# Mommas chewing their young



## simplefarmgirl (Mar 31, 2006)

Ok i was told to post this as a new thread! Since i posted the other day, I have had 3 liters, with 3 different ages of mommas, as of this morning all 2 momma have chewed,eated or not fed their babys.

The first 2 mothers are between 4-6 mos as i was told and bred when i got them, the 3rd mother is several yrs old.

Why are they all eating their babies?
The mothers have clean cages, plenty of fresh water and food.

Any help would be great


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

The young does are inexperienced and probably were too young. Ideally, you should wait until the doe is about 6 months old to breed her. So they may not know what to do with the kits. The older one might be too old and there may be something wrong with the kits. It is hard to say. Did you move any of them just before they kindled? If you move a rabbit shortly before she gives birth, she may be afraid and kill her babies. 

Check to see if there are any other stress factors that could be affecting the does. Are they too warm or too cold? Do they have shade and a place that is protected from wind and rain? Are they in the same cage or really small cages? Are there dogs or cats nearby that may be scaring them? If none of those conditions exist, maybe it is just their age. Let them be and breed them again (at 6 months of age) if all of the kits die. The older doe may be ready to cull or you could try again if you want to, just make sure she feels secure in her cage.
Good luck!


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

Often first time mothers will lose their first litter, by neglecting it. Does will also eat dead kits to clean up the nest area and keep from attracting predators, normal behavior. Does that maim their kits by chewing off ears, legs etc tend to have something wrong with them, and become habitual offenders. Its some sort of short circuit thing, I've never been able to stop this behavior once its has started. First thing you need to do is figure out which rabbit is doing what. Remove all of the surviving kits. Put all of them into one nest box if you only have eight or less. Do not put them in with a doe, instead take the doe out and put her in the nest box, holding her so that they can feed. This isn't always easy, cut her nails first and be patient, do it with all three does, make certain at least one of them will feed the kits, and try to keep all three producing milk. I do this all the time, I'll have more than one doe feeding a litter. Keep the nestbox inside, do not leave it with a doe. In the meantime consider their environment, what could be upsetting them? Like Lisas garden said, are they too exposed? Do cats and dogs have access to them? What breed are they? While Mini Rex and other smaller breeds do fine bred between 4-5 months larger breeds need to be a bit older, but it does depend on breed. Sorry this is happening to you, one of my least favourite things is to have a doe maim her kits and then I have to put them down, makes me sick. Such a doe I cull immediately based on my past experiences.


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## Dian (May 11, 2003)

Questions-Are the babies that are chewed alive? A doe will usually try to clean up any dead if they are dead when you find them the doe may just be cleaning up and not killing the kits herself.
Are the ones that are chewed on in a nest box or out on the wire? I wonder if something else may be getting to them-a rat comes to mind. Someone in the last few days posted about rats eating not only the kits, but the adult rabbits.
I am sorry you are going through this and I hope you figure it out soon.
It seems really odd that it is happening with all of them.
Dian


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## simplefarmgirl (Mar 31, 2006)

Not sure if the babies were alive when chewed on, they were alive the last i had checked on them. Nothing is getting into the cages., they are just regular floppy eared looking rabbit, I am still learning the different breeds, the larger older one who is at least 2 yrs old. My husband and sons let the little dogs int he barn the other day, but thats where only one liter was the other two were in a different barn with nothing else around them,, i will keep watch now to see what could be stressing them


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Its not common for rabbits to chew/eat their kits. Sometimes a new mom will being overly zealous in cleaning a newborn or if they are born dead, buts its not often this happens.
In fact, we need to check the nest everyday because if a kit dies it will usually be left to rot in the nest and us humans have to remove it or maggots end up everywhere. 

If you have chewed on kits in more than one nest with more then one mom, I would be thinking more toward rats or other vermin that are having snacks.
Rats are clever and can easily get into cages and take nibbles on helpless kits. The doe cant do anything to stop it.
Rats also know if humans are around and will wait till all signs of humans are gone before coming into view.

Thats what I would suspect, vermin.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Yup, could be rats. It's amazing the small spaces they can get through. Got J-feeders? Might as well leave the cage door open, unless they have secure covers. 1 inch wire will keep out large rats, but smaller ones could still get through. A cage door with a little gap? Just watch out... rats will find it.

They are nasty, relentless, vicious *predators*. :flame: Don't underestimate them.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

In your other post you said their legs had been chewed off and some of them were a couple of days old. If this was the injury then it does not sound like the does did it. Usually they chew at birth while cleaning the newborn kits and it is usually the upper skin, ears, faces and sometimes tails that are chewed. Chewed legs sounds like something pulled whatever it could grab through the wire. Rats, cats, raccoons, skunks, weasels and even dogs will do this.


