How long are rabbits pregnant for?
The gestation period for a rabbit is 28-31 days
How do rabbits make their nests?
Most rabbit mothers will make a lovely cozy nest for their kits. First they gather hay or straw, collecting huge mouthfuls of material. Many rabbit breeders refer to this as “making bones” as the rabbit looks just like a dog with a huge bone in its mouth. Once a nest of hay has been made, the rabbit will pull out large mouthfuls of her own fur to line the nest ready for her babies.
How many times a day do rabbits feed their babies?
Rabbit mothers only feed their babies once or twice a day
How long do baby rabbits need milk for?
For the first three weeks of their lives, the babies will only drink milk. At around three weeks old, they will naturally begin to nibble at the mother’s food and hay, although they still need milk at this stage.
How is rabbit milk different to other milks?
Rabbit milk is three times more nutritious than cow’s milk. Rabbit milk is 15% protein, 10% fat, 2% sugar, 3% mineral and the remainder is water.
At what age should a rabbit be weaned?
Baby rabbits should stay with their mothers until they are 6 – 8 weeks old
When does a baby rabbit open its eyes?
A baby rabbit is born with its eyes firmly closed. At about 1 week to 10 days old, they start to open their eyes.
When do rabbit babies leave the nest?
Around the time their eyes open, the babies start venturing out of the nest. At this stage they are crawling rather than walking, and they stay close to the walls of the hutch for security. However they soon become stronger and begin trying out little hops and skips, and by about three weeks they are confidently hopping around the hutch
Leave a comment or ask a question about baby rabbits
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The baby rabbits at 6 weeks old
Rabbit care tips for new owners
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October 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm
i have a five week old baby rabbit, but is it to young to be away from its mum and does it still need milk?
October 21, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Hi – five weeks old is a little young to be away from mum really, but your baby should be fine. People do remove the babies as young as five weeks, but generally it is better to wait a little longer.
Did the person you got the rabbit from give you some of the food it was used to, or tell you what they were feeding it? It is better if babies are fed the same food they are used to to begin with and then, if you are going to change the feed do it slowly introducing the new feed a small amount at a time. Our babies love to nibble on hay or fresh picked leaves like plantain, milk thistles or dandelion if you can find them.
You won’t need to milk feed your baby – just make sure he has a good quality feed, plenty of hay/grass etc.
Good luck with him/her 🙂
October 21, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Sorry – just re-read that. Meant to say that the hay/leaves is in addition to a rabbit food either pelletted or a mix, not instead of 🙂
December 2, 2011 at 8:03 pm
hi, my doe gave birth to two bunnies and they are 2 days away from being eight weeks but she is very close to them and we are keeping the babies but i came into my room this evening and they were still feeding from her. And the doe is pregnant again. I am trying to separate them during the day from the doe to get used to it but that is making the doe very stressed.
Should I see if they lose interest in the next couple of days?
Or continue what I am doing although its making the doe stress?
I know i have to separate them for when the new babies come but I’m worried what will happen if I take the milk source completely away from the two.
Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated 😀
December 3, 2011 at 6:16 am
Hi
right – answering from a distance, the first thing I would say is check the diary and be sure they are 8 weeks old. If they are, then they will be fine leaving mum. I would make up a hutch or cage for them (whichever you are using) and move them out in one go. You can put them in together to begin with although if they are male and female you need to seperate them fairly soon. Give them their normal food and water, plenty of hay to be fiddling with, and some tasty plantain or dandelion to occupy them for a while. Give mum plenty of hay and greens as well and she should settle down pretty quickly. Your two babies are old enough to be OK without the milk – it sounds as though (like lots of babies) they dont’ want to give it up until they have to 😀
You say mum is pregnant again? When is she due? It is better for them to have a rest between litters if possible, so I would get the current babies moved out as early as possible.
It is possible that, especially if she is already pregnant again, taking the babies away and putting them back again could be making her more stressed than just taking them away and letting her get over it.
Hope this helps – let us know how you get on 🙂
March 4, 2012 at 12:17 am
Iv just found out my boy rabbit is a girl cos she has just had baby, which is cool they are a week old and mum is pregnant again iv move dad out now but wanted to know if I need to move these babys out befor the new ones arrive
March 5, 2012 at 6:50 am
Hi, sorry for the delay in replying, but I have been thinking this one through. First things first: are you sure she is pregnant again? I am guessing you saw them breeding? In this case you will have a date for when the new babies are due to be born. How long after having the babies was she bred? If it was in the next day or so, then the current babies will be four weeks old, if they were a week old then they will be five weeks when it is time to move.
I would leave the present babies with their mum until as close as possible to the new babies being born. Have a hutch all made up ready so that there are no delays when the time comes. And then move the babies out just before the new babies are due to be born.
In theory rabbits living wild would naturally have the next litter pretty early, and the older babies won’t hurt the little ones. However, in the confines of the hutch, the mum is going to have to choose between the old litter and the new one. If she chooses to keep feeding the old litter then the young litter won’t get enough (or any) food. If she chooses the new litter, then she may hurt the older babies by chasing them off.
Four weeks is a little young to be weaning the babies but, given the circumstances, is probably the best you are going to be able to do.
Good luck with them and congratulations on all your bunny babies 🙂
April 4, 2012 at 10:37 pm
We lost momma rabbit and 3 babys in storms last night i have one bsby 10 days old her eyes are still not quite open bur getting there any advice?
April 6, 2012 at 6:46 am
Hi – firstly apologies for the delay in replying to this (I see you asked the question yesterday). I hope the baby bun is still OK.
I have to put my hands up here and confess that I have never hand-reared a rabbit kit, although I would anticipate that, at 10 days he has a reasonably good start.
This is a link to a dedicated rabbit forum and, specifically, to a link on hand-rearing babies. It gives the milk formula, and some tips on keeping them warm etc. I hope this is some help – I would love to have an update on how the baby does?
Take care
eumaeus
April 6, 2012 at 6:47 am
Ha – I then I realised I didn’t add the link!!! 🙂
http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html
April 9, 2012 at 3:48 am
I have been dropper feeding her every two hours and so far shes doing good. Shes getting around good and eating good. Main problems is at night i worry she will get to cold but dont wanna put a lamp on her cause she might overheat. Lasr night she slept 5 hours but was starving when she got up. I did offer her fresh parsley and she nibbled some but not much. Shes a cutie and so small, but shes doing great 🙂
April 4, 2012 at 11:05 pm
Hi, I stumbled upon your site while searching for a way to tell how old bunnies are. Here’s my situation- We have some rabbits that used to be in hutches. After a few escapes with them staying close to the house, and because they looked miserable in the hutches, we let them loose. They’ve been out for months now and they still hang around the yard. Our momma rabbit recently dug a burrow under our chicken house & had babies. About three weeks ago we saw a tiny bunny, eyes still closed, a few feet from the chicken house. The momma wanted nothing to do with this one and I tried and failed to raise it myself. I guess there was a reason momma kicked her out. So about 4 days ago I see the other baby bunnies making their appearance outside. They are hopping around eating grass and pellets that we still put out for the older rabbits. We dont want to keep these babies and plan to give them to my sister, and I’ve read they should be 8 weeks before seperating them from momma. Since she birthed them under the chicken house I don’t know exactly how old they are. Should I assume they are about 3 weeks or so since we saw the abandoned one w/ eyes still closed. Or could that one have been behind in development? I don’t want to take them from momma too soon. Is there a way to tell their age?
April 6, 2012 at 6:55 am
What a wonderful start to life for baby bunnies 🙂 Are you able to handle them regularly even though they are running free?
From what you say, I think 3 weeks sound like a good estimate on them. If the dead one had it’s eyes still closed, then you are only going to be a week or so out at the most? Personally, I would go with 3 weeks to be safe
Good luck with them 🙂
eumaeus
April 6, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Yes we do handle them. The kids love to handle and play with all of our animals (rabbits, ducks, chickens), and since they (the animals) have been handled since they were very young they are used to it and don’t mind.
I’ll assume they are around 3 weeks or so then and wait to separate them from their mother.
They are so cute hopping around, chasing each other! I almost hate to give them away, but we have too many rabbits!
We definitely need to get the adults separated (male & female) and into some housing. They are digging up my flowers and with gardening season coming up I know they’ll be in there! This time we’ll give them more room than a hutch.
Thanks for your help!
MFedukovich
April 17, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Hi, I was wondering if you could help me, I have just found a nest with 5 ( that i could see ) kits in it, we didnt know she was pregnant when we had her, since i found the nest she has been acting strange, ive checked the nest twice and its been wriggling both times, my husband checked earlier and said it was still… is this normal it was just starting to get dusk, Im hopeing they were just asleep as i think they are about a week old ( quite big ) they have a beautiful nest and she is eating well. Would there be any reason for her to reject them now ??
thank you
April 18, 2012 at 6:24 am
Hi
congratulations on your new bunnies 🙂
If she has made a good nest and is eating well, then she is off to a good start. I assume from your post that you haven’t had her for very long (as she must have been already pregnant when you got her?), in which case she doesn’t really know you that well yet? It is possible for a doe to abandon her nest if she feels threatened, but from your post it sounds as though you just pulled back the fur to have a peek?
It is very rare to see the doe feed the babies at all. They only feed them a couple of times a day, and usually wait until all is quiet to do it.
The babies sleep in the nest just like any other babies and, just like a litter of puppies or kittens, they do tend to all collapse and sleep at the same time giving a very still appearance to the nest.
If you’re worried about upsetting the doe, a good way to tell if they are alive in the nest, is to just poke a finger through the fur into the nest, if it is warm in there then all is well at the moment. Also, if you touch them with a cold finger, it sometimes makes them wriggle 🙂
If you still have concerns about the babies, try to have a look at them and have a look at their tummies. If she is feeding them fine, they will have full little tummies. If she has stopped feeding them then their tummies will have an “empty” look to them.
The chances though, are that the babies are fine and just sleeping.and will soon be out and hoppitting around 🙂
Good luck
Let us know how you get on with them 🙂
April 18, 2012 at 10:50 am
Thank you for your reply. weve had her 4 weeks and 1 day when i noticed the babies, very shocked when i looked, Checked them this morning and they were wriggling again 🙂 Will keep you posted with the progress
Thanks again
Angie x
April 21, 2012 at 12:59 pm
That’s great news – so glad to hear they are OK. Keep us posted on how they get on 🙂
April 21, 2012 at 7:05 pm
We now have 6 the nest was flatter and open today so had a quick look and spotted the 6th, also i got 1 out to check tummy etc and it was nice and rounded they are starting to move about more 1 had a slighty eye slit so I think they are getting along nicely.
Will keep you updated thanks for your replies, Im like a kid at xmas with them x
April 23, 2012 at 8:32 pm
They are such fun aren’t they. Just wait till they are hopping around the hutch – then you’ll wonder what you ever did with your time before they were born LOL
April 28, 2012 at 10:21 am
Well all but 1 have their eyes open, so cute mum has started to come for fuss and is not bothered if you pick babies up and give them fuss. I must admit I was shocked at how fast they crawl.
My rabbit is an Old English, shes white with black and has 2 babies the same 1 white and grey one and 3 black, I have just been given a run for when they are bigger to go in the garden 🙂
XX
May 2, 2012 at 5:44 am
🙂 I Imagine they all have their eyes open now and are starting to get quite adventurous? I think my favourite age is when they are about 3 weeks old, and learning to hop – they somehow don’t quite seem able to control their legs/hops and ping around all over the place.
I’m glad the mum is happy for you to handle them – good job 🙂
They will LOVE having a run to play and exercise in 🙂
May 17, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Just a quick update, They are now almost 5 weeks old and are sooo funny and cute mum starting to get annoyed that they climb over her etc 🙂 They love being on the grass only mum isnt keen on being handled now 😦 so trying to get her settled and used to being picked up any tips ????
Thanks
May 28, 2012 at 8:17 pm
🙂 Sorry – have been offline for a few days and only just seen this – so they are probably nearer 6 weeks now. I’ll bet they are loving being on the grass.
Not so sure about Mum – was she good to handle before? Does she have any favourite nibbles that you can reward her with when she has been held/handled? It may be that if she is starting to get fed up with the babies, she is just grumpy generally and will settle down again afterwards?
Thanks again for the update – loving hearing about them as they grow up 🙂
April 22, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Hi my gram found a white rabbit in the wild without a mother and she gave it to me? We are keeping it away from any biting chance because of possible rabies and also it looks young and can’t hop its name is wiggles because its back feet don’t help him walk at all and he wiggles around is he most likely to die? Were feeding it grass and clovers and giving it water but he just spills the water? Please help soon
April 23, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Hi Bailey
I am not totally sure I understand the situation with this baby. It was found in the wild? Have you managed to estimate it’s age? Is it old enough to be out of the nest – 3 weeks, 4 weeks? Or does it seem younger than that? It is possible it has been injured in some way which could be why it can’t use its hind legs. If he is handleable, you might be better giving him water with a dropper or a syringe. That way you can be sure that he is drinking some of it and not just spilling it. Is he eating at all? From the sound of him not using his hind legs, his chances don’t sound good, but he could be young, or he may have been injured and with nursing may recover.
Sorry I can’t be more help – can you give us a little more information? Either way, let us know how he gets on.
All the best with him
May 20, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Hi i have two wild baby rabbits i just found with their mom dead i need to know is it ok to seperate them and split the pair? they are around 3 to 5 weeks old…
May 28, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Hi my apologies for not replying sooner – have had a few days offline and just come back. This is probably too late now, but I would leave them together a little longer. If they have just lost mum, they will be more relaxed if they have each other, and will keep each other warm etc. But, they probably won’t come to any REAL harm by separating them.
Hope they are still OK – let us know how they do
May 22, 2012 at 5:27 pm
We raise rabbits. We were gone on vacation and both of our momma rabbits had babies. They are 8 days old. When do you think I can hold them and their momma will take them back? Do I need to wait until they eat food by their self? Can I hold them when they’re out of the box too?
