Skinny Rabbits

CookingPam777 · #1 07/22/08, 07:15 AM

I took the babies out yesterday and I noticed a few were skinny and bony. Any ideas what I can do? It is only a few of them the rest are fine. I think they just aren't dominant among all the bunnies so they don't get to eat as well. Will goat oats help? I have oatmeal to. Would corn oil work? How much corn oil would you use? What else would help to fatten these babies up? They are about 2 month old some are 9 weeks some are 6 weeks. I have also thought about goat milk what do you think? Their diet now is lots of fresh greens some pellets and scraps like banana peels cucumber skins and stuff like that. I always make sure they have a lot certianly enough for each rabbit to share. One is a little out of it. He is eating from my hand. Just very sleepy acting. Please Help!

MaggieJ · #2 07/22/08, 07:45 AM

Pam, how many do you have per cage and what sizes are the cages? I have found that keeping large numbers together once they leave momma seems to stress some rabbits and they dont grow as well.

The one that seems "out of it" should be put in a cage by itself. It may just be suffering from being picked on or it may be coming down with somthing. Either way, isolation is safest.

I would also divide up the others into smaller groups. Are the six week olds in with the 9 week olds? Do you have extra cages? Sorry for all the questions, but it's hard to help when guessing at the circumstances.

I found last year that the youngsters benefitted from a bit of sunflower oil and molasses added to their grain. I took a cup, added a couple tablespoons of water, a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil (you could use corn oil) and a big spoonful of blackstrap molasses. I sometimes added a half teaspoon of non-iodized salt. I heated the mix in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until warm, stir it well. I'd take a five gallon pail about half full of good quality scratch (corn, oats and barley, with not too much corn) and stir it in well until it is evenly distributed. Don't cap it too tightly because you have added moisture and do not want to risk molds forming. You might be able to omit the water - I'm going to try it this time around. I fed this free choice, but made sure they had plenty of good hay and greens as well.

Kitchen oatmeal would be good for the one that is looking bad and any others that are particularly thin. Easier to eat and digest than the whole grain. But it gets too expensive for large numbers once they get past the infant stage.

CookingPam777 · #3 07/22/08, 08:02 AM

There was 8 I just added 3 to the mix. The 6 week old are in with the 9 week olds but neither age group is having a problem. It is mainly the 2 monthers. 2 seem bad about 2 others getting skinny but not to bad yet. So Goat milk wouldn't help the real sickly one? I am asking because I have kitchen oatmeal goat milk and oats. I have honey is that good instead of molasses? I am bad about guessing sizes. I'll go measure real fast be back with an answer.

CookingPam777 · #4 07/22/08, 08:07 AM

It's a 5 foot by 3 foot cage. 5 are small breeds 3 netherland dwarfs 2 mini rex. The rest are lion Heads and dutch mixes.

Lilandra · #5 07/22/08, 08:42 AM

try some canned pumpkin, there is something in it (vitamins & minerals) that gets the bunnies eating again. we also top dress their pellets with oatmeal and sunflower seeds. I would stop giving banana peels to them - there isn't much nutrition compaired to the fiber content. have you tried dandelion greens? those help our show rabbits keep in condition during the show season. maybe even add pedialite to their water?
just a few ideas we use to keep our show bunnies in condition and good wool, sometimes the heat is just too much and they don't gain weight like they should

MaggieJ · #6 07/22/08, 08:47 AM

Are the mothers in there too? The cage is nice and big, but it still sounds like some of them may be having trouble coping. It's like a schoolyard - plenty of room but still some kids get bullied and have their lunches snatched.

Can you set up another cage and transfer the ones that are not doing so well?

Regarding the goats milk. It's a great food, but these rabbits have been weaned and I am not sure how well they will digest it at this point. You could try it. From the sounds of it, you have nothing to lose.

Honey would add flavour, calories and trace elements, but blackstrap molasses is loaded with nutrients. All the good that is in the sugar cane or beet goes into the molasses. The "waste product" is sold as white sugar.

