give her some distractions and she'll get over the loss of the babies.

The doe that had a litter like this - is going to be rebred this month most likely. She is the last of a line that a friend had and she lost the line when dogs attacked her rabbitry. I'm hoping everything goes ok (and I'll have a backup mom for fostering). 

Once again, I'm sorry for your loss.


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## BlueGiants (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm sorry for your loss. I think the babies were born too early (premature). With a 31 day gestation, even a day early is traumatic, and usually fatal. My impression is that the babies died upon birth. That's why she didn't take care of them.

If you want to breed her, I would try again. At least this time you will be prepared and know an approximate due date. She will be most receptive over the next week. (I know, it sounds cruel, so soon, but that's Mother Nature.)


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## BSAR (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm sorry for you loss. You did everything you could.


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## ummhelp (Nov 6, 2008)

thanks so much! But now i have another questions yet again! I m worried about my doe! She has built a large next in the corn of her hutch! With hay and lots and lots of pullied fur is this normal or her way of griving? Once again asking for yalls help


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## polly (Nov 6, 2008)

I have had does that have done that if I take their idea of a nest off them to early. Mind you stranger things have happened so I would leave it a couple of days and keep a close eye out!


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