May 28, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Hi, so (as I have just posted on two other comments 😦 ). I have been offline, so have only just seen your post. Really it depends on how friendly the mother rabbits are and how used they are to being handled. If they are pretty tame, just lower your hand gently towards the nest and watch the mum’s reaction. If she shows any sign of aggression, then leave them be. If she doesn’t pay any attention, just separate the covering of the nest and have a look. If she still doesn’t react, then you should be OK to hold one. Once they are out of the nest, then mum will be fine with it. We handle most of ours from a day or two old, but our parent rabbits are handled a lot. Occasionally we get a mum who doesn’t like her babies touched, and you just need to back off a bit and give them time to realise that everything is OK.
Once they are out and about, cuddle them as much as you like – the more you handle them as babies, the easier they are to handle when they get bigger 🙂
Hope your babies are doing fine
May 24, 2012 at 10:16 pm
How longe should a 9~11 week old rabbit sleep? thank u
May 28, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Hi – you know I really am not sure. I think it is probably a “how long is a piece of string” type question. It will depend on all sorts of factors like how much exercise he gets, whether he is stimulated enough, is the weather hot etc.
Are you worried that your bun is sleeping too much – or not enough?
June 10, 2012 at 7:28 pm
how long is it before u can handle baby rabbits they are4 days old
June 11, 2012 at 10:31 am
Hi – really it depends on the mother. We handle all ours from a day or two old, but all of our mother rabbits are home bred and very friendly and used to being handled. If your rabbit is nervous then leave them. If the mum is friendly and used to being handled, reach in and try to open the nest – watch her carefully – if she shows any sign of aggression or anxiety back off. If she is happy then you can reach in and touch the babies and she should be fine 🙂 Really watch her carefully and by guided by her reactions 🙂
Have fun and enjoy them 🙂
June 14, 2012 at 1:36 am
So I have a male and female rabbit in the cage 2gether so if they have done there business. Do i need to take male rabbit out of cage as soon as possible. So I want have more babies after this litter.
Thanks Misty Morgan
June 24, 2012 at 5:35 am
Hi Misty. Yes, once the pair have mated, it is better to move the male to his own cage. Some males will hurt the babies when they are born, or frighten the female so that she hurts them. And the female can breed again very soon after the babies are born. So if you need to move the male as soon as possible into his own hutch.
Hope you have some lovely babies
June 17, 2012 at 6:20 am
Hi, I have some mini rex and they are 2 weeks old and their eyes opened fine on most we have five and today I went out to check on them and the first one I picked up had some something dry and crusty by it’s eye slit I did not think it was the slit so I flicked the crusty stuff off and white thick fluid shot out the eye with alot of force so I took it inside the house wiped it with a warm wet rag until I saw the eyeball and stopped I took it back outside put it up and went to check out the others alot of the eyes were crusted shut one had a huge swollen pocket over its eye and it was not like that yesterday I did not mess with any of their eyes until I figured out what was wrong and what to do any help asap please
June 24, 2012 at 5:40 am
Holly – I am sorry, I see that I am late replying to your post, so I hope that your problem is solved by now. But, just in case it isn’t you can do two things. Get some water that has been boiled and cooled down to tepid, add a little salt, and very gently bathe the rabbits’ eyes to soften the crusty stuff and that will help you to ease their eyes. You could also use the sterile water that you get in first aid kits for this.
But if they have pockets of pus and it is a number of them, then I would get them to see a vet.
Please let us know how they got on
June 17, 2012 at 3:26 pm
My doe had 3 kits and I let them nurse until 8 weeks. I was wondering how long until the babies can be with the mother again after I have seperated them? I like to let them out often to play and exercise and getting the doe to get into her cage before I let the kits out is becoming exhausting. I just wonder when the kits can be around the doe and not try to nurse?
June 24, 2012 at 5:44 am
Hi Taylor
To be honest I am not sure about this one. If they are 8 weeks, then mum will probably be starting to push them off anyway. Once they have been separated for a short time, she will stop them if they try to nurse. BUT, just like humans, some mothers are much more tolerant than others so I would watch them carefully and make sure they aren’t making a nuisance of themselves. If you separate them for too long, and then try to put them back in the mother’s space, some mothers won’t recognise them as their own and will chase them away as strangers.
Good luck
June 17, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Hi my baby rabbits are about 3 and a half weeks old and jumping around the nest but havebt acctuqly left the nest. Should I leave then how they are? Thanks
June 24, 2012 at 5:47 am
Hi Charlotte, yes, as long as they are active and happy, I would let them go at their own rate. Just as not all children are the same, not all baby rabbits are. They will soon be pinging around the hutch on springs 🙂
June 20, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Our doe just died last night, and she just barely had babies. We can’t see them, because she put them in a hole she dug out. They are only eight days old. Should we try to get them out of the hole, or leave them? Will they still survive if we take them out right now? Should we take them to a vet?
Thanks,
Ally
June 24, 2012 at 5:48 am
Oh dear Ally
I am so sorry I haven’t been here to answer this sooner. Please let me know what happened to the babies
July 4, 2012 at 2:08 am
They are doing fine. We decided to dig them out. We have been hand-feeding them Puppy Formula with puppy bottles. They eat well, and think we are their mom, since their eyes opened after we got them out. We have just started feeding them timothy hay and pellets. Chip, our tan bunny decided he wanted to jump off our staircase, so he landed at the bottom, we don’t think he got critically hurt, but a whole floor is a lot of falling room. Thanks for all the advice on the other comments.
July 5, 2012 at 5:15 am
So glad to hear that all is well with them. Sounds as though you have done a good job with them- they are going to be VERY tame bunnies I think? I hope Chip is alright – he sounds a bit adventurous 🙂
June 22, 2012 at 5:20 pm
The mother of the babies died and they are only less than 2 weeks old. What should we do?!?!?!
June 24, 2012 at 5:51 am
Hi Tiffany hopefully I am on time for this litter – this is a link to some very good advice on hand-raising kits. I have never done it personally (we have been VERY lucky with our rabbits) but this is first hand knowledge and advice
http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html
Good luck with them – keep us posted on how they do
June 22, 2012 at 9:05 pm
My rabbit is pregnant she’s made a nest and is well over due bit hasn’t pulled any hairs out I think she needs help with the baby rabbits to be born ??
June 24, 2012 at 5:57 am
Hi Peter
How overdue is overdue? Usually the hair pulling will happen just before the babies are born – some rabbits make the rest of the nest first and then do the hair a bit later. It is quite unusual for a rabbit to need help with the birth – what breed is she. If she does need help, I would get her to a vet.
Let us know how you got on
June 25, 2012 at 12:50 pm
HI,
My rabbit has just had babies 2day and i am so excited (but they were very unexpected as i thought i had 3 girl rabbits).. 3 fat babies in a nest wirh hay and straw and lots if fur. Should i change the nest and put the babies on a towel with the fur to keep warm or just leave it as is??? There is soooo many different things telling u what to do.
June 25, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Hi Carly – congratulations on your new babies …….even if they were a surprise 🙂
As you say, people say different things, and have different ways of doing things, and find different things work for them. I always try to leave the nest as the mother made it. So if she has made a good nest, that is well lined with fur, I would leave it like that. Sometimes with ours, if they have left the nest a little exposed, we will add some hay or straw, or use some of the fur to cover the babies over with. But, on the whole, the rabbit’s instinct will tell her what to do, and she will make a nest that will keep the babies safe 🙂
Good luck with the babies – let us know how they get on 🙂
June 27, 2012 at 7:37 pm
the baby bunnies have are really fluffy. they have clear markings and are eating rabbit food and vegetables. they eyes and ears are open they drink from the water bottle.when they are taken out of the cage in the day they are fine without mummy rabbit. they are very active and they hop alot. do you think they shaould be taken out of the cage now because its becombing really cramped? thanks
July 3, 2012 at 5:54 am
Hi – they can be taken from mummy rabbit at around 5 or 6 weeks old. Obviously I haven’t seen them, but from your description, they sound as though they are probably ready. Do you know how old they are?
July 2, 2012 at 2:00 am
hi, my rabbit had a litter about2 months ago. everything went well. i was wondering if you had some good advice on how to start serarating the kits from the doe?
July 3, 2012 at 6:08 am
Hi. There are several schools of thought on this one.
You can just bite the bullet and move the babies to a new hutch. If they are two months old, neither they nor the mum will worry too much about it.
Alternatively, you can separate the babies during the day, move them to the hutch they will be living in on their own, and then put them back in with mum at night. Do this for a few days, and then take them away completely.
Another line of thought is that it should be the mum that is moved to the new hutch.
Personally I always move the babies to a new hutch. When we started we used to separate them during the day to begin with but, these days, we tend to just separate them. Whichever you choose, they don’t seem to mind being separated.
Good luck
July 2, 2012 at 10:02 pm
my rabbit was pregnant while pregnant therefore had 1 litter straight after the other the last litter are 3wks old happy and hopping around but mammy rabbit has stopped wanting to feed them and is running over them and standing on them trying to get away they are nibbling bits of pellet food and hay can they survive on this
July 3, 2012 at 6:26 am
LOL poor mummy rabbit is probably tired of having little ones underfoot. Maybe they are just too persistent about wanting to feed all the time, or it could be that her milk is starting to dry up. Have you checked her for any soreness? It may well be though that, although she is running away from them some of the time, she is actually feeding them still – maybe at night. The babies could, in theory, probably survive on what they are eating – I have heard in the past of people weaning at 3 weeks 😦 but it isn’t good practice. I would keep them together as long as possible but keep an eye on them in case the mum gets aggressive with them, but it sounds as though she has been a great mum up to now? It may be worth taking the babies away for an hour or two during the day to give her some peace? But overall I would trust mummy rabbit’s judgement 🙂 Good luck with them
July 3, 2012 at 4:17 pm
About 4 weeks about my dog .. Found a nest of 3 baby bunnies and unfortunately killed one in the process of digging. We began to watch the dogs when they were out, keeping them away from it. I read that to test If the mother Is coming back to feed, put two twigs in a crisscross along the top- sure enough it was moved and we were thankful as we even started to see the mom coming back during the day to feed.
We checked on them probably every day just lifting up a leaf or two and peaking in – today I went put there and when I lifted up the leaf the baby jumped right out and started hopping along the fence line to the back of the yard- I tried to catch it for at least a half hour. I finally found him and brought him back to the nest only to find out the other was gone, but thankfully he was just behind the bush. The first one started jumping again so I grabbed him and he made a high pitched squealing sound and the mother came booking it out from the other side of the yard – I put him down where I thought she would see and I walked away. After a few minutes the mother caught up with one of te bunnies, cleaned him but then didn’t seem too interested. She looked in the nest, saw nothig and that was it, She never met up with the other one that was along the fence further down and she hopped away. It is now a huge thunder an rain storm out and I’m afraid that she’s going to abandon them as they are only about 4 weeks old and they are going to die.
I wish they would have stayed in the nest when I put them in there but I think they were so scared they just kept jumping away.
They are separated from each other and their mom now so Im not sure what to do, if there’s anything I could even do at this point.
July 3, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Just to add to that, we are assuming they are about 4 weeks old- their eyes were fully open and could hop perfectly but they werent all that big.
I think itll be pretty much impossible to find them in my yard at this point however when it stops raining I think I’m going to take a look – I just don’t know what I’d do from that point.
July 3, 2012 at 9:16 pm
I think there probably isn’t a whole lot more you could do for them once they were hopping out of the nest. The mother may well find them again, or they may find her – mother nature is a wonderful thing and animal mums often manage far better than we think they will.
I should probably have another look to see if they are out and about and obvious, or very wet and bedraggled. Probably though, mum will have them tucked up somewhere safe. If they are 4 weeks old, they are able to eat for themselves, and as long as they have the sense to hide from danger, will probably manage to survive.
Are you in the UK or US. The reason I ask is that US wild rabbits are different from European wild rabbits which could make a difference in this case?
July 3, 2012 at 9:42 pm
I actually did go out just when it finished raining and the bunny that never saw his mum was in the same spot sobbing wet so I picked him up wih a towel to dry him off and he closed his eyes looked like he was exhausted, I put him back in the hole. His sibling was just behind the bush where their hole was so I managed to get him after running around a bit and put them in the whole.
I saw the mother around the nest about an hour later so hopefully they will be okay!!!
July 3, 2012 at 9:54 pm
LOL – ok – Canada it is – no offence I hope 🙂
Well done for drying him off – sounds as though you have done sterling work for these bunnies, I hope they repay you by surviving. It sounds as though mum has come back which is a good start. And if you have dried him and put him back where mum can find him, then you have given him the best advantage 🙂 Please let us know how they get on?
July 5, 2012 at 2:45 pm
The day after te storm the bunnies were stll in their den where I left them and it looked like the mother had been there to feed since the leaf I had put on top was moved.
Last night my mum went out there to look and she said that the bunnies weren’t in their den but cuddled beside each other just outside of it. I’m thinking their just getting to that point where there ready to leave with their mom soon? I haven’t checked on them today yet but I am going to do so soon.
If they are out of the den should I put them back in? Or leave them be
July 7, 2012 at 1:02 pm
So the day after we saw the bunnies sitting outside of their nest, they were gone, and later on that evening around 7 we were lucky enough to see the mother and babies hopping around the back yard, too cute!!
We see the mother just as often but not the babies, does she hide them during the day hours?
July 12, 2012 at 5:26 am
So glad they are all ok – it sounds as though the mum had just decided they were ready to come out of the nest and timed it all wrong with the storm – silly bunny 🙂
I Hope you continue to see lots more of them
July 12, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Luckily enough we have. We see the mum and the babies quite often in our back yard hoping around, we’ve even seen her feed a few times, it’s adorable how they just follow her around.
So glad they survived! This same mum has tried to have her babies in our yard before but my dog had found them and tried to dig out their den, and unfortunately killed them in the process 😦
Happy for her!!
July 3, 2012 at 9:44 pm
And I am actually in Canada!
July 4, 2012 at 8:55 am
hi my rabbit had babies 2 weeks ago and they are in a small hutch right now and i want to move them into a bigger one/ when can i do this
July 5, 2012 at 5:16 am
I take it this is moving them with their mum? I would give them another week or so, and then you should be OK to move them.
