My rabbit mini gave birth - one kit is missing its hind legs

by Nancy
(Queens, NY)

My rabbit mini gave birth on New Years Day to only 3 babies. But one of her babies was born with only 2 legs her back legs weren't there, I don't know if the baby was born without it or the mom bit it. But sad to say today like about 2pm the rabbit was bathing her baby, she was crying a lot and like 2:30pm I saw the baby that she wasn't breathing then I knew she was dead. It was so sad when my daughter came home from school I told her and she was crying and devastated. I took the baby out of the cage and discarded it. I feel so sad about what had happened.


***** Karen Sez *****
Yeah, Nancy, I'm sorry about that! Most likely the doe was cleaning up the afterbirth by eating it, and somehow got carried away on the legs of the first kit to be born. There was nothing you could do to save the baby. It's hard to take, sometimes. Nor should you fault the doe. She was just confused and truly didn't mean to harm her kit.

Rabbit breeders and yes, most all farmers know that occasionally it happens this way. It's part of life, and it's okay. Sad, but okay.

Please take an electronic hug from Raising-Rabbits for both you and your daughter, and feel free to give your doe another crack at motherhood after she's weaned the two remaining kits.

Best of luck going forward, and God bless you.

Comments for My rabbit mini gave birth - one kit is missing its hind legs

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Jan 20, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mini and her kits
by: Nancy

Wow I couldn't believe my doe had 3 kits now she only has 1 kit beautiful big and fat. The first died the 4th of Jan and the other kit die on Jan 19 at 5 am in my hand it seems that the kit wasn't eating very well and skinny and was crying. It's so sad to know just one kit survive.
Jan 19, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mini and her 2 kits
by: Nancy

Mini gave birth on new years day to 3 kits. After the 4th day of giving birth one of her kits died, the one without her 2 legs in the back. The other 2 kits are doing good until today I notice one of the kits loves to sleep and doesn't move as much the other kits moves around eats hay and is doing good very round belly. But I am worried about the other kit she was round a couple of days ago but I see she's not now. I don't want her to die. She laying on her side but she has trouble standing and she feels so light belly is not round like a couple of days ago. What is happening? What can I do for her it has fresh water every day lots of hay and pellets.

***** Karen Sez *****
Nancy, sometimes you can only do what you can do, and after that it is up to nature. If something major is wrong with the kit, say with its digestive system, nature will allow the kit to die. It would then, in Nature, become food for another animal, and no tears are shed.

We humans get attached to our animals, and rightly so. It's better, though, if we can also see the bigger picture of how predator and prey serve each other in the larger ecosystem.

And BTW, humans are predators somewhere near the top of the food chain. There is nothing morally prohibiting humans from partaking of prey animals such as rabbits, nor of herding and caring for those prey animals and tending to their welfare before killing them humanely for food. In fact evolution has selectively shaped humans into the predators they are and have been from the dawn of time.
Jan 17, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Birthing trouble.
by: SmallBlessings

It is possible that your mommy rabbit had trouble with birthing that bunny. I have been blessed to be able to watch a bunny birthing several times. In order to avoid predators, the birthing from start to cleaned up will take only about 10 minutes! She is pulling them out and cleaning them up as fast as she can. Since the only way she has to help her birth is her teeth and the babies are so fragile, sometimes this happens. Be very careful not to breed your female to a larger male. I have lost one or two to this tragedy, and it does hurt to think about it. It may help you to thank "Mother Nature," since it would be a real sadness for this bunny to be dragging its backside around for all of its life.
Jan 09, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		My rabbit mini and her babies
by: Nancy

It's been 9 days since Mini gave birth I want to know when I can change or clean her cage. It doesn't smell but I am afraid because of her babies she made her nest inside the cage.

***** Karen Sez *****
Solid floored cage, yes? I'm not quite sure how your set up is, or the basis for your fears, but I don't s'pose it matters, because it should be fine any time to clean the cage, at this point.

The kits still need their nest however. Plus the nest itself is probably still in good shape (right?), so if you can save most of the nest and put it back in where it was in a newly cleaned cage, everything should be good.

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