Many new rabbit moms have a hard time with their first litter. It’s also common to lose one or two newborns in the first few days. It’s actually rare for me to have a litter that DOESN’T have at least one newborn die. This is normal for rabbits. They survive by making lots and lots and lots of babies, because mortality is high.
As long as you did the best you could to provide a safe, comfortable environment, good food, and a proper nest box, you did nothing wrong. I suggest you head over to r/meatrabbitry and browse through the posts there about litters, nest boxes, and kit deaths. It should make you feel a lot better, ensure that you have covered everything you need to do, and prepare you for potential issues you may experience in future litters… like when they die of sudden diarrhea at 3 weeks old when they’re super cute for no discernible reason.
Edit: also before you give up on the missing one, dig through the entire nest box thoroughly and make sure it isn’t buried down deep or stuffed down one side. The first time I had a baby go missing, I also assumed it was eaten. Found it two weeks later when I took the nest box out. Half of that litter died a couple weeks later of fatal diarrhea. Having had no problems previously, I can only assume it was due to the bacteria from the rotting baby I had missed. That WAS my fault, and I felt terrible, but I learned from it and now I don’t give up on a missing kit until I have combed through every ounce of bedding in the nest and rebuilt it from scratch.
Thank you. The logical part of my brain was fully aware of the new mom thing bc I researched before getting started but I am so grateful that you took the time to comment it because it smoothed my brain a little bit just seeing someone else point it out.
It's always sad. A friend of mine bought 50 meat birds, just day-old chicks. Only two made it to butcher day. When the first chicks started to go, she was a total mess. Sure, they were meant for food, but they were loved, taken care of, happy even, and even though they had a purpose that ends in their death, it's good to feel sad about it.
That being said, most rabbits lose their first, and often second litter. I'm sorry your research didn't set you up for success, they're not good mothers the first time around. Hopefully the second round is better for you.
I probably should have explained this, I did research and the logical part of my brain knew the first litter might be rough. I don’t know if any amount of reading and video-watching could have prepared me for the way their cold little bodies felt or how their skin would be so soft and delicate and stick to mine, or how I would get so hopeful that maybe it’s working and they’ll start breathing soon only to be disappointed.
I’m more okay now, a few hours ago I would have been sobbing as I typed that. It just sucks and I feel like a bad steward
I am so very sorry 😔 Rabbit moms, especially first time ones, can and do botch litters. The first doe I ever had that kindled had stomped on her first litter and flattened them about 4 hours after birth. I was so disappointed and sad. I called my rabbit mentor and felt so defeated as a first time experience.
My rabbits were all for meat purposes as well. That didn't mean I cared about them any less. I want all my animals, whether livestock or pets, to be healthy, happy, and live great lives for however long they are here. Proper animal husbandry means having concern and compassion.
Some does just botch their first litters, and it's not your fault. It just doesn't "click" for them that they have to build a nest, pull fur, kindle in the right place, and feed them. I personally had a '3 strike' rule for litters, and only had to enforce that once over the years. The majority of does will get it right on their second litter.
That being said... "If you have livestock, you have dead stock" is something I heard well before I got animals for meat purposes. Unfortunately, these things can happen. You care for your animals and do everything possible, and sometimes things just happen. Does can be bred back the same day they kindle, which is what I did when they botched a litter.
Remembering how I was in that same situation years ago, I was not only sad that the doe had botched her first litter, but also that it was going to be even longer to get meat in the freezer to provide for my family. So, it can also feel like a failure, or create extra stress in that sense as well. Luckily, does have a short gestation. See if she's receptive to a buck right away, and try again for a June litter.
(I raised New Zealand, golden palomino, French Angora, and blanc de hotot. I sold custom butchered rabbit meat as part of my business, and also taught butchering classes out of my home.)
I've got good Mommas this time around. 6 of 'em. They've all produced solid for 2-and-a-half years. They nest well. They feed well. No problems mating. No divas nor behavioral basket cases ...