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

Does that eat there newborns are very common here . I feed the doe warm raw hamberger meat for a day or so before she throws her kits. the ones that crave meat really do love it, but only before & just after birth. *EVERY time this has stopped kit eating.*every time!
what do you have to loose? more rabbits or $1.00 of hamberger meat?
it works.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

mullberry said:


> Does that eat there newborns are very common here . I feed the doe warm raw hamberger meat for a day or so before she throws her kits. the ones that crave meat really do love it, but only before & just after birth. *EVERY time this has stopped kit eating.*every time!
> what do you have to loose? more rabbits or $1.00 of hamberger meat?
> it works.


Rabbits do not have the type of digestive system to properly digest hamburger, let alone other meats! This is not normal rabbit behavior. I would look at the management or something by way of bad genetics here causing rabbits to eat kits.
This is not normal for healthy well bred rabbits.

Also I would not follow advice to feed any meat products to a rabbit which is biologically a complete herbivore.
This type of practice can harm good healthy rabbits.


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## jil101ca (Jul 2, 2007)

I agree sounds like rats or something, a weasal can get in almost any size hole or crack.I had a rabbit eat some of her kits once, we think she was trying to put them back in the nest box. For a few does to do this at the same time is just not right new moms or not. Too many doing it at once to be the moms doing it imo


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

That is a very good point, JIL101ca. How does it go... "Once is happenstance. Twice is co-incidence. The third time, it's enemy action."


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

RiverPines said:


> Rabbits do not have the type of digestive system to properly digest hamburger, let alone other meats! This is not normal rabbit behavior. I would look at the management or something by way of bad genetics here causing rabbits to eat kits.
> This is not normal for healthy well bred rabbits.
> 
> Also I would not follow advice to feed any meat products to a rabbit which is biologically a complete herbivore.
> This type of practice can harm good healthy rabbits.


I have given hamburger meat to momma rabbits that eat there young for 44 years that I have raised rabbits.How long have you kept rabbits? I say you are very wrong giving poor assumptions to people with simple cures. why would you have rats any way?


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

Wow Mulberry have you ever considered thats its NOT the rabbits eating the hamburger but Rats and weasels???? Perhaps THAT'S why there have been no more eaten kits in your barn, they took the easy meat instead.Momma rabbits eating their young is not common and it occurs basically when a doe over cleans at birth. I have been raising rabbits a long time too and have never had kits eaten by does several days after birth EVER. So Riverpines is entirely correct in that rabbits won't be able to digest meat even if they actually ate it. Rats are feral and live where they have a food source and water and shelter. Barns are one such place; much to the dismay of the barn owner. If there are rats present, anyone here is most likely in the process of exterminating them. I think you, on the other hand, have been feeding them for 40 plus years. Like has already been posted,the rats have stayed out of your view. We must remember that just because two events occured together, that they are not necessarily related to each other. Example.. I clapped my hands and there was thunder... did my clapping cause the thunder??? NOOOOO They just occured at the same time.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

I don't know much about rabbits yet, but a book I was reading claimed that dehydrated does will sometimes eat kits. It seems like an easy thing to check and remedy, if needed. 

Although I have to agree, it sounds to me like rats, or mice, or something is getting the babies besides mom.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Is the point whether rabbits digest meat or if a feeding of raw meat satisfies a mineral or instinctive need; be it a real defiency to the rabbit or a behavioral problem.


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## Tracy Rimmer (May 9, 2002)

Does will eat their kits when there is salt lacking in their diet. That's why there are salt wheels available for rabbits. 

Crack a hunk off of a larger salt lick and put it in their enclosure, or buy the smaller rabbit-sized salt wheels on wire that you hang in their crate. They'll stop eating their young.

BTDT.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

If they're getting any complete type of pelleted feed it most likely already has salt in it.


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## DevonGlen (Aug 10, 2009)

Lacking Salt in the diet is one part of it, also rabbits who have a protein deficiency will cannibalize their kits. Breeding does should be on a higher protein diet because it takes a lot out of them to raise kits I find 18% protein sufficient and have never had any issues with cannibals in over 7 years.

Although if cannibals are really common in your herd I would suggest culling them out because it really is not economical to be buying rabbits meat, or especially for commercial production having to gamble with if a doe is going to eat her kits.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

I definitely agree with the minerals. I give mine mineral blocks.
The livestock ones I pound into pieces with a hammer and a prybar thing.
My buns never used the wheels that are for rabbits. I think they are to hard.
They love the livestock mineral block pieces.
Rabbits are herbivores and nothing will change that fact. They are not omnivores. The two have very different digestive systems.
Meat to an herbivore is not a good thing.


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## simplefarmgirl (Mar 31, 2006)

Thanks for all the information, I did in fact witness the older mother eating her baby, it was already dead, i manged to get it away from her and striped out her cage and made sure there were no more. i will try the mineral wheels and watch all the other topics, I do know nothing got into the cages, it is totally impossible for anything else to get in. I will give it a few mos and maybe breed the younger 2 again but the older one wont be bred again, I just have a gut feeling she would do it again. The babies all were over 2 and 3 days old before they starting chewing on them. The legs chewed off werent from injury it was from teeth, But anyways, one more shot if they do the same again they will go else where


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

Do you know if these does were related? I'm wondering if inbreeding could lead to behavior like this? It does seem strange that it happened to all does around the same time. You didn't move any of them to new cages shortly before they kindled? 

