Slip up momma ...help??

[Bunnylady]

IMO, if that second litter is to survive, the first litter will need to be removed from the cage. Otherwise, she will nurse the more active, aggressive, older ones, and the second litter will probably starve. It's pretty unlikely that she would choose to visit them both, and equally unlikely that the older kits would stay out of the nest where the new kits are. If she does try to refuse the older kits, there's a good chance the new ones could get trampled.

We prefer not to separate at 4 weeks, but commercial breeders do it all the time. Buns this age should be eating and drinking a fair amount on their own; if you add some rolled oats and maybe a little calf manna to their pellets, they should be OK.

I've had emergency situations that resulted in litters as young as 3 weeks being on their own, and they survived. Not what I'd prefer, but sometimes, needs must.

And actually, it's not the sperm they store, it's the embryos - it's a little-known trick called "delayed implantation." The longest case on record was something like 6 months.

But let me ask this: are you sure you got the buck out before the older litter was born? Does come into use (are capable of getting pregnant again) immediately after a litter is born. If he was there when the kits were born, this is a straightforward case of rebreeding after kindling, not anything more exotic.

 

[Xerocles]

I think this site should be split into "experience levels" like movies. You know, G, PG, PG13, R, and X.
Maybe Novice, Learning, Advanced Novice, Journeyman, and Master.
As someone stuck at novice, you guys scare the hell-o out of me. I probably won't sleep tonight!
@Duckfarmerpa1. All my sympathies with this one. Newfound confidence or not, this has GOT to rattle your foundations a bit.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I think this site should be split into "experience levels" like movies. You know, G, PG, PG13, R, and X.
Maybe Novice, Learning, Advanced Novice, Journeyman, and Master.
As someone stuck at novice, you guys scare the hell-o out of me. I probably won't sleep tonight!
@Duckfarmerpa1. All my sympathies with this one. Newfound confidence or not, this has GOT to rattle your foundations a bit.

If your scared now, wait until there is a LGD discussion.......

 

[JHP Homestead]

I have only raised rabbits for a couple years, but I think you should remove the older litter. At 4 weeks, my kits are ambushing the mom to nurse whenever they want, so there probably wouldn’t be much for the new kits, if the mom even did try to nurse them.

The older kits should be ok by themselves. Their growth will probably slow quite a bit, but I don’t know if these are meat rabbits anyways, so that probably doesn’t matter.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Oh

IMO, if that second litter is to survive, the first litter will need to be removed from the cage. Otherwise, she will nurse the more active, aggressive, older ones, and the second litter will probably starve. It's pretty unlikely that she would choose to visit them both, and equally unlikely that the older kits would stay out of the nest where the new kits are. If she does try to refuse the older kits, there's a good chance the new ones could get trampled.

We prefer not to separate at 4 weeks, but commercial breeders do it all the time. Buns this age should be eating and drinking a fair amount on their own; if you add some rolled oats and maybe a little calf manna to their pellets, they should be OK.

I've had emergency situations that resulted in litters as young as 3 weeks being on their own, and they survived. Not what I'd prefer, but sometimes, needs must.

And actually, it's not the sperm they store, it's the embryos - it's a little-known trick called "delayed implantation." The longest case on record was something like 6 months.

But let me ask this: are you sure you got the buck out before the older litter was born? Does come into use (are capable of getting pregnant again) immediately after a litter is born. If he was there when the kits were born, this is a straightforward case of rebreeding after kindling, not anything more exotic.

no...he was out...I took him out right after I made the post with you all and you guys said to get him out!! I just put the second bunny box in....does this mean I need to go back out and separate? I absolutely will, but...can it wait till the morning?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

It

If your scared now, wait until there is a LGD discussion.......

was. Ray...I thought she was hurt..then I thought she hurt the babies...then to find babies...Chris said I’m like an irresponsible teenager.. Mom, I’m pregnant again...

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

I have only raised rabbits for a couple years, but I think you should remove the older litter. At 4 weeks, my kits are ambushing the mom to nurse whenever they want, so there probably wouldn’t be much for the new kits, if the mom even did try to nurse them.

The older kits should be ok by themselves. Their growth will probably slow quite a bit, but I don’t know if these are meat rabbits anyways, so that probably doesn’t matter.

Ok...never mind about waiting until morning...I’m going out now....

 

[Xerocles]

If your scared now, wait until there is a LGD discussion.......

Oh, you guys say all you want about LGDs. I don't have enough, or widely scattered enough livestock to warrant one. Basically everything I have is in my yard, and my pound mutt takes care of things nicely.
Can't scare me there!
But things like "delayed implantation" or "immaculate conception" or whatever ???
Next I expect to hear about spontaneous sex change (like frogs) in my chickens so I wake to crowing and fertilized eggs!
And its all @Duckfarmerpa1 s fault. I never heard of ANY of these wierd things until she started bringing it up! Love ya Ducks!

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Ok, we’re back...we moved the older bunnies..but...it’s a smaller cage....perhaps I should’ve put the mom in the smaller space. Perhaps I should switch them around in a few days, or tomo? Or just leave it be? The space they are in is 2’ x 18”....

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Oh, you guys say all you want about LGDs. I don't have enough, or widely scattered enough livestock to warrant one. Basically everything I have is in my yard, and my pound mutt takes care of things nicely.
Can't scare me there!
But things like "delayed implantation" or "immaculate conception" or whatever ???
Next I expect to hear about spontaneous sex change (like frogs) in my chickens so I wake to crowing and fertilized eggs!
And its all @Duckfarmerpa1 s fault. I never heard of ANY of these wierd things until she started bringing it up! Love ya Ducks!

Thanks a lot @Xerocles ..I used to like you.. Seriously, weird stuff happens here...I used to be so innocent...now even my rabbits are ...multiplying like rabbits!! As long as they make it!!