Please understand, Pam, that I am only guessing at the problem based the information you provided and my own experiences with large litters outgrowing their space. There could be other factors at work here, such as coccidiosis. I'm hoping someone else will add their input.

You can't go wrong by isolating the one that seems "out of it" and by moving any others that seem to be losing ground to another cage. I think you should do this anyway as a precaution in case there is disease at work.

CookingPam777 · #7 07/22/08, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieJ

Are the mothers in there too? The cage is nice and big, but it still sounds like some of them may be having trouble coping. It's like a schoolyard - plenty of room but still some kids get bullied and have their lunches snatched.

Can you set up another cage and transfer the ones that are not doing so well?

Regarding the goats milk. It's a great food, but these rabbits have been weaned and I am not sure how well they will digest it at this point. You could try it. From the sounds of it, you have nothing to lose.

Honey would add flavour, calories and trace elements, but blackstrap molasses is loaded with nutrients. All the good that is in the sugar cane or beet goes into the molasses. The "waste product" is sold as white sugar.

Please understand, Pam, that I am only guessing at the problem based the information you provided and my own experiences with large litters outgrowing their space. There could be other factors at work here, such as coccidiosis. I'm hoping someone else will add their input.

You can't go wrong by isolating the one that seems "out of it" and by moving any others that seem to be losing ground to another cage. I think you should do this anyway as a precaution in case there is disease at work.

The out of it bunny is perking up a bit! I hand fed him. A guy sold these to me so there are no mothers. Someone is coming to get a bunny I will have room then. I will then seperate them and try the goat milk. How much oil would you use? If I notice them having diaherra from goat milk what should I do then? I am going to give them kitchen oatmeal also. I can get blackstrap molasses Thursday. Hope it is okay till then.

CookingPam777 · #8 07/22/08, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilandra

try some canned pumpkin, there is something in it (vitamins & minerals) that gets the bunnies eating again. we also top dress their pellets with oatmeal and sunflower seeds. I would stop giving banana peels to them - there isn't much nutrition compaired to the fiber content. have you tried dandelion greens? those help our show rabbits keep in condition during the show season. maybe even add pedialite to their water?
just a few ideas we use to keep our show bunnies in condition and good wool, sometimes the heat is just too much and they don't gain weight like they should

They are currently eating a lot of dandilion greens. They don't get banana peels to often but I did made banana bread the other day so there was more than usual. I just meant whatever veggie/fruit scraps we give them.

CookingPam777 · #9 07/22/08, 11:06 AM

Also should the goat milk be warm or cool?

MaggieJ · #10 07/22/08, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookingPam777

The out of it bunny is perking up a bit! I hand fed him. A guy sold these to me so there are no mothers. Someone is coming to get a bunny I will have room then. I will then seperate them and try the goat milk. How much oil would you use? If I notice them having diaherra from goat milk what should I do then? I am going to give them kitchen oatmeal also. I can get blackstrap molasses Thursday. Hope it is okay till then.

You could get into a worse mess if you start adding several different things at one time. If something doesn't agree with them, how would you know which item is causing the problem?

If these buns were weaned onto just pellets and were okay when you got them, my inclination would be to increase the pellets and cut back on the other things. The stress of moving and then of different feed is enough to set youngsters back. You need to stabilize the situation before trying to adapt the buns to your own feeding regimine.

The more you tell me about the situation, the more I think it is stress-related. Coccidiosis could also be a factor - it's a major stressor all by itself.

Can you post some pictures of the set-up and the rabbits that you are most worried about? I hate sitting here trying to help and knowing I am only giving it my best guess.

On simple thing I do when I have a problem with the buns is to take the time to watch them and observe their behaviour. Even if nothing jumps out at me at the time that makes me sit up and take notice, frequently the penny will drop later in the day and I figure it out.

