Bunny Lover
by Martha
(Australia)
My (apparently too young female) has had babies to her brother (also apparently too young)!!! I've had 1 litter before, and the babies all look fine. I can't see anything deformed about them - the mum and dad are both crossbreeds so i think it helped.
I'm just concerned that the new babies aren't getting enough milk. SOME of them don't seem quite as well fed as the others - or the ones in my last litter. I've heard that you can give the mother raspberry leaves or sunflower seeds to increase her milk supply. Is this true? Are there any other things i can give her. I don't have alfalfa hay at the moment but i am working on getting some. This birth was NOT expected, and i am not really prepared for it.
Violet (the mum) is 19 weeks old now, and she seems so small to be feeding six greedy little kits. One of them looks like he gets half the milk and the others have to share the other half between them! I'm worried, and not really sure what to do. Please help! Thanks so much!
***** Karen Sez *****The best thing I have found for helping does make more milk are black oil sunflower seeds. The magic is in the oil, as normally, rabbit rations are not high enough in fats (or are borderline okay, but not high enough for lactating does).
Give her 1-2 tablespoons a day (the lesser amount for dwarfs, the larger amount for large breeds); the kits will do great.
Whole oats also help, and I know others utilize raspberry leaves, etc.
Good luck, and enjoy your rabbits!