July 4, 2012 at 11:49 am
hi, im a bit stuck!!
ive just been given a rabbit (6wks old). i have hay out for him and water and pellets but he seems not to be able to manage with the water….being in a bottle. ive put water in a bowl and he seems to be able to get that much better. ive had him 2days now and the bowl of pellets doesnt look as if its moved but yet he is crunching on a carrot which he loves!! im just worried that he isnt eating?! ive never had a rabbit so young!!
July 5, 2012 at 5:28 am
Hi – it may be that he had a water bowl where he came from. Sometimes they just seem to manage better with a bowl 🙂 Can you find out, from where you got him from, what he was eating there. It may be that he was on a mix and doesn’t like the look of the pellets, or a different type of pellet and these don’t smell quite right. Rabbits can be very fussy eaters – we used to feed mix but had one that would always pick out the maize and another that would always pick out the red pellets and then they would leave the rest LOL If he is eating carrot, that is a start. How long have you had him? Is he eating the hay? Is there any way you can try him on different foods? Have you tried picking him some fresh leaves – milkweed, plantain and dandelion are some of the favourites? Let us know how he gets on 🙂
July 5, 2012 at 4:20 am
Where did you find your bunny
July 7, 2012 at 10:24 am
Hey, do u guys happen to know when a rabbit starts hopping?
July 12, 2012 at 5:27 am
About three weeks or so – some will take longer than others, some will be quicker
July 8, 2012 at 6:33 pm
i was worried with my rabbit not feeding the young ones bt now i know why.
July 9, 2012 at 9:50 pm
hi my rabbit just made babies outside of her box on the wire. is it ok for me to put them inside of the box?
July 12, 2012 at 5:31 am
Yes, you can move the babies into the box. If she has made a good nest, move the whole nest in with them. If she hasn’t made a nest, you will need to make her an artificial nest to keep the babies warm.
July 11, 2012 at 9:39 pm
My rabbit littered 8 bunnies 10 weeks ago. I have already separated them from the mum. They love clustering together, I now want to separate the babies but I do not know which one is male or female. What do I do? Remi Adesanya.
July 12, 2012 at 5:36 am
Aren’t they lovely when they all cuddle up together? 🙂 Yes, by ten weeks they could do with being separated. Do you have anyone you could ask you to work out which are male and female – maybe the person you originally got the rabbit from? If not I will try to direct you to some sites that will help you
July 17, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Hi again, Ive been out to spend a bit of time with our bunny today and she has made another nest, Im worried that maybe she is pregnant again how long after she has made the nest should she have her babies,?? If there are any and its not a false pregnancy, The kits left mum when they were 9weeks old but after i was told it should of been 7-8weeks as they can reproduce very early
Thanks
July 24, 2012 at 2:03 pm
love LOVE love LOVE rabbits
July 24, 2012 at 2:05 pm
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 O:)
July 27, 2012 at 8:57 am
hi everyone.I had a baby rabbit about 4 or 5 weeks old and it died.So plz can someone tell me why it could of died if i was takeing great care of it feeding it and giveing it milk and water.
January 26, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Don’t blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. Who ever gave you a rabbit that young is at fault. A rabbit should never be taken from a healthy mother that young. They often die. Find another source for getting your rabbit and be sure it is at least 8 weeks old.
August 1, 2012 at 5:26 pm
hi i have giant continental bunnys they are 8 weeks old now and have been in seperate hutch from mum for week now are they old enough to go to new homes as they are eting foo and greens and drinking water
August 22, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Yes, if they are 8 weeks old and have been separated form their mum, they can go to their new homes
August 1, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Hi my litter of kits is now 10 days old, 3 white and 2 agouti 🙂 but the runt seems to be getting peed oj by all the others, it still has a rounded belly and is warm but it is completely covered in pee is it bad ?
August 6, 2012 at 12:11 pm
I have got my baby bunnies in the house with the doe and I just wanted to know when I can put them back outside in the garden through the night?
August 15, 2012 at 8:43 am
Is it okay for me to hold my baby bunnies? Also I have a runt that doesnt look like it’s getting enough milk. I assist feed with it and he gets fatter but should I be doing something else as well?
August 22, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Hi – it all depends really on how old the babies are, and how confident the mother rabbit is. If she doesn’t appear alarmed by your touching them, then go ahead and pick on up, if she’s happy with that then go ahead and cuddle them 🙂 we cuddle all of ours from a couple of days old – apart from one mother rabbit who is more nervous, so we leave hers until they are about 10 days or so. With the runt, if his tummy is full then there probably isn’t much more you can do to help him 🙂
August 20, 2012 at 3:45 am
What to do if a female rabbit abandon her kits?
August 22, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Hi – a couple of questions. Is this a wild rabbit or a domestic one – and if wild, it is American or English. American and English wild rabbits are different in their habits. Domestic bunnies are another question again 🙂
August 20, 2012 at 11:02 am
My daughter has been trying to breed rabbits for 4h and we are new to this. She has 1 doe that had a baby (born dead) a week later had another baby (born dead) and this morning, when feeding the rabbits, she came in to announce that Godiva had yet another baby (5 days since the last one). I can’t find anywhere on the internet about this. I would not think a rabbit would continue to have babies like this. They all look fully developed. Any suggestions.
August 22, 2012 at 9:31 pm
oh dear – that must have been a hard start for your daughter. I haven’t heard of this either. I will do some asking around for you and see what I can dig up.
August 23, 2012 at 12:47 am
Thank you very much.. I have also continued to look for info on this and others have said the same as you.. Haven’t heard of a rabbit doing this. We don’t have a vet nearby that handles rabbits, so I can’t take the rabbit to a vet and ask about it either.
August 23, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Hi my rabbit had 4 babies yesterday and since then I never see her in her hutch she even sleeps outside in the run is this normal
August 24, 2012 at 6:07 am
She is probably fine. We tend to expect rabbits to be “cuddly” mums like dogs and cats but, in reality, they spend very little time with their babies just going back to the nest between 2 and 4 times a days to feed the babies.
I believe this is because, in the wild, they wouldn’t want to draw attention to the presence of a nest.
If you are worried about the babies, just gently pull back the top of the nest and have a look at their bellies. If they are being fed they will look full and rounded, if they aren’t being fed they will look “tucked up” As long as she is feeding them, they are fine
Enjoy your new babies 🙂
August 26, 2012 at 1:59 am
Hello, My rabbit has had two litters of kittens. The first litter died after five days and she has recently had another litter and all but one has died this time. The babies all had full bellies and the mother rabbit seemed to take care of them. I have now put the last kitten and rabbit in the study away from outside as i am afraid that the dogs might have scared her. the last kitten appears to have “fits” like rapid body movements but i saw the mother feed the kitten however now i’m not so sure that it is getting much milk. I am in a remote place so i don’t have access to goats milk or kitten replacement milk to feed the kitten myself.
August 29, 2012 at 3:40 pm
When the kit ventures from the hutch can it eat on it’s on?
September 8, 2012 at 6:10 am
When they come out of the nest properly, the babies will start to nibble at hay and food with their mum. but they won’t be ready to take away form their mum for several weeks yet.
August 31, 2012 at 11:44 am
My twins rabbit has had babies and they just opened there eyes
September 8, 2012 at 6:11 am
Enjoy your babies 🙂
August 31, 2012 at 11:46 am
and there so cute
September 2, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Can i put my fully grown boy rabbit in a hutch with a small girl rabbit and 2 guinne pigs or is it dangerous for the others as my boy rabbit is massive compared to them.
September 8, 2012 at 6:05 am
No, you will need to keep the others in separate cages. A male rabbit will happily share with a guinea pig, but really they need to grow up together. If he is fully grown he might harm, them. If you put the girl in his cage with him, you will end up with lots and lots of baby rabbits so she needs a cage of her own as well
September 3, 2012 at 12:38 pm
So I have three baby.rabbits.and.they havent even opened their eyes, im so afraid im going to do something.wrong and theyll dye. They were all alone outside my house without their mom. What.should I do.kuz I have them in my house in a box with really warm and.cozy blankets
September 8, 2012 at 6:09 am
Hi – sorry to have missed this question – I hope I’m not too late replying. This is a link to a thread on a rabbit forum that deals specifically with hand-rearing baby rabbits. They deal with how to mix milk for them and how to feed them. I hope it helps
Good luck with them
http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html
September 5, 2012 at 4:38 pm
I just go my rabbit three days ago apparently her brother got her pregnant so… the second day we had her she had a litter of 3 baby bunnies! We resently got a new cage and had to move the babys from one cage to another I hope and prey that they will be okay! If you have any tips on how I can help more or what to do you will help me so so much! Thank you so so much!
September 8, 2012 at 6:19 am
How did the mother rabbit take it when you moved them? Did she seem settled? Or did she get stressy?
Chances are you don’t need to do a huge amount. If she is feeding them properly and has a good nest for them then they will be fine. You can just pull the fur from the nest when you go to feed them mother and check that the babies are warm and fed. A finger just laid in the nest will tell you if they are warm enough, and if you look at their tummies they should look nice and round. If she isn’t feeding them they will look “hollow” in the tummy.
Don’t be alarmed if she doesn’t seem to pay them a huge amount of attention – they only feed them 2 – 4 times a day, and tend to ignore the nest for the rest of the time. Once the babies are out of the nest they become a little more attentive.
Enjoy your new bunnies 🙂
September 6, 2012 at 11:21 am
Hi. Our rabbit has just had 2 babies, sadly one was still born. The mother has the other completely covered under a couple of inches of bedding. Is that nprmal? Will the baby be fed.
September 8, 2012 at 6:24 am
What type of bedding is it? Do you mean the fur from the nest? Normally they make a nest of whatever bedding they have (we give ours extra hay at nesting time and they use that) and then line it well with fur, and after the babies are born they cover the nest over.
The baby should get fed OK – you can tell if it is being fed by looking at it’s tummy which should have a slightly rounded “full” look to it. If it isn’t being fed it will look slightly “hollow”. The mum will only feed him 2 – 4 times a day and tends to ignore the nest the rest of them time. It isn’t all that usual to actually see the babies being fed so don’t worry because you haven’t seen him being fed. If you are worried just check his tummy. One on it’s own “might” get cold in the nest but, at this time of year, I wouldn’t expect that to be too much of a problem.
Hope baby is OK
September 9, 2012 at 10:30 am
Hello, I have just recently got back into breeding rabbits, it was something that I done when I was younger, but I have a question that I need answered and could really use the advice. I have 6 mini lop kits and they just turned three weeks old today, I noticed the mother was hopping away from them earlier like she doesn`t want them sucking on her anymore, they have been jumping out of the nest and hopping all over the place for about a week now. They are also eating pellets hay, and barley out of her feeder and they are also drinking water. I am curious if it wuld be ok to start weaning them anytime soon?
September 11, 2012 at 5:37 am
Ideally they should stay with their mum for a couple more weeks (until they are about 5 weeks). She will probably push them off more and more during the course of that time as she weans them naturally. This means that when you do actually remove them from their mum, they are pretty much already weaned.
Enjoy your new babies 🙂
September 12, 2012 at 6:00 pm
I have two week old baby rabbits in a two tier hutch. The nest is in the top tier and now they wiggling around i am scared they will fall down ladder. Is it safe to move them and nest to the ground tier?
September 15, 2012 at 6:19 am
Hi – My preference would be to leave them where they are and find a way of covering over the ladder. A piece of board or something will keep them away. It only needs to be for a short time, in a week or so they will start exploring it and be fine. We have noticed with ours that, once they are hopping well and confidently, they are very cautious of the ramp and will hop down it very carefully to begin with, but it isn’t long before they are taking the ramp in about two jumps 🙂
Have fun and enjoy your babies 🙂
September 15, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Hi my boyfriend found 2 baby bunnies in a junk yard an one is smaller then the other with blue eyes i think its blinded but also has an eye infection. i don’t know how old theses bunnies are! is their any way for me to be able to tell? that way i know what to get them to eat..
September 15, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Hi – first of all thank you for taking these bunnies in 🙂 They will repay you over and over 🙂
First question is are you in the UK or US? The reason I ask this is because Wild US bunnies are different to wild UK bunnies. Although if they were in a junk yard they may be abandoned domestic bunnies anyway?
From what you say, their eyes are open? That would make them 10 days plus. Are they very active, do they hop? Or more of a crawl?
If you think they are wild bunnies and intend returning them to the wild, then it is better not to handle them more than necessary. On the other hand, if you are going to keep them (which it sounds as though you are) you are fine to handle them as much as you like – the more the better.
If you think one of them has an eye infection, then it sounds as though you would be better to get them checked out by a vet? If that isn’t possible, then try bathing the eye with a saline wash. It is possible to buy eye balm at animal supply places.
As to what to feed them: if they are hopping, try them on a little hay or grass with broad leaves like plantain in it. That is very often the first thing they experiment with when they start “eating”. A tiny bit of lettuce would give you an indication of their willingness to eat, but they really mustn’t have a lot of lettuce as it isn’t terribly good for them.
Keep us updated on them….good luck 🙂
September 15, 2012 at 12:27 pm
also should they be touched alot? or not at all. i know nothing about bunnies lol any help would be great
September 22, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Hi my rabbit have 5 baby and they are more than 8 weeks old and they are still getting milk from the mummy rabbit so can I have advice about why this is happening
October 1, 2012 at 4:56 am
Hi – most baby animals will continue feeding for as long as they can, and some mums are more tolerant than others. You obviously have one of those mums who will let them keep going.
At 8 weeks you can comfortably move the baby rabbits to a new hutch and, ideally, you should be thinking about separating the male and female babies into their own groups.
Good luck 🙂
November 9, 2012 at 11:48 pm
I have a question. I need to move the mama bunny and her kit in another cage. The baby is only two days old. Can I move them both if I don’t touch the baby with my hands? Will the mama bunny still take care of her baby once they are moved?
November 12, 2012 at 10:21 am
I have to confess that I REALLY don’t know the answer to this one.