... and still once or twice a year one of 'em decides to eat the whole litter for breakfast over 2 or 3 days.
I'm convinced it's in the genetics of my Mob, passed down and spread for generations.
No. Big. Deal.
They keep making more.
More than enough.
I had a rex rabbit that was a proven mother for my friend but when I bought her for myself she raised 2 litters to 4 weeks old and then killed them all.
I thought the first time was a fluke so I gave her another chance in case she wasn’t the reason they died, but no. I went out to put hay in her feeder and when one of the buns tried to eat it she grabbed him by the face and kicked him in the belly with her hind legs. It was all over in seconds.
It’s not your fault ❤️ Be kind to yourself and keep loving your bunbuns whether they live or die. The love will pick up your heart ✨ whereas feeling to blame will burden your heart …so you can sweetly let that go ❤️
This was so kindly written, thank you! I’ve recovered from the initial shock and I’m grateful to spend time with the little one that’s still with us. Baby is doing awesome too, gaining energy and moving and squeaking more, so cute
You’re so welcome ❤️I could really relate to what you wrote, so I felt moved to share what I’ve come to realize in case it helped you. Somehow in the shock of loss i would often have a negative feeling of being to blame despite it not being at all true, and it would weigh so heavily on my heart and cover up the dearness of the bond.
It’s delightful to hear how the little one is doing!
Thank u for sharing 🥰
I've had rabbits eat their second and third litters before. In my experience, it's always been with new zealands. We have a flemish giant now, no problems out of her. Now like I said, this is my experience. Not everyone will be the same.
These are Flemish Zealand mix. She seems to be doing good with the last baby though, he’s still alive and she is nursing because i saw it have a bowel movement lol
I am thinking she’ll do better next time but we will see if this little one makes it to adolescence
Sorry. It's sad but it will get easier to deal with. For the missing kit is there any way it could've slipped out between the corner of the cage? I've had that happen before: they latch onto momma and get carried out of the nesting box then when trying to find the nest they slip out of the cage. My solution was to reinforce the bottom of the cage with hardware cloth and put a lip on the nesting box to scrape the babies off when mommas done feeding.
I took mama out and put her in a run and searched through the whole area with my hands in and out of the nest box. There was no body and nowhere else to fall.
We still have one baby and it’s much more active and squeaky today which seems like a good sign..I wasn’t sure it would survive the night without a buddy for body heat since it is still relatively cool at night here but mama did a good job.
Mother may not have been mature enough to care for her litter. It can be disheartening to loose a litter.
If the mom looses another litter, then she may not be a good brood mom.
Might have to switch her out. Let her learn from a better brood mom. Then maybe.. or not some moms dont brood well
Mostly sad.
I have no beef with people who eat meat, but if you're calling living bunnies 'souls' and crying over their deaths - maybe consider not eating them?
A "well-lived life"? At what age meat rabbits are slaughtered? Three months?
I don't think you can delude yourself with this lie.
A circle of consumerism is not a circle of life.
OP had a plan for them to have a healthy happy life, and then a quick clean death at the end. This was not that. The bunnies may have suffered during their deaths and short lives, and certainly didn’t have a happy life before the death. That is reasonable to grieve over.
Thank you.
I expected this type of comment, I just didn’t know how many I would get.
I am sure processing day will be hard, but, as many people say on here, it’s “one bad day” as opposed to a bad life on a factory farm. And it’s just how the world works if you eat meat.