CookingPam777 · #11 07/22/08, 11:18 AM

That is very true. I shouldn't do a ton of differnt thing but one at a time.

CookingPam777 · #12 07/22/08, 11:52 AM

I have them seperated. There were 2 that I was concerned about the others I think are going to be okay. I don't want a battle for food in another cage by adding to many so I got the worse ones. I will fatten them up and the other 2 I can work on later since they aren't that bad just starting to get just a little bony. I am giving the slightly bony cage oats and the bad off ones goat milk and pellets. As soon as they realized it was milk they were eating very well. The out of it one seems the more he eats the more he perks up. He was getting a little weak and he is drinking slow. Do you think he will do well after he gets some food in his system? It seems that way to me. I noticed their eyes were a bit gooy like a eye cold. Would antibiotics help?

Terry W · #13 07/22/08, 11:58 AM

add something like pedialyte to the food-- anything that can help get the b complex vitamins and some Vitamin C into their systems is a help, too. I Love "Propel" fitness water for that--they all have the Bs and C in them, and the buns enjoy the orange or berry flavored drinks best, it seems....
Also, i sometimes add just a tad of Blackstrap Molasses to the drinking water of my buns-- gives them a nice boost when they need it...

CookingPam777 · #14 07/22/08, 12:06 PM

They are doing much better now they have some milk in their system. They ate some pellets but haven't really ate them well yet.

MaggieJ · #15 07/22/08, 02:07 PM

I'm glad they seem to be doing better. It may take time for them to start being eager for food. You don't know what is happening in their GI tracts. Are their poops normal? Are they peeing?

TerryW knows more about these types of situations than I do. Listen to her advice.

Good luck... and don't forget to update us over the next few days.

Danaus29 · #16 07/22/08, 02:21 PM

Put some tea in their water. I don't know the why's or how's but it really does help. Regular black tea, no sugar, mixed about half and half with water.

CookingPam777 · #17 07/22/08, 02:42 PM

I haven't seen any poop or pee yet so I am keeping an eye out for that situation. He seems to be getting stronger moving around more and his drinking is better. The alert look is coming back.

Terry W · #18 07/22/08, 05:43 PM

[QUOTE=MaggieJ;3208731]

TerryW knows more about these types of situations than I do. Listen to her advice.
QUOTE]

MaggieJ-- Flattery will get you many places.....but what do I have to help you get there?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Put some tea in their water. I don't know the why's or how's but it really does help. Regular black tea, no sugar, mixed about half and half with water.

the 'regular' black tea has been used for years to help settle stomach upsets-- go figure-- tannic acids in black tea are in a higher concentration than coffee, and are ususally considered very 'upsetting' to the digestive pH. maybe its the homeopathy thing-- using "like" to fix a 'like' symptom....

MaggieJ · #19 07/22/08, 07:38 PM

[QUOTE=Terry W;3209056]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieJ

TerryW knows more about these types of situations than I do. Listen to her advice.
QUOTE]

MaggieJ-- Flattery will get you many places.....but what do I have to help you get there?

the 'regular' black tea has been used for years to help settle stomach upsets-- go figure-- tannic acids in black tea are in a higher concentration than coffee, and are ususally considered very 'upsetting' to the digestive pH. maybe its the homeopathy thing-- using "like" to fix a 'like' symptom....

Terry, Terry... what a devious person you must think I am! [Shakes head, sadly

] Absolutely nothing... it's just that anyone intelligent (like you) who has your amount of experience and has dealt with crisis after crisis has to know more about rabbit illnesses and treatments than I do. "Mr. Murphy" doesn't know where I live.... so don't go telling him!

Rabbits are supposed to enjoy the taste of tea, so it helps to get them to drink more. I wouldn't want to give them much just now though as it can be constipating due to all the tannins.

Danaus29 · #20 07/22/08, 08:29 PM

I never knew it could be constipating. I've got one that will attack you to get the tea bags and he poops all over the place.