How urgent is the move – could it wait a couple of weeks? If you really have to move them, I would try to move the nest as a complete unit so that it all still smells right for the mum. But if at all possible I would wait until the kit is a little bigger.
October 4, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Hello, so my male Rhinelander was fixed about 2 months ago and somehow got my female pregnant unexpectedly. We did however, know about the gestation period (had them separated for over a month) and this still happened!!! She had 5 healthy kits-3 sports, and 2 normals, and then 2 stillborn 😦 Unfortunately she had the kits when we were out of town so I do not know the exact date of birth (want to say around Sept. 17th). All the babies just opened their eyes a few days ago and a few of them are starting to hop around the cage following momma and daddy ( I know the bucks are suppose to be separated but since he has been fixed he absolutely loves the babies following him, such a good dad!!!) My question: It seems like momma is starting to dry up, the babies still look really healthy but her nipples are not swollen nearly as much as they were. Is this normal, or should I consider assisting with the feeding?? Also, she seems to be pregnant again although are male is fixed Is that normal??? (if she is prego again I will be going back to the place I got him fixed considering I paid $400 for his neuter!) Thank you for any advice! BTW, the babies are so adorable and lovable! I’m so glad momma doesn’t mind me holding and touching them!
October 7, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Hello! We are new to baby bunnies. We have 2 sibs which are almost 7 weeks old. Not sure yet if we have boys or girls. How long can these 2 stay in the same cage since we don’t know their sex yet? They sure enjoy each other’s company, but I don’t want them reproducing since they are siblings. Thoughts?? Thanks for the advice! Maria
November 12, 2012 at 9:52 am
Hi congratulations on your new bunnies.
Bunnies are usually separated at weaning as “accidents” can and do occasionally happen. I would separate them as soon as possible, but maybe arrange their hutches so that they can see each other or touch noses through the wire for company?
Have fun
October 8, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Hi. If a rabbit is burrowing, does that mean that she is pregnant or do some rabbits burrow anyway. Also how long does it take for a rabbit to get pregnant again? I thought I had 2 female rabbits but when 1 gave birth, I realised I didn’t!! I separated the female less than 24 hrs after giving birth but 2 days later the male got in for about 2 mins before I noticed & removed him.
November 12, 2012 at 9:41 am
If rabbits have somewhere that they can burrow, they will do it just because they are rabbits. In the wild they live in burrows and that instinct is still very close to the surface.
It is possible that your buck could have got your doe pregnant again, but more likely not. My advice would be ready for a litter when they would be due “just in case”
Good luck 🙂
October 10, 2012 at 1:07 am
that is soooooooooo cute 😀 GOOD LUCK
October 10, 2012 at 1:11 am
Hi my rabbit is only having one baby at a time and every ime she has a baby and we see the nest fliped over when we see the baby it is died and has a bite mark on it why does the rabbit bite the baby.
November 12, 2012 at 9:43 am
There are a number of reasons why the rabbit might bite the baby – if it was a one off, then it is possible she has been startled and attacked her baby. It is also possible that the pain of birth makes the mum bite the baby. How many litters has the rabbit had? Sometimes first time mums are VERY stupid and just don’t have a clue what to do 🙂
October 12, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Hi,
Thanks for all the info on this site, been really helpful.
Just a quick question, my rabbits r bout 5days old. I moved the top of nest to 2 c if all ok. I put the fur back on top but since doin this babies are very jumpy and keep moving the fur and hay.
Is this normal?
November 12, 2012 at 9:57 am
Yes, that is perfectly normal – once you have looked at them they get all squirmy and disturb the nest. As long as they have plenty of bedding around them and they are cuddled up together, they will stay nice and warm 🙂
October 13, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Hi, we got these rabbits a couple months ago and bred them, the mom is pregnant and this is her first litter, she is not due for another week and a half, she started pulling hair out of her chest and putting it in a corner, i put a nesting box in her cage with some shredded paper, she is picking up the paper and pulling her hair out and every now and then she takes a break, the person we got her from said he has never bred her, Im worried that the baby bunnies might be premature… Is this common or is the new mom just trying to be prepared?
November 12, 2012 at 10:03 am
Sometimes new mums just get a bit confused and get the nesting bug a big early – it sounds as though she is just “getting ready” a little early 🙂
Hope all is well
October 17, 2012 at 10:02 am
Hiya my rabbit gave birth two nite ago to 6 kits but she gone off her pellets but eating her vegtables
November 12, 2012 at 10:04 am
As long as she is eating “something” and drinking I wouldn’t worry. Rabbits have pretty good instincts and she will know what she needs. Make sure she has hay available to eat, as well as her veg and pellets, and plenty to drink and I’m sure she will be fine 🙂
October 18, 2012 at 12:21 am
Hi I was wondering if I can take baby bunnies away from here mom and give them to another mother with the same age bunnies
November 12, 2012 at 10:06 am
It is possible to foster rabbits from one mum to another, although I have never done it. Rabbits can’t cound, but recognise their babies by scent so I believe the best way is to snuggle the foster babies in with their new family so that by the time the mum comes to feed them they are starting to smell like their new “siblings”
October 20, 2012 at 2:23 am
I keep finding baby rabbits outside of the hutch and sadly dead…I can’t figure out how this keeps happening….and how they end up on the outside…how can I eliminate this and have a successful breeding?? I found five outside the hutch but in a hole that Chloe (our female) obviously dug… About a month ago… But today have found one beautiful big baby rabbit on the driveway…any help would appreciated as both me and my son are finding it hard to keep cleaning it up..
November 12, 2012 at 10:02 am
I’m not totally sure I understand what is happening, but it sounds as though maybe something is taking the babies from their hutch – I would suggest a cat but a cat would usually eat them before you found them.
Lots of people use a high-sided nest box for their litters which the babies can’t crawl out of. It sounds as though you have a hutch and an outdoor run – could you confine the doe to the hutch when she is nesting so that she stays in the hutch with the babies?
October 22, 2012 at 8:16 am
HI PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HELP ME my rabbit had babies there around 3 to 4 weeks am guessing there hopping about and just starting to venture owt is it ok to transfer them to and indoor cage with the mother its very cold owtside and the dad is still in the hutch but separated downstairs i want to bring them indoors as weather is getting bad i dont no if i should do this or not please any advice gratly appciated as first ever baby bunnies x
November 12, 2012 at 9:58 am
The longer you can leave them in their own hutch the better, but by 3 – 4 weeks old they should be ok to move with their mum 🙂
October 22, 2012 at 10:09 pm
i have a baby rabbits n i got one that keeps leaving the nest is that right ?
is the mother suppose to be take food bk for them at 5 days old .
November 12, 2012 at 9:59 am
Sometimes the baby rabbits get pulled out of the nest as the mother moves away after feeding them
Mother rabbits don’t take food to the babies, she feeds them and then, as they venture out of the nest, they start to nibble at food for themselves
October 23, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Good day. I have 3 bunnys 2 girls and 1 boy. I was sure they are pregies. My bunny was pregies for 2 months. Is the normal? From when I saw some thing move in her tomy. Then I took 1 girl out and the boy…. And 32 days later she had 3 baby’s. But the same eve my outher bunny had 1baby as wel. … And she was no where near the boy. For the last 2 m. So she was keeping the baby for that hole time… But I now have 4 new baby’s and love al of them to bits. take care.
November 12, 2012 at 10:09 am
Fantastic that they are all well – it is hard sometimes coping with it all when you are’t expecting it.
Enjoy your babies 🙂
October 29, 2012 at 5:46 am
Thank you lots this site is so helpful but I have 1 question still what does the nest look like as I think my rabbit has had babies
November 12, 2012 at 10:11 am
The nest will look (depending on the individual rabbit) like a pile of fur, often in a corner and often (if the rabbit had access to other nesting material) it will be surrounded by hay. But sometimes it will just look like a pile of thick fur – you can very gently tweak the fur back and push a finger into the nest which will feel lovely and warm if there are babies in there 🙂
Let us know
October 31, 2012 at 1:57 am
my bunny had 3 baby bunnies and they already have opened there eyes at about what age or stage can i star carrying them?
November 12, 2012 at 10:13 am
Really you have to be guided by the mother rabbit. If she is happy with you touching them, she will probably be happy for you to pick one up and cuddle it but DON’T take it away from the hutch – hold it in the hutch.
If the mother seems upset, frightened or angry then don’t handle the babies – she will let you know when she is happy with it 🙂
Enjoy your babies
November 3, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I found a rabbit in a forest behind my house a few months ago, in the summer. She was tame and I believe she is a rex rabbit! We got her a female companion that was ten weeks old a month later. We recently have come to discover that the companion we bought her is really a male, however I’m not sure. Also we have only one hutch to keep them in and she has started pulling fur. Is this because she is cold or she is ready to have babies? I know I will have to separate the male if she does have them and I am already working on a new hutch design. But I would like to know if it is usual behaviour for rabbbits to make nests in November? I live in Canada so it is already quite cold but it hasn’t snowed yet.
November 12, 2012 at 10:15 am
On the whole rabbits only pull fur when they are pregnant. If they are going to make a nest to keep warm, it is usually done out of hay or other bedding material. So my guess is that you probably have a happy event on the way 🙂
Can you just put a divider in the hutch for now to separate them?
November 7, 2012 at 3:08 am
My bunny just had a litter today. I am excited and I really want to check them out. Just look around in the nest and see whats up. do you think I will be able to do this tomorrow??
November 12, 2012 at 10:19 am
It really does depend on the mother rabbit. You can just push a finger through the fur into the nest to feel if it is warm which is a good indicator that all is well. If the mother doesn’t seem upset at you looking at the nest, you can just pull back a bit of the fur and have a peek – but I wouldn’t do more than that for a few days yet 🙂
November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Why has my first time mother rabbit abandoned her 7 babies? They we’re 4 weeks old.
November 12, 2012 at 10:17 am
Is it possible something frightened her? Dogs? Cats? Fireworks on bonfire night? Usually a rabbit will abandon her kits because something has unnerved her.
In what way has she abandoned them? Do you still have them in the same hutch? They are big enough to eat and drink on their own now so, as long as they are kept warm they shouldn’t come to any harm.
Let us know how they get on 🙂
November 14, 2012 at 10:47 am
Hi my female rabbit had her babys on the 14th november its her first time being a mum when will she start feeding her babys ? And this is all new to me iv never owned a rabbit before all i know is about breeding cats please help by answering my question
November 15, 2012 at 6:55 am
Hi – congratulations on your new babies 🙂
Mum should start feeding the babies pretty much immediately – within the first few hours or so. But you are unlikely to see her feeding her babies. Rabbit milk is very concentrated and they only feed their babies 2 (and sometimes up to 4) times a day. Whereas cats will sprawl anywhere they want to feed their kittens, rabbits are quite secretive about it. And when they aren’t feeding them, they will totally ignore the nest. This is a protection system, the less attention they pay to the nest, the less chance there is of a predator spotting it?
So the answer is – your rabbit should start feeding the babies straight away, but don’t worry if you don’t see her doing it. If you are worried that she isn’t feeding them, you can pull back the fur of the nest and look at the babies – their tummies should have a rounded “full” look.
Hope all goes well, keep us posted on how they do 🙂
November 21, 2012 at 7:55 am
hi i would like to share photos of my baby rabbits if that’s ok they are 1 week old today they are growIng so fast BUT i cant find email address to post photos or link please
November 21, 2012 at 7:37 pm
The email address to send them to is
islandsmallholder@gmail.com
If you like to email the photos and a bit of text about the photos, I will put them into a post for you 🙂
Looking forward to seeing them 🙂
November 23, 2012 at 6:51 am
I have posted your photos Charline
My apologies for the mix up – these photos weren’t Charline’s.
I will put those in another post soon 🙂
November 14, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Wen can I let the babies rabbits out side to roam around
November 15, 2012 at 6:59 am
Hi – the answer really depends on what you mean by “outside to roam around”. If you have a secure run for them where they are safe from the neighbourhood cats/dogs etc, then as soon as they are hopping really confidently they can go out as long as they don’t get too cold. Let them out for a short time at first and increase the length of time gradually.
If you mean letting them loose in the garden/yard, then they need to be much bigger in order to be safe
November 17, 2012 at 11:57 am
Thy r 3 weeks old and I have a run and I let the mum and dad in the house so I can let thm roam in the house just the cage is getting crowded now there getting bigger I noticed aswell sum r eating hay and rabbit mix we had 12 bt lost 4 bt Im very happy tht 8 r alive and how can I stop the males frm fighting al the time they cum to gever now we hav a female they fight like made
November 21, 2012 at 7:42 pm
Oh OK – to run around in the house, then I would think you would probably be fine to let them out for a short time to have a hop around and explore. But I would only let them out while you are there to keep an eye on them.
Yes they will be starting to eat now – they are funny when they start to nibble away at things.
8 is a good litter.
Males will tend to be competitive and fight when there are females around – you may have to find a way to separate the males to stop them fighting.
Good luck
November 15, 2012 at 9:01 am
Our rabbit has had 3 babies 3 days ago (unplanned – thought Dad was a girl!). Have moved dad out into an indoor hutch but mum and babies still outside. Babies are in the bed section of a raised hutch, and mum likes to go down the ramp to litter tray and to see Dad when we put his hutch next to the run. The weather’s getting closer and damp and I’m worried the babies will get cold. Also worried when they start to move about may fall down the ramp. Is it ok to move the top section of the hutch (with mum and babies inside) inside the house so they will be warmer, next to Dad’s hutch and then no risk of babies falling down the ramp. Just wanted to make sure this won’t stress mum out too much. Can we pick her up to move? Thanks for any advice.
November 16, 2012 at 6:49 am
I would be very wary of moving them just yet. Where roughly are you (just to get an idea of how cold it is where you are)? I would be inclined to leave them where they are and make sure they have plenty of bedding to keep them warm.
If your doe is well handled and confident, she “may” let you move the hutch. But you do run the risk of her abandoning her babies.
If you can wait 10 days or so until they are starting to move around on their own (which is also when they will start to be more likely to fall down the ramp) you would be safer to move them then? Mum will be more settled by then and there is less likelihood of her just giving up on the babies.
