If your rabbit rejects its babies, can you give them to another doe that has given birth a day or so before?

If a doe rejects her babies, can you give them to another doe who has given birth a day or so previously, or will she kill the new babies or even her own as well if they are put together. if it can be done, how would i do this?





I don't want both litters to die, but i don't want the rejected ones to die either. i know i can try and hand feed them etc, but the survival chances are so low. Thanks for any answers you may have to this!If your rabbit rejects its babies, can you give them to another doe that has given birth a day or so before?
This absolutely can be done. I always breed at least 2 does at the same time so I can foster if the needs arises. Even rabbits that are different breeds can foster another rabbits kits.





The best time to move the kits is in the morning after 8-9 am. This way the foster mom has already taken care of her own kits(they usually care for them in the night) and by the time she re-enters the nest box the ';new'; Kits will smell like her own and she will just care for them as if they were.





The only time this will not work is if the kits are over a week apart in age. That is too much of an age gape for it to work. Also never give a doe more than a total of 8 kits. Does have 8 nipples and any number over 8 is hard for them to raise even if they are their own.


Some do it but then the kits can range in size from very large to very small and runty.





I have often fostered kits in the litters I have raise. Especially if a doe dies or completely rejects her kits. I will also ';even up'; litters if a doe has 1 or 2 ad another has 5 or more. Just makes it easier on the doe with the large litter.





Make sure you mark the fostered babies in some way so you know who they originally came form. This is important with pedigreed rabbits so they get the right pedigree. Some people put a small dot of nail polish on top their heads or in their ears.If your rabbit rejects its babies, can you give them to another doe that has given birth a day or so before?
Yea this can be done, I did this with some ferret babys once.


But try and make sure the other mothers smell isnt one it


Rub the babys in the new mothers fur so they smell like her.





And hopefully she will accept them as her.


Good luck.
yes you can, thats why some breeders breed a few does around the same time, in case you have that problem
First, you need to know a doe only feeds the kits once or twice a day, usually at night, usually when you are not around and it takes only a few min. They completely ignore the kits the rest of the time. This is a behavior so they will not lead predators to their nest in the wild.


It is not uncommon for many people to never see the mother feed the babies.





I always tell people to ';Watch the kits, NOT the doe';. What i mean is that if the kits are plump and warm, they are just fine. Their bellies should be rounded, not flat or concave.





Check before you decide to foster the kits to another doe, which is done all the time as someone else pointed out. I always breed two or more does the same day just for this reason.








Also, it is fine to touch the kits anytime. The doe will not reject their kits if you touch them. I always check the newborns and clean the nest the day they are born. And i check the kits once daily to make sure all is well.