NEW BORN BUNNIES WITH PASTY DIARRHEA

Question
I HAVE TEN JUNIOR DOES (WHITE NEW ZEALAND)I BOUGHT FROM ANOTHER BREEDER, I GOT THEM AT THREE WEEKS OLD AND STARTED BREEDING THEM AT SEVEN MONTHS OLD. WE HAVE HAD EXCESSIVE HEAT, HAD ONE LITTER BORN DEAD WHICH I KNOW IS NORMAL WITH THE HEAT, BUT I HAVE HAD FIVE OTHERS THAT THE BABIES HAVE GOTTEN A PASTY DIARRHEA WITH IN A COUPLE DAYS OF BEING BORN AND THEY SLOWLY DIE OVER A WEEK. I ASKED THE LADY I GOT THEM FROM AND SHE SAID THAT IS A BACTERIA THE MOTHER GETS FROM FLIES POOPING ON THERE FEED AND PASSES THROUGH THERE MILK, SHE SAID SHE HAS THE PROBLEM AND HAS LOST THREE LITTERS ALREADY THIS SUMMER AND TOO KILL THE BABIES RIGHT AWAY AND STERILIZE EVERYTHING AND RE-BREED HER AND HER NEXT LITTER WILL BE OK AND THAT IT JUST HAPPENS ONCE IN AWHILE AND DOESN'T AFFECT EVERY LITTER. BUT MY DOES I HAVE AND HAVE RAISED DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM, THE ONLY DEATHS I HAVE IN THERE LITTERS IS JUST RUNTS THAT DON'T MAKE IT. MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A TREATMENT FOR THIS AND COULD THIS BE SOMETHING HEREDITARY FROM HER RABBITS AND IN HER RABBITS, IS IT GOING TO BE OK TO RE-BREED THEM OR SHOULD I GET RID OF THEM? I RAISE FOR SLAUGHTER AND IT IS COSTING ME AT THIS POINT!

Answer
Hi JR,

I raised rabbits for over 15 years and have never seen this happen.  I would not be breeding the mother again and I would not take anything else from this persons barn.  It is obviously not coccidiosis because they can't get that until they are able to lick their paws but it could be just about anything else.  I have a zero tolerance rule for anything that may even be remotely contagious.  If you have a quarantine cage you can try to breed her again and try it but in all honesty it is just not worth it in my opinion.  It all depends on how valuable the mother rabbit is to you.  I am honestly not the best person to ask this because I really have never seen it and have no clue what it could be.

Sorry I  wasn't much help

Pam