But a lot depends on just how cold your area is. Rabbits are very good at keeping themselves warm and, as I said, if mum has built a good nest then the babies should be warm enough.
Good luck – keep us posted 🙂
November 15, 2012 at 9:12 am
Hi there I have new baby rabbits now a day old I am not at all sure if the mom is feeding them or not. We had to put them in the box cause they were scattered a bit we only noticed after they were born that they were there. She mad a nest but it was broken down maybe by the male which we now removed wen we saw the little once we took the hey and hair and picked up the kits with it not to touch them but now she has made a nest right next to the box and she covered it with hair and all should we put the little ones in there we so scared to fiddle with them and don’t want here to abandone them and they might get cold out side the box what should we do or just leave them were they are please help I really have know idea not sure if they fed or not
November 16, 2012 at 6:56 am
When you say “outside the box” is the nest still inside a hutch? If you have taken the dad out of the hutch now, I would put the babies in the nest that mum has made. She may have had an upset if her nest has been destroyed once, so I would follow her lead. If she has made a nice nest, use it and she should get back on track.
Keep us posted 🙂
November 15, 2012 at 9:13 pm
Thank you so much for the info very helpfull and il try and put photos up of them if i can if not u can find me on facebook charline fraser and il put photos up on there 🙂
November 16, 2012 at 6:41 am
You’re welcome 🙂
November 16, 2012 at 7:11 am
I put them in her nest now just put a towl under it asa its on the sament floor. Went to check this morning and they are warm and cosy she covered them with hey and furn now so seem to be ok will just keep an eye on them she does not seem to mind me handleing them now I just handle her first to get my sent on her first they now two days old
November 16, 2012 at 8:15 am
great – glad to hear they are all well. 🙂
November 19, 2012 at 3:19 pm
hi i have two rabbits and one of my rabbits had babies they are 2 weeks old and i have had the father done and have just let the mum and father back together i have got another hutch for him but dont know when it is safe for the father to go near the babies thanks for any advice.
November 19, 2012 at 3:47 pm
i forgot to say that i have never had rabbits before and that the babies are doing really well just abit scared about the father hurting them.
November 21, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Glad to hear that the babies are doing well. I would be inclined to go very gently with introducing the babies to the dad – especially as, at this age, they are still helpless. I would allow him to see them while you are there, and watch his behaviour and the mum’s behaviour. If the mum seems anxious or gets aggressive towards the dad, then take him away again. Chances are that all will be well but I wouldn’t leave them alone together until the babies are bigger and able to get away if he is aggressive towards them.
Hope that helps 🙂
November 25, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Hi there do u know any thing about what bread a rabbit is if I send u photos could u identify them and at what age can u determin the sex of the babys
November 25, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Hi – I think it would be hard to determine a breed from photos, but by all means send in some photos and I’ll post them anyway, and if we can work out what they are then you’re ahead 🙂
November 25, 2012 at 7:32 pm
hii I ve 7 baby bunnies of 3 weeks…unfortunately their mum died…they are not eating or drinking anything…what should i do? plz plz help me
November 25, 2012 at 7:58 pm
OK – first question: do you know what their mum died of? Was it an illness which might now be affecting the babies? Or was it an accident of some description?
Are the babies in the warm?
What are you offering them to eat?
November 26, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Hey there I’m panicking what are the chances my rabbit is pregnant again I took the male away the same day as she gave birth well as soon as I noticed the babys could not have been more than a hour or so but she is starting to bit my shoes wen I get in the pen and her tummy feels bigger to me but maybe its my amagination or she is just picking up weight around her tummy she does eat more now with feeding the kits please help the kits are only 12 days old
December 3, 2012 at 4:26 am
Hi i have a male and female rabbit in a double hutch(1 lives on each side)with a wire partition between them. Mum has just had babies today and i was wondering are they all safe with dad next door or do i need to move him to another hutch. I seperated them once before and they didnt seem to like it as they have always lived together side by side.
December 16, 2012 at 8:17 am
Hi – hope all is well with your babies – they should be ok with Dad next door, as long as Mum is happy and not stressed or threatened by him – good luck 🙂
December 17, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Thankyou for your reply. I ended up moving dad to another hutch as he sprays the mum quite alot which google is telling me that he is just saying he loves her. He is in a hutch on the other side of where she is but a safe enough distance he cant spray her. He is eating but not as much so im guessing he is sulking a little and are keeping an eye on him. I was wondering when babies are due for weaning, can i put them in the double hutch on the other side of mum where dad was or is that going to be to stressful for mum and babies and would it be better if i put them into seperate hutch where dad is and swap him back to the double hutch. Hope my question makes sense. It did as was typing but im good at confusing people. This is my first time of having rabbit babies and have relied on google alot but i find that different people seem to say different things and is getting a little confusing. The babies are two weeks old now and it has been such an amazing experience being a part of the process and getting to experience the wee bundles of excitement. Like there mum and dad, they too have there own little characters and are alot of entertainment to be around and spend time with.
December 30, 2012 at 8:15 am
🙂 Glad to hear you are enjoying them – we have so much fun from ours and as they start hopping around they just make me smile …….no matter what else is happening, you have to smile at them 🙂
Have fun
December 3, 2012 at 5:48 am
My babie rabbits just dissappered where could they have gone
December 16, 2012 at 8:19 am
Sometimes a mother rabbit will eat the babies if she is frightened by something. Sometimes a predator like a rat can get into the cage? Or a cat can get it’s paw into the cage and pull them out (we have had this happen). It’s impossible to know what has happened in your case, but I would be either looking at the Mum or looking for how a predator could have got at them
December 8, 2012 at 1:11 am
Ok so I have had my baby rabbits for bout 1 week and a half now and their eyes havent even opened yet Pls reply ( worried 2nd mama of my babies ) I need to know ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
December 16, 2012 at 8:20 am
Hi – a bit late on this one – hopefully they have their eyes open now?
December 10, 2012 at 6:36 am
My baby rabbit is 7days old and the Mom stop give milk so help me to advise
.
December 16, 2012 at 8:29 am
How do you know the mother has stopped feeding it? Did she just have one?
December 10, 2012 at 1:28 pm
What if my baby bunnies are 10 days old today and their eyes aren’t open yet, they are barely open (not even close to all the way open.)
December 11, 2012 at 11:59 pm
They opened their eyes today at 11 days old!!! Do you have any tips for me?
December 16, 2012 at 8:40 am
Great 🙂 Now they will start to explore a little – they crawl at first – and before you know it they will be trying to bounce. This stage is really funny because they haven’t yet learnt how strong their legs are and their bounces are a little unpredictable LOL
No advice really – just enjoy every minute of them 🙂
December 16, 2012 at 8:30 am
They do take a few days to really open properly – if they are starting to open then they will soon be open all the way 🙂
December 10, 2012 at 4:19 pm
I have a female rabbit that just had babies yesterday… However, 2 weeks ago I sold her to a woman who wants her for her as a christmas gift for her kids. Can she be moved with her very young babies?
This woman wanted my bunny as a xmas gift… however I don’t think this will happen.
Or… should I give her a choice of 1st pick of the litter instead?
Or?
December 16, 2012 at 8:35 am
I certainly wouldn’t move her with the babies – she would most likely be very stressed especially if she is going to a new home with children and strangers.
hmmmm what to do…….I think I would explain to the woman say you are sorry to let her down but that the rabbit can’t be moved. Offer her her money back (if she has already paid you for her) and then say that alternatively she can have the pick of the litter if she wants. That way the kids can come along and choose their rabbit themselves. She might be disappointed but in a way it may be better for the kids to come and choose their own bunny anyway?
Good luck 🙂
December 16, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Ya the woman isn’t taking them now. Thanks though 🙂
December 16, 2012 at 6:35 am
I had 2 rabbits that I was assured were both male and 4 and a half weeks ago was surprised by a new litters of 3 babies! I removed the male to a seperate hutch as soon as I realised but it seems not quick enough as she just had a new litter of 5 more kits! At the moment the babies are just two days old and the older litter are all still in the same cage. I’m not sure whether to remove them yet or is it best to let nature take its course. Obviously i’m worried about the health of mummy and all babies. Not sure what to do next? help!
December 16, 2012 at 8:48 am
This is a hard one. In theory, nature has provided for this and mum will sort them out. Obviously in the wild this would happen all the time. We have raised multiple litters in a hutch and it seemed to work. BUT (and there are two buts) they were in a BIG hutch where everyone had lots of space to keep out of each others way. The rabbit involved was an incredible mum, with fantastic instincts who (as far as I can remember) never lost a kit in the whole time she was breeding.
At four and a half weeks you should get away with separating the older litter of babies. In the past people sometimes used to breed a doe as soon as she had kitted, then remove the babies at 3 weeks so that she was ready to have the next litter. Nowadays people don’t do that, but the point is that at four and a half weeks they are nearly at weaning age, should be eating well, and could probably be weaned.
Does the mum seem to be feeding the new babies OK? Is the nest OK or are the older babies disturbing it and trampling it?
December 16, 2012 at 3:26 pm
Hi thanx for your quick reply. The rabbits are in a large double level hutch and seem to be ok so far anyway? The older kits seem to have abandoned nest area as a whole and moved into the upper compartment to bed down however they are obviously curious about the new arrivals so have been in and out of the nest area. The newbies are warm and still wiggling around so I can safely assume she is managing to feed them I think?
December 16, 2012 at 8:23 am
Hi I have a question no idea what to do my female is nesting and pulling out her hair I know she is pregnant the male got out of his cage and I can feel the bumps on her tummy u sapoused to look for but the problem is she has a litter that is 4 weeks and 2 days old what do I do I think she is going to have her new babys soon what now what about the old litter please help thanks
December 16, 2012 at 8:58 am
Hi – funny enough I have just typed the answer to this question for another reader as well 🙂
It is a hard one to call. We have had multiple litters in a hutch with a doe who was an absolutely fantastic mum and a big hutch. It worked for her and, in theory, nature must have programmed the bunny mums to deal with this situation – I am guessing it must happen all the time in the wild.
But we have them in artificial conditions so there is no guarantee that those instincts will kick in for your rabbit.
At four and a half weeks old, you could probably get away with separating the older litter now. This isn’t ideal for them, as it is a little early yet. But as an overall situation it might give you the best outcome. In the past breeders used to separate the babies at 3 weeks so as to get more babies out of the mum. This isn’t done now but as long as they are eating and drinking well and are warm they should be ok.
Really it is a question of whether the mum will stop feeding the new litter because the big ones are still hogging all the milk, and whether the old babies will interfere with the nest.
It is a hard choice though. Good luck and feel free to come back if you have any problems 🙂
I think on balance
December 16, 2012 at 9:09 am
Thanks a lot for the info I think I’m going to leave them together as the doe sems to be able to keep them in line she only feeds them wen she wants to she does this little growl thing and they leave her be so I will see what happens first if I see that it does not work out I will deside then thanks u have a point that they would do the same in the wild and our hutch is more than big enough for them all
December 16, 2012 at 9:28 pm
I have the same problem over here and I think will be keeping them together too. Mummy seems to be coping well, so far so good 🙂
December 16, 2012 at 5:35 pm
I have a 1 week old (today) baby bunny that I think looks like a runt. The rest of the litter has soft fur now and is plump and bigger than the other bunny.
The little baby is wrinkly and smaller. The hair is bristly not soft like the rest.
Should I take it away and start hand feeding it?
If so…What should I feed it?
I looked all over the internet and they said different things. Kitten formula was mentioned a lot…can I use this?
I gave it a few drops of water to keep it hydrated. It is very strong, warm and everything. It just looks and feels stranger than the rest. I’m worried 😦
It wants to suckle the mother badly but doesn’t seem to get anything out of her, however I checked the mother (squeezed the nipples) and she is FULL of milk.
December 30, 2012 at 8:16 am
Hi – I am sorry I missed this post – did the kit survive?
January 5, 2013 at 2:41 pm
No he died. Was gross waking up in the morning only to find that the mom was eating it out of instinct. She didnt kill it, it was very cold.
January 5, 2013 at 2:54 pm
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s not uncommon to lose one or two though – nature’s way of making sure that the strongest survive I suppose 😦
How are the others doing?
December 18, 2012 at 7:37 am
Hi there just a question at what age should I start feeding my baby rabbits veg its hard to give my doe any with them not eating it so now I just stick to pellets and oat hey but I feel terrible not to give her
December 30, 2012 at 8:19 am
We tend to just let the babies have whatever the mum is having normally. In the wild, they would eat whatever was there? They seem to have a fairly good instinct for trying new things a little at a time. It can be quite unrewarding when you give them something new thinking that they will go mad for it and they take one little nibble and walk away.
But actually, that is natures way of protecting them and, they will usually go back later in the day for a little more, and so on until they are sure it hasn’t made them ill? I haven’t explained that well so I hope it makes sense.
Go ahead and give them what mum enjoys 🙂
December 18, 2012 at 10:46 am
hi my babys rabbits started eating greens pellets etc at 3 weeks old they are 5 weeks old now and gone to new home and doing really well, they will eat when they are ready start putting food in front of them and watch if they start eating if they dont dont worry to much they will find the veg and starting it when they are ready dandelions are good to start with ….. how old are your baby rabbits????
i hope that helps you out…..
December 18, 2012 at 12:27 pm
They are 4 and a half weeks old they eat the hay and pellets already and started eating the carrits to but took it away I read some where that u must wait till they are 6 months old before u start giving them veg like carrits and fruit
December 20, 2012 at 11:58 am
its find to give them away ….the mother or my baby rabbits is 7 months old i read they start breeding at 6 months olds that the does and bucks have to be 9 months old
December 21, 2012 at 2:26 am
Hi my rabbit just had babies 2 days ago and I don’t know why but she has dried nipples there are 6 babies we lost one she had 7 they are very skinny but they keep warm any advise what I should do this is her first litter please help
December 30, 2012 at 8:20 am
Hi – sorry to be so long in replying – did the babies survive?
