My rabbits first litter - they are all skinny

by Hayden
(Ontario)

I have 2 females one had a litter of 4 and they all survived and the other just had her litter of 7 it has been 5 days and all the babies seem to be very skinny. I can see their back bones? I don't know what to do?

***Moderator Comment***
1) Check the water - they need all the water they can drink 24/7.

2) Check the date on the feed sack. Should be 60 days old or LESS. If older, the nutrients may be oxidized.

3) Are you feeding pellets?? If you follow the feeding guidelines of 'animal rights' - focused vets and websites, your does may not be getting enough protein to support milk production. Go get commercial pellets from a feed store, not a pet store (Walmart has a decent brand - see #2 above), and start feeding her all she can eat.

4) Get some Calf Manna (TM), and supplement the doe's food - it helps with milk production and maintaining condition while the doe is lactating.

5) Go to www.raising-rabbits.com/feeding-wild-rabbits.html for some tips on hand-feeding the bunnies. If all of them are really skinny, they probably need the extra kitten milk for a while, till the doe gets enough nourishment to make her own milk.

Hope this helps, and good luck,
K