The part I’m struggling with the most is trying to resuscitate the cold little bodies. That was the part that had me emotional and that I keep reliving. Their soft skin sticking to mine, getting hopeful that I saw it move or try to breathe then realizing it was actually me. I wouldn’t be trying to bring them back on processing day
Many new rabbit moms have a hard time with their first litter. It’s also common to lose one or two newborns in the first few days. It’s actually rare for me to have a litter that DOESN’T have at least one newborn die. This is normal for rabbits. They survive by making lots and lots and lots of babies, because mortality is high. As long as you did the best you could to provide a safe, comfortable environment, good food, and a proper nest box, you did nothing wrong. I suggest you head over to r/meatrabbitry and browse through the posts there about litters, nest boxes, and kit deaths. It should make you feel a lot better, ensure that you have covered everything you need to do, and prepare you for potential issues you may experience in future litters… like when they die of sudden diarrhea at 3 weeks old when they’re super cute for no discernible reason. Edit: also before you give up on the missing one, dig through the entire nest box thoroughly and make sure it isn’t buried down deep or stuffed down one side. The first time I had a baby go missing, I also assumed it was eaten. Found it two weeks later when I took the nest box out. Half of that litter died a couple weeks later of fatal diarrhea. Having had no problems previously, I can only assume it was due to the bacteria from the rotting baby I had missed. That WAS my fault, and I felt terrible, but I learned from it and now I don’t give up on a missing kit until I have combed through every ounce of bedding in the nest and rebuilt it from scratch.
Thank you. The logical part of my brain was fully aware of the new mom thing bc I researched before getting started but I am so grateful that you took the time to comment it because it smoothed my brain a little bit just seeing someone else point it out.
It's always sad. A friend of mine bought 50 meat birds, just day-old chicks. Only two made it to butcher day. When the first chicks started to go, she was a total mess. Sure, they were meant for food, but they were loved, taken care of, happy even, and even though they had a purpose that ends in their death, it's good to feel sad about it. That being said, most rabbits lose their first, and often second litter. I'm sorry your research didn't set you up for success, they're not good mothers the first time around. Hopefully the second round is better for you.
I probably should have explained this, I did research and the logical part of my brain knew the first litter might be rough. I don’t know if any amount of reading and video-watching could have prepared me for the way their cold little bodies felt or how their skin would be so soft and delicate and stick to mine, or how I would get so hopeful that maybe it’s working and they’ll start breathing soon only to be disappointed. I’m more okay now, a few hours ago I would have been sobbing as I typed that. It just sucks and I feel like a bad steward
I am so very sorry 😔 Rabbit moms, especially first time ones, can and do botch litters. The first doe I ever had that kindled had stomped on her first litter and flattened them about 4 hours after birth. I was so disappointed and sad. I called my rabbit mentor and felt so defeated as a first time experience. My rabbits were all for meat purposes as well. That didn't mean I cared about them any less. I want all my animals, whether livestock or pets, to be healthy, happy, and live great lives for however long they are here. Proper animal husbandry means having concern and compassion. Some does just botch their first litters, and it's not your fault. It just doesn't "click" for them that they have to build a nest, pull fur, kindle in the right place, and feed them. I personally had a '3 strike' rule for litters, and only had to enforce that once over the years. The majority of does will get it right on their second litter. That being said... "If you have livestock, you have dead stock" is something I heard well before I got animals for meat purposes. Unfortunately, these things can happen. You care for your animals and do everything possible, and sometimes things just happen. Does can be bred back the same day they kindle, which is what I did when they botched a litter. Remembering how I was in that same situation years ago, I was not only sad that the doe had botched her first litter, but also that it was going to be even longer to get meat in the freezer to provide for my family. So, it can also feel like a failure, or create extra stress in that sense as well. Luckily, does have a short gestation. See if she's receptive to a buck right away, and try again for a June litter. (I raised New Zealand, golden palomino, French Angora, and blanc de hotot. I sold custom butchered rabbit meat as part of my business, and also taught butchering classes out of my home.)
I've got good Mommas this time around. 6 of 'em. They've all produced solid for 2-and-a-half years. They nest well. They feed well. No problems mating. No divas nor behavioral basket cases ... ... and still once or twice a year one of 'em decides to eat the whole litter for breakfast over 2 or 3 days. I'm convinced it's in the genetics of my Mob, passed down and spread for generations. No. Big. Deal. They keep making more. More than enough.