December 21, 2012 at 8:10 am
last week my rabbit gave birth to 7 little babies, she is not the friendliest girl but the babies seemed healthy. but when i went to check on them 3 looked very skinny and under fed. they died the day after. there are now 4 healthy fat little babies. but i dont know y the other 3 died was it just because she wasnt feeding them or the others pushed them out of the way or was it too many for her to handle. please if anyone could explain that would be great. and if there is any way to try and prevent it from happening again
December 30, 2012 at 8:22 am
It sounds as though they may have been weak babies anyway – or maybe the others were pushing them out of the way and they weren’t feeding. If they died at one day old I would suspect that maybe they were a little weak anyway.
Hope the other 4 are still doing well 🙂
December 22, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Hi my babies are 8 days old now a litter of 5. One or two of them still have bald patches in their fur is that normal?
December 30, 2012 at 8:24 am
I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage – all babies develop at slightly different rates. The “norm” is just an average 🙂 Hope their patches have filled in now
December 25, 2012 at 9:16 pm
my son has a three week bunnie that was given to his dad because the mother was no longer feeding so we would like to know what to feed him
December 30, 2012 at 8:28 am
Three weeks? That’s a hard one because it should really be still having some milk from it’s mum, in addition to solid food.
I would try him on some hay and maybe some oats or rabbit pellets to begin with. Make sure he is able to drink water from a bottle or bowl (he may be used to one way of watering and not understand the other)
People used to wean them at 3 weeks so he should be able to cope – make sure he is warm and that he is actually eating and drinking
I’m not sure whether at 3 weeks it is worth trying to supplement him with some milk – there is a link on the main post to a recipe for making rabbit supplement milk, or some people use kitten milk replacer.
Hope he’s OK
December 27, 2012 at 10:12 am
Hi, just a question, my rabbit had babies 13 days ago, the babies have barely left the nest and haven’t started opening their eyes is that okay? Thanks
December 30, 2012 at 8:29 am
They do tend to develop at slightly different rates although 13 days is quite long. They should start to move soon though – I wouldn’t start worrying just yet. Hope they make a move soon for you 🙂
December 27, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Thank you for giving me an idea of what the little buggar will look like with fur. Right now it looks like the picture were you can’t even tell they are bunnies. Thanks this was helpful.
December 30, 2012 at 8:29 am
LOL you’re welcome – when they are new born they could be anything couldn’t they 🙂 They get cute very quickly though 😉
December 31, 2012 at 3:24 pm
i have a ? we have domestic bunnies free running we found a baby and it seems to not be able to walk or hop well at all.. do you think its okay or just learning
January 3, 2013 at 6:59 am
When you say a “baby” how big is it? Does it have all it’s fur? Could it sit in the palm of your hand? Or bigger? It could well be that it is just still too young, but it could be that it has been injured in some way
January 1, 2013 at 12:49 am
Hi
One of our bunnies had babies about 24 hours ago. We noticed today and took the other three rabbits out (2females and the buck who has been neutered) we didn’t know what to do as all websites said different things. All four rabbits were there all night and the babies are fine, they all get on so well and are really friendly. Do you think it would be safe to put them back in at some point? If so….when? We are really stuck on what to do as we didn’t even know she was pregnant! Please help 🙂
January 3, 2013 at 7:07 am
You say the buck has been neutered? Is that since the babies were born? There are people who have done both successfully – which is why all the websites give different advice 🙂 Once a female is alone in her hutch, it becomes “her” territory and she will attack another adult placed into it. I have to be honest and say that I don’t know how long a female has to be alone before this happens. Had she been living with the other rabbits for very long? Can she still see and sniff the other rabbits now? If it is just until the babies are big enough to hop out of the way of the older ones, then you might be able to try to put the others back in one at a time but make sure you are there for a while to step in if a fight starts – rabbit fights can be nasty!!
The other thing is to re-introduce them on neutral ground so that they all have a chance to get to know each other again before putting them in one hutch or another?
Let us know how you get on 🙂
January 4, 2013 at 3:20 am
Hi there,
We have put one of the other does back in with mum and her 5 babies and they seem to be getting on ok. The other doe is humping mum a lot though?is this normal? She doesn’t seem bothered by it but I don’t see what goes on all the time 🙂
The buck was neutered 34 days ago,! So she must have got pregnant just before or after. We have kept the buck and other doe together in a seperate hutch for now as they get on great and keep each other company 🙂
As it was such a shock we have been doing a lot of reading up on baby bunnies! They all seem really healthy and have round tummies. Our daughters are over the moon and can’t wait to see them hopping around 😉 they really are the cutest little things 🙂
I have been checking them daily and mum doesn’t mind at all. Is it ok to clean the nest area now?they are 4 days old now.
thank you so much for your advice.
Jo x
January 5, 2013 at 7:55 am
So glad to hear they are doing well 🙂 They are great fun and when they start trying to hop, they will keep your daughters amused for hours 😀
The humping I wouldn’t be too sure about – sometimes females will do this in response to hormonal changes around them – the one that just had the babies will possibly be in season again, or the other one may be coming into season also. I would just double check that it is a female that you have put in with her and not another male (stranger things have happened LOL).
If mum is very content with you handling the babies, you can clean the area around the nest, but I wouldn’t clean too close to the nest, or move the nest itself (if that makes any sense?)
Enjoy your babies – I am always happy to post readers pictures if they want me to, so feel free to send pics if you would like them put up 🙂
January 1, 2013 at 5:42 am
Good day! So we have 6 2 weeks old baby rabbits. Around what week could we hold them? I really want to play with them cause they’re so cuteeeeee. (We saw how many they were because my grandpa stepped on one part of their burrow and his foot fell inside. Good thing there were no rabbits on that part of the burrow)
January 3, 2013 at 7:14 am
Hi – just checking here – are they your bunnies and kept in a colony? Or are they wild bunnies? I only ask because you mention their burrow LOL If they are two weeks old you could start to think about handling them very gently. In the next week or so they will be starting to hop around so it is good to be handling them before they get TOO active 😀 Be very gentle with them, and watch the mum for signs that she is getting cross with you – if she isn’t happy then you will need to leave them a bit longer.
Good luck with them 🙂
January 4, 2013 at 11:58 pm
I dropped my two day old baby bunny she looked fine but was squirming a little please help I’m scared she broke something and will die tonight !
January 5, 2013 at 7:59 am
The chances are your baby is fine. They seem to be pretty resilient – when we had just started with bunnies, we had a couple of babies a few days old fall from the top storey of the hutch to the bottom storey. They survived with no apparent ill effects at all.
The best thing you can do for the baby is to make sure he is in the nest with his siblings to keep him warm, his mum will feed him and he will probably be right as rain.
To be honest, at 2 days old, if he has injured himself there isn’t really anything you can do for him other than keep him warm and fed.
Hope all is well – let us know if he is OK 🙂
January 10, 2013 at 1:05 pm
my rabbit as add her babys shes not in with the male but she still ass ner babys with her there are all girls the vet told me yday now 2 day she is doing a nest and pulling fur out can she be aving more babys
January 28, 2013 at 7:11 am
Did she ever have any more babies? Or was she just teasing you?
January 12, 2013 at 12:20 am
Hello um my bunny had babies the first of January and I was wondering when will the babies get their hearing? I’m doing this for a project and so I can mark down info and so I can be prepared when they do
January 28, 2013 at 7:12 am
I am afraid I don’t know for sure when baby buns get their hearing. I would guess that they probably have hearing from birth in the same way as human babies, but have no proof of this – hope the project goes well.
January 28, 2013 at 9:05 pm
Thank you
January 13, 2013 at 7:19 pm
My rabbit had babies Christmas Day. They are house rabbits and their nest is smelling. How soon can I take all the mums fur away? Has don’t want to take their comfort away from them too soon. Thanks in advance
January 28, 2013 at 7:13 am
I’ll assume you have taken the fur away by now – given that I am late to the party on this one. Hope the babies are OK ?
January 15, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Our bunny had 5 babies. I can only assume they are less than a week old because their eyes are still closed. One of the babies has ventured out of the nest. We put it back, but it only ventured out again. It seemed to be trying to nurse but the mother wouldn’t nurse it. It may be because she was uncomfortable with us watching. My concern is, how do I know if this baby is being neglected and that is why it is searching out mama or if it is just a curious baby exploring? I don’t want it to die!
January 28, 2013 at 7:16 am
The best way to know if a baby is being fed is by looking at it’s tummy. If it is being fed, it’s tummy will look rounded and satisfied. If it isn’t being fed for some reason, it’s tummy will look empty. It sounds funny but you will see the difference if it is there. Compare the one you are worried about with one that you are happy with and they should look about the same. It is probably just a curious baby exploring, or maybe a greedy one try to get a bit extra. At 5 days old, if it was being neglected, it probably wouldn’t have the strength to crawl out of the nest?
Hope all is well with it
January 28, 2013 at 8:39 pm
My bunny dot had 4 babies on New Year’s Eve and 2 died the remaining 2 are doing good they are kinda trouble makers :). How long will it be before I can tell if they are girls or boys.
January 30, 2013 at 9:21 pm
Glad to hear the two remaining ones are well 🙂 It is possible to sex baby rabbits early, but there is a lot of room for error and it isn’t unusual for the baby you were sure was a boy to turn out to be a girl and vice versa – to be absolutely sure you need to wait until they are 3 or 4 months old. But it doesn’t hurt to have a try now and then have the fun of waiting to see if you got it right 😀
January 31, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Well we think they are girls 😄 they will be 5 weeks on Monday. Me and my brother plan to show them for 4H. Mine is squirt she has kinda out grown why she or he was givin the name was because when I would hold squirt she or he peed on me. And my brother named he or she fuzz ball but I call her or him fluffy.
January 31, 2013 at 3:22 pm
That sounds great – good luck with them at 4H – I’m sure you will have great fun doing that.
If you would like me to post some pictures of them, you can email them to me and I will put the pictures up in a post 🙂
January 31, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Ya I will email you some pictures. They must like the night because when we are trying to sleep they get out of the cage and play and hop around. They come into my room and I actually woke up because I felt something like them crawling on me and then next thing I no it’s gone and then I looked over and their squirt was. She came into my room 5 times the other night and this morning they were both out. So MUCH FUN!! 😉
February 1, 2013 at 1:22 am
And also I don’t no if this is normal but today dot (mommy) was humping fuzz ball (1 of the babies ) so is this normal I’m a little concerned.
January 29, 2013 at 10:49 am
Hello,
Well … what a surprise.
My daughter ran into the house this evening and said she just saw a rat or baby bunny.
We have two pet bunnies Max and Millie, who have the run of the yard of a day and with all the terrible rain I left them out of the hutch to keep dry on our veranda.
December last year was when we realised Millie was a male and he was desexed on Dec 19.
Today we found out Max is female.
There were two baby bunnies that looked like drowned rats on the grass. A quick search and we found Maxie near a burrow that had two more live bunnies and a dead one (probably drowned as it was almost the same size as the little one)
So 4 babys who have just survived loads of rain have now been placed into a lovely dry clean nest in a hutch with their mummy.
Question…. Do mothers move the baby out of the nest or did they venture out?
3 of the babys look the same and the same size (look like the father) and move around / walking / wobble and little hop and feed well BUT one (looks like mum) is lots smaller, doesnt move much, sleepy and I didn’t see it feed.
So I know NOTHING about baby bunnies, looking on the net they could be 10 to 14 days old as the eyes on the bigger ones are startng to open. The little ones eyes are closed.
Sholud I be helping the little one with feeding?
Could she have given birth to the smaller one later?
We are animal lovers and my 5yo daughter is so excited but I just need to know we are doing the best for these little babys as they have has a rough start.
Any advice would be so very welcome.
January 30, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Congratulations on your new arrivals 🙂
There could be a number of reasons why one baby is smaller than the others. It could naturally be a runt (in which case it may well not survive). It may be genetically smaller (if the parents are cross breeds or are different to each other, then they may have different size babies). Or it may be that he has had less food – or he may have caught a chill from getting so cold and wet – which could also account for his sleepiness and lack of interest in food at the moment. If your mother rabbit is very tame, it is possible to hold her and make sure the little one gets a feed, but I can’t offer advice on this as I have never done it I am afraid – just know that it is possible.
Rabbits don’t carry their young like cats and dogs do – although it may be possible that she has “encouraged” them to crawl out of the nest if it was starting to flood. I don’t know and haven’t heard of it happening – but the instinct to survive is a strong one and rabbits are intelligent creatures 🙂
I would say that, if they now have a dry snug nest, mum is with them, and they have food and maybe some hay to start nibbling on (as they sound as though they are nearly ready to be nibbling) then you are doing the best you can for them.
Good luck with them – keep us posted on how they get on
January 31, 2013 at 12:34 am
I happy to report I have 4 strong babys 🙂
I held the mother and kept putting a little bit of her milk in the little poppets mouth. I didn’t think she would make it over night BUT the next morning she was there with a big fat full belly of milk. Mummy had cleaned lots of mud off her and she was warm as toast. What a good mummy she is.
I got some lucern hay for their nest and they all came alive with excitement and nibbled away on it.
The mummy is tame but not overly friendly….. until now. While fixing up the nest she came over to me and bumped my led with her nose and stood up on her hind legs. I bent down an patted her. She is a very happy mummy now.
The babys had mud cacked on them, the mum and I are cleaniing them up but they still have mud coming out of their nose. They would have been close to drowning I think as we had several days of very heavy rain.
Thanks for you reply.
January 31, 2013 at 6:23 am
You’re welcome – I’m so glad to hear that they are all well. Sounds like you’ve done a great job of getting them setted in, warm and fed 🙂 From the sound of it they probably would have drowned or died of cold if they had stayed out there much longer – mummy rabbit probably knows you’re helping her keep her babies safe.
February 1, 2013 at 9:24 pm
My rabbit is having babies and ten minutes ago I saw her making a litfle nest she has been a mother before but unfortunatly little twinkle died at the age of 4 weeks and I dont know why buf hopefully thee ones are ok.. I can’t wait untill the morning to see if she has had them !
