[katanadan]

I know! it sounds like something from a Riki Lake show 

Well we got two continental giant does last year, and about a month ago I noticed one was following the other around a lot. So I looked up on the net about how to check their sex and would you Adam and Eve it? They aren't sisters after all. Well we sold the buck and hoped they were too young to breed. So this morning I went to let her out of her hutch and there was a pink blob on the floor of her hutch. On closer inspection it tuned out to be a kitten, it looks identical to a puppy! 

After the inital shock I noticed she had pulled out a lot of hair overnight and made a really comfotable nest, isn't nature amazing? I love the way she new what to do. I though it odd that she just had the one so I had a quick feel around and found another under the food bowl, unfortunately this little one didn't survive. I was kicking myself for not checking her more often as I had been for several weeks incase she was pregnant. But I gave up 21 days after we seperated them. I must have confused it with egg hatching  :nowink

So now we have 1 white kitten and 1 mother who desperately wants to get out of her hutch. Am I okay for her to do this? It's not the biggest hutch because we usually let her out all day on the garden and only lock her up at night. I let her out for 10 minutes but she had no interest in going back in. The kitten was in the middle of the floor and not in the nest, so I moved it back to the nest and she got buried in it. It's so confusing to know what to do? We will be having mum neutered when she's rested and got over this kitten, but in the meantime any help would be great 

[joyfull]

How old is the kitten now? My dad used to breed and show rabbits but when they had little ones we just used to keep them in their hutches at least until the little ones had opened their eyes and were feeding properly. If they are disturbed too much they may kill the little ones (a throw back to their wild ways where they would sooner do that if a preditor comes too close  ). I am surprised that she hadn't started to nest build by pulling her fur out of her dewlap whilst she was carrying - this is the normal behaviour, perhaps she just isn't a natural mother 
The kitten needs feeding and warmth from the mother if it is too young to find food itself.

[tam]

Yes, mum can come out. Rabbits would usually only feed their babies once or twice a day for a few minutes at a time.

The kitten was either out of the nest again because it was hungry or because it was latched on to mum when she walked out and got dragged out. You can prevent this by putting a frame around the next a couple of inches high, enough for mum to walk over but to knock the baby off if its holding on.

You can check that baby is eating by looking at it's tummy - it should be nice and round, and the skin shouldn't be wrinkly like it is dehydrated. If it's not feeding you need to hold it to mum to drink, support mum in a sitting position and let it latch on. If she doesn't have milk then you'll need goats milk or kitten substitute. Water will hold it over a few hours while you get hold of these.

[katanadan]

Thanks for the advice, well the kitten managed to climb back into the nest as it was hudled up in there this morning 

It seems to be feeding okay, no wrinly skin and has a pot belly. She's probably just over a day old now. I've let mum out to stretch her legs. I'll check on it again later and hopefully everything will be fine.

As for the nest building, she did start pulling out a bit of hair the day before but only a bit, and it was on the garden so assumed it was her moulting  but boy was I wrong.

[Sue33]

Pictures please 

[tam]

Glad to here she's doing well Her eyes should open about day 11 but she should stay in the nest for another few days after that. Make sure there is hay around the nest as they start on solids as young as two weeks! They grow at an amazing rate so she'll have fur and look like a mini bunny around the same time.

If it's a boy then separate at 10 weeks. A female can stay with mum as long as she's not bugging her for milk still. Mum should be able to be neutered at that point too.