I am trying to raise meat rabbits for the first time

by Tina Sons
(Boswell,Oklahoma)

and I have 26 rabbits. My females are giving birth outside the kindling boxes, it is cold so I have heat lamps on them but they are dying do you know what I am doing wrong?


***** Karen Sez *****
How cold is cold? The problem may be the heat lamps. Rabbits do cold just fine. Skip the heat lamps, stuff the nest boxes with plenty of pine shavings and hay, and your does will know just what to do.

Good luck!

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Dec 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Double Box
by: indigo hills

try putting kits back in box-mom will find them-try my earlier suggestion for a double box- the doe needs her own space- the does do not stay in the box with kits- she will go in to feed them and to protect them is she feels threatened. Good luck
Dec 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		losing babies
by: indigo hills

Are the babies staying together or are they getting separated- it takes at least three little ones to keep each other warm, and kits will crawl 20 foot away searching for mother- kits are fed by mom once a day- if the box they are in is not high enough they will not be separated from moms teat- i put a large bird cage inside the body of an old storage cabinet - I put hay in the cabinet then i put the bird cage on top of the hay also put hay inside birdcage- the door to the cage was large enough for the mom to get in and out yet the babies stayed inside the birdcage after they nursed. the extra space inside the cabinet gave the mom a more secure area and her own space- then i put a solid top on the cabinet to create a space similar to a rabbit warren- she felt more secure -in the dark the mom and the babies used sense of smell to find each other.

Making sure that the babies do not stray from their nest will help the mom find them-the kit box should be at least 6 inches tall; the box with in a box will help them survive. Put in water and food- make sure that the water cannot be spilled on babies. The larger outside cage gives the mom somewhere to rest and eat and take care of body functions. I did put a heat lamp on top of the cage to lesson the heat loss. Not directly on the babies- it could be that they are getting dehydrated by overheating or they may be trying to get away from the heat and getting separated from litter mates and mom - try indirect heat. If it looks like some of the kits are not eating try putting them in with another group of kits- rub them on your chest , blow your scent on them- the new mom might accept them. good luck and let us know what is successful. be vigilant.

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