February 3, 2013 at 9:10 pm
Hope she had her babies OK and that they are all well 🙂
February 2, 2013 at 10:11 am
how many days is it until baby rabbits grow thier fur
February 4, 2013 at 12:57 pm
The babies start growing their fur within a couple of days of births – by the time their eyes are opening they definitely have a fur coat 🙂
February 4, 2013 at 2:20 pm
Is it possible for a bunny to get pregnant after giving birth to babies all ready? I’m guessing it is sence my bunny dot had some on the first of January and had three more on February first.
February 5, 2013 at 6:46 am
Hi Destiny – yes, if the buck has access to the doe, then they will often become pregnant again within a couple of days of giving birth. Hope your new babies are all alright 🙂
February 5, 2013 at 12:50 pm
They are doing well. I have 2 black and whites from the last litter and now 2 black and whits this litter and now 1 brown and white this litter. I actually wanted a brown and white one when I went to look at the bunnies when I first got them. I’m so excited now that we have them all. 5 total now
February 5, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Hi there do u maybe have an email adress I can send photos to I was hoping maybe u could help me narow down what breed my rabbits might be
February 8, 2013 at 6:43 am
Hi Shantelle – I see you found the email address in the contact section. 🙂 I will do my best with the pictures although I have to admit that different breeds aren’t my strongest point.
February 8, 2013 at 6:41 am
Do you still have the buck with the doe? Or you will be having more babies in another few weeks 😀
Sounds as though they are all lovely
February 6, 2013 at 7:34 pm
hello! We have two females (and one very happy male!) who are going to give birth very soon. One anytime now and the other in a week or two. I didn’t know the one who is imminent was even pregnant! Anyway, I noticed today that she had made a nest in their hutch. I have since separated the two females as their hutch is quite small for two and I’m concerned what the other female may do. Not to mention that it is still very cold here in the North East of New England. I have brought them inside and given them their own nesting/living areas. Was this the smart thing to do? These mamas are not used to being pet or handled and do not like people much. I only aquired them in November. I placed them in our basement away from us so they can have the quiet they are used to but will be warmer than outside in 20F weather! We are supposed to get a huge storm in two days as well.
Ok, so I’m a nervous Grandma now and would like to know if I’ve made the right move. I tried not to disturb her next but that was nearly impossible. I put all her fur back in her new area. Do you think I made a mistake? Do you think she will reject her babies? ACK! 🙂 Advice would be most helpful (maybe even just to hold my cyber hand!). Thank you!!
February 8, 2013 at 6:46 am
Hi – how are they doing? Mum “should” be OK – just give her plenty of space when she has the babies and be guided by her as to when you begin to handle them. She may well miss her friend (can they see each other still or are they totally separated?) but once she has her babies she will probably have enough on her mind.
Keep us posted on how they are doing – I am sure you will do fine as Grandma 🙂
Feel free to come back to have a cyber hand hold any time – we love sharing everyone else’s babies 😀
February 8, 2013 at 4:00 pm
Thanks so much for replying! Well, so far the girls seem ok. They cannot see eachother and I wish I could change that but I cannot. They can hear eachother and smell eachother as their containers are side by side.
The mommy who built the nest has not given birth yet. I’m beginning to think that she isn’t even pregnant and was only having a “sympathy pregnancy” for her sister who I believe is truly pregnant. If she doesn’t give birth in the next few days then I’m confident that is what it was. She will be 30 days past ovulation on Sunday. She is a small breed too. We’ll see. She is very agressive if I try to touch her and growls if I try to touch her belly. So I don’t anymore. I’m backing off. If she is having a “fantom” pregnancy I should have babies from her sister in two weeks. She is the gentler of the two so that is actually better. Still, I was quite excited to think both would have babies.
I’m glad to have read your response to another poster on here. It has reminded me that I need to give them the space that they are used to and not to expect them to be as docile as our male. Also when the babies arrive to not try to handle them until they are older unless I absolutely have to. I will also keep some distance from the mom so not to frighten her. Thanks for all you do here, it truly is a wealth of information and so glad to get real answers! I’ll keep you posted!!!
February 11, 2013 at 8:19 pm
You’re welcome.
Glad to hear they seem to be settling. Hope to hear soon that you have a nest of lovely babies 🙂
February 7, 2013 at 11:31 pm
hey
i wanted to ask that if you touch the rabbit babies with your hands will the mother leave them.
its been 2 days and the mother just goes and licks and watches the babies and then goes and lie down. i am really sad please reply 😦
February 8, 2013 at 6:52 am
Hi – I’m afraid I am going to ask a lot of questions before I can give you an answer. How old are the babies? Are they two days old? Or is it two days since you handled them? How tame/friendly is the mum – does she appear frightened or angry when you put your hand in the hutch? Do the babies look as though they are being fed?
Sometimes a mum will abandon her babies if she feels frightened by something, and occasionally if you handle them. But it may be that you are expecting your rabbit mum to be like a dog or cat mum, and be constantly nursing her babies? Rabbit mums don’t pay much attention to their babies, they feed them 2 to 4 times a day, and usually when there is no-one around. If you sneak a look at the babies, do their tummies look round and full? If so, then the mum is feeding them.
Let us know how you, and they, are doing, and feel free to ask any questions you want to 🙂
February 8, 2013 at 7:52 am
Thanks
February 16, 2013 at 6:41 pm
How soon after having babies can a female become pregnant again?
February 18, 2013 at 6:46 am
female rabbits usually come back into season, and will breed, within a day or two of giving birth.
March 2, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I have five baby bunnies they all have opened there eyes. There is on that has only opened one of its eyes they are about a week or two old. Should I take the one that hasn’t opened both eyes to the vet or should I just wait for a few more days?
April 24, 2013 at 6:34 am
I would wait a few more days – they all develop at slightly different rates – if it still hasn’t opened them in a few days then take him to the vet to be looked at
March 3, 2013 at 9:38 pm
how long should a rabbit drink milk?
April 24, 2013 at 6:33 am
Baby rabbits should stay with their mums until 6-8 weeks old. I have to be completely honest and say that I am not sure exactly how long they drink milk for of that time. Some people separate them at 5 weeks with no obvious ill effect so I would guess at about 5 weeks?
March 12, 2013 at 3:21 am
my rabbits are 11days old how long can they stay in the same caige before we will have breeding rabbits? Went to get dad desexed was told $280 dollars is this normal fee??
April 24, 2013 at 6:31 am
I’m not sure what the price would be in the US Here where I am, I was just quoted £80 to have a male cat neutered so $280 does sound expensive, but it may be right for your area. The babies should stay with their mum until they are 6-8 weeks old. They can stay a little longer than that without re-breeding but they ARE able to breed very young so you need to be careful how long you leave them
March 14, 2013 at 1:41 am
if you pick the babies up will the mother get mad and try to protect them?
April 24, 2013 at 6:29 am
That really depends on the individual rabbit and how much she trusts you. If she trusts you well and you are careful she will let you pick them up. If she is scared she will attack you in order to protect them
March 18, 2013 at 7:15 pm
hello i need some advice, i thought my rabbit was due to have her babies so i moved her in to the hutch. The reason for me moving her is because she had some before but i think they have died. but when i saw the whole this time i dug it up and i saw some cute little bunnies, so i transferred them to the hutch with there mother i did put some hay, food and water in the hutch and i placed the straw and the fur from the hole into the hutch have i done the right thing cause worried if the mother may reject the kits and if they will survive
April 24, 2013 at 6:25 am
Did she look after them properly?
March 24, 2013 at 12:22 pm
hi! my doe gave birth to two bunnies last feb 9 and we are now seeing differences among them. the pure white one is bigger in size but still does not walk or hop and looks like a tortoise when he moves around. we are getting worried because the other one with brown spots which is smaller hops and walks fine. they are not weaned yet from my doe and starting to show interest with the fresh hay i put in the cage. there is a lack of small animal vet in our place (Legazpi City, Phils) and we are thinking that the white bunny might die soon. any thoughts on this?
April 24, 2013 at 6:24 am
Hi – sorry to hav enot got to this sooner – did the baby survive? It sounds as though it had some sort of weakness or deformity and wasn’t developing properly? If you come back and read this, please let us know how you got on
March 25, 2013 at 12:03 pm
the female just died and she had 7 babies.I now that i must feed them with goat milk or krm. my question is that the milk shoul be boiled or not?
March 31, 2013 at 2:51 pm
i just found out that my male rabbit was a female as i when to clean it out and found 4 dead new born babys can any one help me to let me know what could of happend i took the male out do you think the make has killed them her belly still feels big and it looks like she wasnts to nest again
April 2, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Our female rabbit has had 4 babies (about 10 days ago) and we have taken the male rabbit to be neutered. He has to be kept away from the female for 2 weeks but I don’t know if it will be safe to put him back in with the babies?
April 24, 2013 at 6:20 am
He should be ok to go back in, but to be sure I would keep him out until the babies are a little bigger and able to move around easily. Then re-introduce him slowly. Maybe put them all in a run together (neutral territory) a few times first. Then if they all seem to be happy try them in the hutch together. The biggest problem would probably be the mother treating him as a stranger and attacking him – from personal experience he is “unlikely” to harm the babies. But if mum doesn’t recognise him and attacks him it can be quite nasty – you’d be amazed how fierce a cuddly female rabbit can be 🙂 Hopefully she will recognise him and all will be well
April 4, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Hi, my rabbit is having babies but this is a new experience for me as I have never had Rabbits before, once she has had the babies can they stay out side in the hutch with mummy and daddy ?
April 24, 2013 at 6:16 am
Ideally the mummy and daddy rabbit should be separated or you will have lots more baby rabbits. But the mum will make a nest in the hutch for them and they will be quite alright in there.
April 6, 2013 at 12:58 pm
hello again!! I had written about a month or so ago and had hoped to have babies born. At that time both our females made nests but neither ended up having any. I knew one was just reacting to have been around a male but the other was a successful breed. I believe she miscarried her first litter. Now, we are on the second chance to breed her and she is on day 31. I can feel the little babies fluttering in her belly but she has not made a nest or pulled fur out. I have her alone in a quiet place but nothing is happening. I’m really nervous. It is Saturday. I plan on taking her to the vet on Monday if nothing has happened. I’m certain of the dates as I marked it down in the calendar to be sure. Any advice?? I will update if anything happens. Thanks!!
April 24, 2013 at 6:14 am
Sorry, I missed this (have been having a break while I decided on the future direction of the blog 🙂 ). Did she have her babies? All well?
April 26, 2013 at 4:40 pm
Hello!! yes! She did have her babies!!! The very next day, Sunday, April 7th! I heard her rustling around 4am and checked on here and she had a “haystache”. I left her alone and heard more rustling. When I awoke at 7am…her nest was done and in it were 5 little babies! I found a sixth one an hour or so later in another pile of fur on the other side of the box. So, we have 6 furry babies that the Lord has blessed! They are now 3 wks old and oh so cute! Eyes are open, they are hopping all around and nibbling on grass here or there. I’m not sure she is nursing them as well as before but so far they all seem happy. I’m giving her some sunflower seeds to help with milk and bits of broccoli as well. Nothing much as I know these aren’t typical for their diet. About a tablespoon a day of each. Anything else you might recommend? When will they eat on their own? I know it probably about another 3 weeks from that…I’m such a worrier!! I think I’ve been like a second mom hovering over them. I am trying to leave her and them alone so they don’t freak out…that is not good if mom gets stressed she will lose her milk production too. I’d post a pic but don’t know how!
April 26, 2013 at 4:45 pm
That all sounds great 🙂 So glad for you that they were all born happily and well 🙂
They should start to nibble on bits of hay, grass etc now and then will soon start to eat from the bowl with mum 🙂
If you’d like me post a picture of them, email it to me on islandsmallholder@gmail.com and I will post it for you
April 9, 2013 at 5:16 pm
I have baby rabbits 4 weeks old and I think the mother is pregnant again, so if she is what do I do? Will she need her own space so another cage and do the recent babies still need her to survive?
April 24, 2013 at 6:12 am
If the babies are 4 weeks then possibly by the time she has the babies they will be old enough to be separated. They “can” be left in the cage with mum if there is enough space. If you do this you will need to watch carefully to make sure that they aren’t trampling the nest or stealing mum’s milk. My personal feeling on this is that, in the wild, they would all be in the same burrow and both they and the mother rabbit must have the instincts to work it out. Some people prefer to separate them and take the chance on the older babies not being old enough to leave mum yet.
April 10, 2013 at 12:34 pm
My husband and I found a bunny nest by accident while taking the yard for spring clean up. He accidentally uncovered the nest and one baby bunny ran out and hid under the wood pile about 5 feet away meanwhile their is still one or even two still on the nest under the tree I covered the nest back up quickly. I couldn’t get to the one who ran out. When o went back to c if the mom had been back it didn’t look like any thing had moved I’m nervous the mom had abandoned them or worse I was able to get a glance at the runner he looked very small and skinny. Also, I have dogs and I’m nervous she might find the nest what should I do? So far the dogs have not found them . Should I look at the baby’s in the nest because i didn’t even look to c the others because I covered them back very quickly. O don’t want them to die. Also should I try to recover the runner under the wood pallets? Please help!
April 24, 2013 at 6:09 am
I am guessing that if you found the nest above ground, that maybe these are US wild rabbits we are talking about – European bunnies usually nest underground in burrows?
If so, then I am afraid I don’t know the answer as US wild rabbits are different and develop differently?
Good luck with them
April 15, 2013 at 1:31 am
I have a kit that the nest was ran over with a lawn mower. She is the only one that survived with no injuries and is less than a week old. Well, she hasn’t been pooping, I tried moist cotton balls, she hates it. I am afraid that she will die if I can not get her to 😦
April 24, 2013 at 6:02 am
Did she survive?
April 16, 2013 at 9:06 am
My rabbit had 8 babies today and she has not feed them
April 24, 2013 at 6:02 am
You very often won’t see the mother rabbit feeding the babies – they only feed them from 2 – 4 times per day and usually when no-one is around.
April 20, 2013 at 7:36 pm
I have wild baby rabbits in my raised flower bed . Should I remove them? Will they eat my plants?
