Mother Rabbit Eating Her New Babies!!!! HELP!!!

[Four Winds Ranch]

I have just recently (about a week ago) been given some Standard Rex rabbits! I was given 2 does and a buck.
I put them each in their separate cages to make sure they are happy and healthy before I start breeding them for meat rabbits.
This morning, I notice the one doe was pulling some hair out and making a nest out of her hair and straw. (I hadn't given her a nesting box as I didn't know she was pregnant, but she has lots of hay and straw).
I went back out to check on her and was horrified to find her eating a baby!!! I took it away and sat and watched her. She had another and as soon as she gave birth, she didn't lick it off, just started to eat it too!!
Why is she doing this!!! Is she maybe lacking something I have missed?????
I am very confused!! :/
If anyone has any ideas, I would be very gratefull!!!

 

[currycomb]

yeah, a problem, especially in first time moms. also older does that just do it. some people think they are lacking something in their diet and feed hamburger a few days before kindling. we only had a few do this. my dog would catch and eat a chicken, feathers and all, only the day she had pups. thinking a need for calcium, possibly that is the problem with the rabbit. has she been eating a good pelleted rabbit feed, or more of the straw?

 

[Snowfie]

my dog would catch and eat a chicken, feathers and all, only the day she had pups. thinking a need for calcium, possibly that is the problem with the rabbit. has she been eating a good pelleted rabbit feed, or more of the straw?

A lot of rabbits will go off pellets the closer they get to their delivery date. They'll usually still eat hay and other things but something about pellets often puts them off. I would give my doe sunflower seeds to make up the difference (she LOVED them) as they have a lot of fat and I would give her a little bit of calf manna as soon as she started making a nest. She kept really good condition throughout the pregnancy.

But that is something to consider if you have a pregnant doe. If she's ramping back on her pellets, be sure to find something she will eat that will keep her body condition up while she's pregnant. Hay, Alfalfa, sunflower seeds, calf manna, etc.

 

[lovinglife]

You just got her, she has not settled down. I hear it is normal to do this when they think they are in danger or something scares them. I have not had this happen myself but I don't think it is unusual under the conditions.

 

[lexibot]

This is common as mentioned above. I have only seen this happen ONE time in all the rabbits I have bred, and I can't say what is wrong, because it happened 13 years ago when I was 12, and had no education on rabbits whatsoever, I was only doing as my mother told me, and she never once mentioned that a bunny needed a nest for her babies, so my rabbits didn't have a nest box. We bred her again, and she continued to eat her babies, but she didn't have a nest any of the times.

Mutilated babies are not fun to see... sad sad thing to see. Many breeders suggest giving a new mother a total of 3x to have babies, if she eats them every time, you definitely should cull her. Me, personally, would give her another chance with a nest (of course).

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Thanks for all the info everyone!!!!
I well see what happens next time, with a nest box, and making sure she has proper feed! This momma bunny seems to have a nasty attitude most of the time. Don't know any of her backgroud so have no idea if it was her first litter or not.
I will definatly give her a few more chances!!

 

[lexibot]

Good luck! Some rabbits are just very grumpy, lol! I love raising them from babies, that way I tend to get gently rabbits. I have one right now that I am going to breed so she's proven, then sell her, because she's way too skittish for my taste... they just get that way... for some reason, :/