Newborn survival rate?

Question
I have a six-month old lopp rabbit who just had her first litter yesterday.  Yesterday I checked the nest, but she had lined it with her pulled fur so it was hard to see how many babies were there.  I did see two babies nestled together moving. This morning I checked the nest again and found two more babies, that were not alive.  Is this normal, that all the kits don't survive birth? Or maybe for a first-time mother?  She pulled her fur and was very busy making a nest with hay, so I believe she has good mother instincts. Will she continue looking for the two deceased kits that I took away?  I assume taking them out of the nest was the right thing.  thank you.

Answer
Dear Ramona,

I would not say that it's *normal* for kits to die, but it's not uncommon, especially with a first-time mother.  There may have been delivery problems, congenital problems...any number of things wrong that only a necropsy might reveal.

Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

I hope this helps, and that the other babies do fine.

Good luck,
Dana