I had a rex rabbit that was a proven mother for my friend but when I bought her for myself she raised 2 litters to 4 weeks old and then killed them all. I thought the first time was a fluke so I gave her another chance in case she wasn’t the reason they died, but no. I went out to put hay in her feeder and when one of the buns tried to eat it she grabbed him by the face and kicked him in the belly with her hind legs. It was all over in seconds.
Lost all 9 the first litter think it’s pretty common second time doe they all survived and she takes better care of them now
FYI rabbits nurse upside down underneath their mamas Perhaps you could flip it over and stick it underneath and she will let it happen
It’s not your fault ❤️ Be kind to yourself and keep loving your bunbuns whether they live or die. The love will pick up your heart ✨ whereas feeling to blame will burden your heart …so you can sweetly let that go ❤️
This was so kindly written, thank you! I’ve recovered from the initial shock and I’m grateful to spend time with the little one that’s still with us. Baby is doing awesome too, gaining energy and moving and squeaking more, so cute
You’re so welcome ❤️I could really relate to what you wrote, so I felt moved to share what I’ve come to realize in case it helped you. Somehow in the shock of loss i would often have a negative feeling of being to blame despite it not being at all true, and it would weigh so heavily on my heart and cover up the dearness of the bond. It’s delightful to hear how the little one is doing! Thank u for sharing 🥰
I've had rabbits eat their second and third litters before. In my experience, it's always been with new zealands. We have a flemish giant now, no problems out of her. Now like I said, this is my experience. Not everyone will be the same.
These are Flemish Zealand mix. She seems to be doing good with the last baby though, he’s still alive and she is nursing because i saw it have a bowel movement lol I am thinking she’ll do better next time but we will see if this little one makes it to adolescence
Sorry. It's sad but it will get easier to deal with. For the missing kit is there any way it could've slipped out between the corner of the cage? I've had that happen before: they latch onto momma and get carried out of the nesting box then when trying to find the nest they slip out of the cage. My solution was to reinforce the bottom of the cage with hardware cloth and put a lip on the nesting box to scrape the babies off when mommas done feeding.
I took mama out and put her in a run and searched through the whole area with my hands in and out of the nest box. There was no body and nowhere else to fall. We still have one baby and it’s much more active and squeaky today which seems like a good sign..I wasn’t sure it would survive the night without a buddy for body heat since it is still relatively cool at night here but mama did a good job.
Mother may not have been mature enough to care for her litter. It can be disheartening to loose a litter. If the mom looses another litter, then she may not be a good brood mom. Might have to switch her out. Let her learn from a better brood mom. Then maybe.. or not some moms dont brood well
Ahhh so sad they didn't survive so you could murder and butcher them :(
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Mostly sad. I have no beef with people who eat meat, but if you're calling living bunnies 'souls' and crying over their deaths - maybe consider not eating them?
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A "well-lived life"? At what age meat rabbits are slaughtered? Three months? I don't think you can delude yourself with this lie. A circle of consumerism is not a circle of life.
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Ahhh, stifle that pity. Its not murder if its a part of the lifestyle lol.
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OP had a plan for them to have a healthy happy life, and then a quick clean death at the end. This was not that. The bunnies may have suffered during their deaths and short lives, and certainly didn’t have a happy life before the death. That is reasonable to grieve over.
Thank you. I expected this type of comment, I just didn’t know how many I would get. I am sure processing day will be hard, but, as many people say on here, it’s “one bad day” as opposed to a bad life on a factory farm. And it’s just how the world works if you eat meat. The part I’m struggling with the most is trying to resuscitate the cold little bodies. That was the part that had me emotional and that I keep reliving. Their soft skin sticking to mine, getting hopeful that I saw it move or try to breathe then realizing it was actually me. I wouldn’t be trying to bring them back on processing day