runt of the litter

Question
QUESTION: hi my rabbit sukey had kittens on Easter and there is 1 who is about half the size of the others and we think that the mom is not feeding this 1 could you please give me some advice on what to do thank you
ANSWER: Hi Sophie

If your rabbit is a dwarf breed or a breed such as a mini rex, mini satin, or basically any rabbit breed that was produced by crossing dwarfs to make smaller rabbits that baby could have what is called the double dwarf gene.  If it is small and has a domed looking head it is probably a double dwarfed gene rabbit (also called peanuts).  No matter what you do it will never survive.  

I am attaching a web-site that explains peanuts so that maybe it will help you understand.  If that is the case it is not so much that the mother is not feeding it but that it is incapable of digesting the mothers milk.

This article is very descriptive and will help you figure out if that is what the problem is.

When some people have peanuts they cull them immediately so that the other babies will not be deprived of milk.  When we have them we let them die naturally.  They can sometimes live to be up to 3 weeks but usually die within the first 7 days.

I hope this has helped you and if you have anymore questions please let me know

Pam
http://www.geocities.com/mnd_rabbitry/Peanut.html




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi me again they are not dwarfs the mother is a continental blue cross rex and the father is a lionhead cross rex what do you think is the matter ?

Answer
Lionhead rabbit was produced by crossing the Swiss Fox and the Netherland Dwarf so there is still potential to have a double dwarf gene.  

There is a condition known as fading rabbit syndrome.  There are many possible theories as to what causes it but enteritis seems to be the most common cause.  Typically enteritis is initially suspected because of diarrhea but "quiet enteritis" can have no outward signs of illness such as diarrhea or bloat.

I really can't tell you the exact cause of your babies illness.  It would be best to take it to the vet to have it examined.  The most likely cause is enteritis and usually no matter what you do it is not going to get better.  For some reason the PH in these "fader" rabbits does not change like it is supposed to and they are unable to digest food properly.

Cross breed rabbits have a higher incidence of illness



http://www.tinytotsrabbitry.com/gen/wasters.html

Cross-breeding of different breeds

Crossbreeding, in my opinion, should never be done!  You are messing with the genetics of an entire breed when you introduce genes from a one breed into the gene pool of another breed - and this can be disastrous down the road; for example perhaps your experiment to breed your Dutch to your French Lop produces some cool-looking pet rabbits, but also produces some that still look  enough like a Dutch or a French Lop so you (or someone down the road...) use these crossbred rabbits for breeding - well each is carrying genes from the breed it is not supposed to be and some of these twisted genetics can pop up out of nowhere, generations later, to cause grief to the breeder with  rabbits and weird results.  The genetic faults will cause the offspring to have many more health problems.

I am not trying to be rude but since your rabbits are crossbreeds who knows what they have in their background.  You might end up with an entire litter of rabbits with weaker immune systems overall.  It is better to breed purebred rabbits and stick to rabbits that have genetically sound backgrounds.  This is why people use inline breeding.  

People who have created new breeds such as the new mini satin have spent literally years and thousands of dollars trying to produce their new breed.  It takes many many generations of in line breeding to get the desired results.

If you want to try to save your rabbit then take it to the vet immediately.  I am not guaranteeing that it will help.  Fader rabbits (runts) usually just don't make it.

Thank you

Pam