I hope the next litter works out much better. Good luck!


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## seanmn (Jan 10, 2006)

_Originally Posted by RiverPines 
Rabbits do not have the type of digestive system to properly digest hamburger, let alone other meats! This is not normal rabbit behavior. I would look at the management or something by way of bad genetics here causing rabbits to eat kits.
This is not normal for healthy well bred rabbits.

Also I would not follow advice to feed any meat products to a rabbit which is biologically a complete herbivore.
This type of practice can harm good healthy rabbits. 

I have given hamburger meat to momma rabbits that eat there young for 44 years that I have raised rabbits.How long have you kept rabbits? I say you are very wrong giving poor assumptions to people with simple cures. why would you have rats any way?_

*Actually this isn't the first time I've heard about giving a piece of meat to a expecting or a doe that just had kits, a few old timers I've talked to over the years gave a few strips of raw bacon rolled up and they swear by it. I've always been meaning to try it but never think of it at the time.
Chances are if its rats, your mamma doe's would be so scared many would most likely break their backs. I don't think a little raw meat at one or two times is going to hurt them, they are herbivores but they do eat their own afterbirth too.*


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## Patt (May 18, 2003)

mullberry said:


> I have given hamburger meat to momma rabbits that eat there young for 44 years that I have raised rabbits.How long have you kept rabbits? I say you are very wrong giving poor assumptions to people with simple cures. why would you have rats any way?


Rabbits are not meant to eat meat, it's pretty simple really they are herbivore's. 

Bunnies with their feet eaten off comes from some sort of predator not the mother so she is giving excellent advice all around. :thumb:


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

You know, I've seen ewes chew off lamb ears and tails in over exuberance when cleaning off newborns. Ruminants are definately exclusive herbivores. I would think any critter can show this behavior.


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

Ross said:


> You know, I've seen ewes chew off lamb ears and tails in over exuberance when cleaning off newborns. Ruminants are definately exclusive herbivores. I would think any critter can show this behavior.


I agree Ross

Pretty much every example here of mommas eating their young accidently or otherwise has occured at BIRTH. THey do not crave or lack something in their diet. It is inherent behaviour designed to get rid of the afterbirth. There are homones in it to start the milk production plus its not around to rot and attract predators. Thats all it is period. Sometimes this action gets out of whack; imo most likely hormone driven or the ears are just a simple accident on the does part. No ones perfect including animals!! 
I would assume that the majority of rabbit breeders do not give their does meat before birth and do not have problems with this at all. What do rabbits in the wild do? Perhaps that Monty Python movie is actual fact and that rabbit was actually about to give birth? Things to think about lol.:baby04:


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

If the does are related at all, there may be a hereditary issue going on as well.

I also wanted to agree with others that rodents are infamous for eating young rabbits and poultry, however, they rarely will consume the entire animal. Weasels almost always only consume the head and there will be teeth marks evident if it is a weasel. However, anywhere that a weasel can gain entrance to a rabbit habitat, young bunnies can find escape, so chances are it isn't a weasel unless you have a very insecure system.


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

I have to disagree with the comment about does not chewing the feet and legs off their young...I have seen it happen with new does that didn't know what they were doing. I fed the young to the cats when they were so mutilated that I knew they were goners. Kill them first if you do that, just to be kind.

I haven't had a problem with the does killing their kits past the first day or 2. I have seen them eat entire kits. They might have been dead already. I also know that does will eat their young if food supplies are short or there are other stress factors, such as inadequate diet...this is just nature. So when people say that rabbits are herbivores and you should never give them meat, I can't say that I agree entirely. Yes they are herbivores, and no, I would give them meat on a regular basis. However, birthing is stressful and the extra protein might be a good thing. But hamburger can contain e coli, so I wonder if the bacon would be better...it has been smoked and treated.


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

The whole mad cow thing was started by feeding cattle and sheep etc. ANIMAL protien.E-coli as mentioned by Lisa, and also salmonella are all various problems that could arise from a meat diet even if only given occasionally. Its just inviting more problems..


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## Monica528 (Aug 24, 2020)

We also have a mom that ate her kits ears off. I personally witnessed it today, and stopped her before she got to the others. I had 3 does in the same cage. they all had babies at the same time, but I didn’t know they were expecting. She ate the ears off of her first set also. We are now trying to rehome her.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

If you are breeding them to eat, just eat her. Don't pass a baby eater to an unsuspecting buyer.

Did you have more than one doe per cage the first time? Rabbits will eat their babies if they are stressed. Overcrowding is stressed.


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