April 24, 2013 at 6:00 am
They may well eat your plants – although if mum hasn’t already eaten the plants it may be that you have something planted that she isn’t too keen on?
April 22, 2013 at 11:58 pm
Our rabbit just had her first litter about 3 weeks ago. The bunnies appear healthy and thriving. My concern is the mom doesn’t seem to be producing milk anymore. Do her teats normally stay full or only at feeding time? I don’t know if I should start bottle feeding them.
April 24, 2013 at 5:51 am
Rabbits don’t usually seem to have particularly “full” teats, just a little large than usual? The best way to see if the babies are getting enough food is to look at their tummies and see if they look rounded and fed. If they look a hollow then they are not getting enough to eat. But if they look rounded and full then they are fine. She may be producing less milk now as they babies will be starting to eat real food and so use a little less milk.
April 23, 2013 at 8:13 pm
hi,my 2 ‘boy’ bunnies had babies?!!i have separated the daddy one.we were in the process of building a big hutch for our 2 rabbits.will i be able to put the mum,dad and babies,
when they are a bit older, all together?
April 24, 2013 at 5:58 am
They can live together only in certain circumstances.
All the males will need to be castrated! If you don’t do this you will a) end up with literally hundreds of baby rabbits before you know it. b) have endless fights. Males kept together will fight each other, and you would be amazed at just how nasty your lovely cuddly pet bunny can be when he’s fighting. We tried to keep males together for a while and one bullied the others terrible and we ended up separating them after all.
The other condition is space and interest. If you have a number of rabbits in a hutch, they must have enough room to get away from each other if they want to, and also things to do to occupy their minds – tunnels made from pipes are always good, also different levels in the hutch so they can jump up onto shelves etc.
You will probably find it easier if you keep the male where he can still see the other rabbits until you re-introduce them all or they may fight when you put them in together.
Good luck with your bunnies
April 24, 2013 at 7:43 pm
thanku!we have had the boy castrated already.good idea about the tunnels.we will put that in our design for their new home!we still havent seen the babies but the nest is still moving every now and then!
April 25, 2013 at 11:29 am
Ours love racing through the tunnels 🙂
Any boy babies you are keeping will need to be castrated as soon as they are big enough as well, as they are early breeders 🙂
April 25, 2013 at 8:44 am
Hello everyone…A stray cat has been coming to my apartment and tonight it came in with a newborn wild rabbit in it’s mouth. Baby has fur but eyes are not open, probably less than a week old. It will be near impossible to find the nest and mother. Guess all I can do is keep it warm.
April 25, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Hi – aren’t cats such wonderful creatures. Well done for rescuing the baby. Yes keep him warm and feed him.
Below is a link for hand-rearing baby rabbits and there are instructions for making up a good milk mix for them.
http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html
Keep us posted on how he does 🙂
April 25, 2013 at 4:36 pm
My baby rabbits are 2 weeks old and haven’t opened their eyes yet. We have 7.
April 26, 2013 at 5:40 am
Aw – 7 is a nice size litter. I wouldn’t worry TOO much about them not opening their eyes yet – they are a little late, but some develop slower than others. Give them a couple more days and they should all catch up 🙂 Good luck – keep us posted
April 27, 2013 at 2:17 pm
If a cat attacks a rabbit nest and kills one baby rabbit will the mother move the nest that is what has happened in the neighbors yard yard thanks
May 9, 2013 at 5:13 am
Really not sure about this one. Are we talking about American wild rabbits or European wild rabbits? They are very different animals in their habits.
April 30, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Hi when i was raking leaves i came across a hole with baby rabbits cotton on top of it…the man was gonna mow the grass and i said not to.its a small hole..the babys eyes are open an i seen the mom ther this am.i gave a carrot near the opening.my ? Is when wil they leave the hole so the grass can be cut. I dont want to disturb ther den..i am animal lover.
May 9, 2013 at 5:14 am
Again, I am guessing that these are US rabbits as European rabbits usually have their babies underground?
May 2, 2013 at 12:40 am
Could someone help me? I have a just bought two new rabbits and i have found out that the female is 19 days pregnant. I have been doing a lot of research but there is one question that i still need answered. The male (Snowball) is desexed and has lived with Flopsey (the female) all his life. Everyone says that i should seperate them which i have done, but Snowball is fretting. He is definately desexed (it was another male that got her pregnant) so is there any reason why they can’t stay together? Flopsey is not very worried it is only Snow. Usually they are rather timmid, but he didn’t even move when i touched him this morning. He hasn’t even touched his food yet. Could someone please help me soon as i am getting rather worried? Thanks
May 9, 2013 at 5:18 am
This is very much a personal choice and will depend in part on how much space you have. I “have” left male and female together to breed and had no problems, but I usually prefer to separate them just to be safe. In the wild, they would all share the same burrow BUT they do have plenty of space to get away from each other. Could you maybe have a run on some grass when Flopsey and Snow could spend some time together each day but separate them again afterwards? This would also make it easier to put them back together when the babies are bigger as Flopsey won’t have forgotten all about him. Also maybe put his hutch where he can still see her and the babies?
Good luck – let us know how they get on
May 9, 2013 at 11:53 pm
Hi there, i was wrong about Snow being merley fretting. I put him into a bit smaller hutch right alongside Flopsey, but he was looking so downcast there. We went to a funeral that afternoon so i decided that i would put him back in with Flopsey incase he got too worried while i was away. When i came back he was even worse and he hadn’t even moved from where i had put him. This made me really worried and so i quickley got him out and thoroughly cleaned the place where he had been. We took him inside then, and put him into a box where he would be warm (it was quite a cold night.) He started getting rather active then and i was convinced he would be alright, but he died soon after. Flopsey does not seem too worried about him, i guess she’s thinking about her own comming litter and enjoying the peace while she has it. I am still a bit shaken by it and am continuously checking over my other rabbits to make sure that they are okay. When Snow died he had such a peacful look on his face, as i mentioned before, i was still getting to know them and they were quite timmid. I think it was probably the most friendly and contented look that he ever had on his face when i was with him. Peeping through our window at them, they had always seemed so happy together, but he seemed very happy to be close to me when he died. Flopsey is getting friendlier every day. When i let her out today while i cleaned her hutch she ran behind it against the wall. This is one of her favortite places and she immeadiatly lay down there,on her side, as if to supervise me. She gives me endless pleasure, and if it wasn’t for her i don’t think i could have put up with Snows death how i did. It is now only several days before she has her babies and i can’t wait. Oh, i have 2 more questions, how will i tell if some of the litter is alive or dead? Do they wriggle all the time, or cheep at you? I know that i have to take the dead ones out, but how do i tell. And if one looks very much like it is dead, how can i be sure? And then, do they use their nest for a litter box? If so, how soon should i clean it, because i have been told that it is very importnant to keep the nest clean. Thanks for all the help
May 11, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Hello! I am not a seasoned rabbit breeder by any means as we just aquired rabbits this past fall and only have bread one. Our littler was born April 7 this year. Upon their birth, I didn’t handle them right away except for one who was born in a seperate nest and I wanted them all together so he/she wouldn’t be fogotten or cold. I just quickly picked him up and moved him in with the others. First thing I did was to wash my hands and then rub them into the fur in the nest so I’d have the mommy’s scent all over my hands. Momma didn’t mind as she was resting. The mother is not super friendly AT ALL and does not like to be handled, bothered or what have you. I wasn’t sure what kind of mother she would be. Turns out that she is an exceptional mommy. As for the clean part of the nest, for the first two weeks the nest was kept clean and well formed by mommy. No poops were in or around it. She used the other area of their enclosure for her potty and those babies were kept squeaky clean right from the beginning. So clean, you’d never know that a messy birth had ever happened! So, trust the mommy to do her part and don’t interfere unless you have to. If you have to make it quick, clean (wash your hands) and maybe offer mommy a treat to distract her during this time. Once the babies get bigger, they will start to move out of her nest and it will get flattened more to being just an area. It is really tempting to fuss over them and want to hold them, I mean, we’re talking cuteness overload here! BUT resist this urge and take it slow! 🙂 Hoping the best for you and your bunnies!!
May 12, 2013 at 6:32 am
Thanks, I’ll let you know how i get on
May 13, 2013 at 5:07 am
Keep us posted on their progress 🙂
May 13, 2013 at 5:07 am
Thank you for catching this 🙂 Good answer.
May 13, 2013 at 5:23 am
Hi
Really sorry to hear you lost Snow – the trouble with rabbits is that they are expert at hiding the fact that they are ill. By the time they look ill they really are poorly. In the wild, sitting around looking ill would just make them lunch for the first passing dog/cat/fox 😦 so they hide it.
Flopsey sounds as though she has adjusted well and I am sure will soon be a complete pet.
Regarding dead babies – when mum has her litter, she will put a fur “lid” on the nest so that the babies are completely covered and warm. Very gently pull back a little of the hair and place a finger into the nest. The babies will wriggle and squirm. If a baby doesn’t react to your finger take it out. If it is dead it will be obvious – no movement, no reaction, and will usually be cold. This always surprises me as you would think they would stay warm in the nest with the others, but they go cold very quickly. Don’t worry – you WILL know if they are dead.
Replace the lid of the nest after you have checked them.
ALL the time you are doing this, keep watching mum very carefully. If she seems nervous or worried, then don’t touch the nest – she will deal with the dead babies if she has to. At any point, if she seems concerned, stop there. It may be that she will let you take the babies out and handle them. But it may be that she won’t even let you touch the nest. Be guided by her.
Good luck, enjoy your new babies 🙂
May 13, 2013 at 10:30 am
Hi there, she had babies this afternoon while i was away. I noticed some fur in the bottom of her cage when i walked past, and i decided i would check and see if she had lined her nest. She seemed fine with me opening the door, in fact, she looked proud of herself. I did get i suprise when i peeked into the nest and saw four wriggling babies near the edge. all of the fur was further back into the nest and it was getting quite cold outside. i warmed up my hands and rubbed them with hay and a piece of fur from around the nest and then carefully tried to put them into the furry part. I felt at least one more baby in there, so there must be five – or more. i tried to put some more fur over the top of them, but the nest box is kind of around a corner and i couldn’t really see what i was doing. I glanced back down at Flopsey here, and she just gave me such a look! It was like she was telling me to be careful with her babies and then looking at me as if to say “Their so beautiful, aren’t they.” i agreed with her but then she came up to check that i was doing everything right, and so i left her be. i don’t know if i managed to cover them back up properly, but i assume she fixed everything to her liking after i had gone. This is her first litter, and i think she has done really well considering the many times i’ve been told of all the problems that can go wrong. Thanks for all the helpful advice your giving me! Its very much appreciated!
May 21, 2013 at 5:39 am
It certainly sounds as though she trusts you – just keep watching her. It sounds as though she has all the instincts she needs and will be fine 🙂
May 2, 2013 at 4:49 pm
can i place females together in one hutch and males in another? i heard if i place the males together they fight
May 9, 2013 at 5:21 am
Males in a hutch together WILL fight even if brought up together. I have to confess that I tried this, and it is not pretty – they bully each other incessantly and the bullied one will end up with scabs everywhere and losing weight from being chased around the hutch all the time. It is surprising how nasty they can be to each other
May 9, 2013 at 11:27 am
How crazy are these cute creatures i will have to make a few cages for all the males then. thank you
May 6, 2013 at 11:34 pm
When is it safe to hold baby bunnies?
May 9, 2013 at 5:25 am
Hi
This really depends on you and the mother rabbit. IF she trusts you and is comfortable with you then you can start to hold them for a few seconds pretty much immediately. Watch her carefully and look into her nest – she will tell you if she isn’t happy by becoming nervy and aggressive. If she seems OK, then you can lift a baby out of the nest to look at it but put it pretty much straight back. The nest time watch her carefully and if she is still OK, you can hold it for a little longer. Watch her all the time and if she shows any signs of not being happy, don’t take the baby out. If this happens and she won’t let you touch them, then I would say at around 3 weeks old when they really start exploring their hutch would be a good time to start.
Enjoy your babies
May 10, 2013 at 7:52 am
What should i do to feed and take care of two baby rabbits. Thier eyes are still closed but they seem quite strong. I gave them cows milk one lapped at it. The mother was taken by a fox.
May 13, 2013 at 5:06 am
Hi
This site has fantastic advice about hand-rearing kits http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html well done for rescuing them – keep us posted on how they do 🙂
May 13, 2013 at 11:18 am
Hi there, it has started to rain here, and mum is worried that the babies will get cold. I probably didn’t do a very good job of covering them back up properly, do you think that Flopsey would have fixed it all nicely? Mum is getting me more worried by the minute. thanks
May 13, 2013 at 5:58 pm
hello Estina! I can totally relate to your worries!! I am a hovering, overly worried co-momma to our babies! 🙂 Trust me, I can totally relate! Ok, so your question is about warmth right? Well, firstly, if there is a lot of fur in there then they should be ok. You will need to check twice a day (morning and evening) to make sure all the babies are alive. Dead babies will be still, stiff and VERY cold. They must be removed immediately. Ours all lived (praise Jesus!) and I did not have to do that but I still checked on them (more like 3-4 times per day, even just peeking in!). If it is going to be very cold where you are, like down into the low 40’s or lower, then maybe you might want to consider bringing them inside. I had ours inside from the beginning. I used a large Rubbermaid container (one with high walls) and place a window screen over the top and a basket on top of that to keep mom from jumping out! 🙂 This is where she had her kits. They stayed in there for the first few weeks and honestly could stay in there longer but I bougt a small cage so the little ones could get used to it before they are homed to their new families.
A few thoughts for you. Mom’s are really good at taking care of their babies but they do not nest with them so you do need to make sure they are surrounded by fur to keep warm. also, look through your hay in her area to make sure you have all the babies. They need eachother to keep warm. This is why you need to check on them because they do wriggle….A LOT….especially in the days ahead and I had atleast two who kept wriggling out of the next area by end of the first week. Silly rabbits! I just picked them up and put them back. No big deal. You’d be surprised that just this simple making sure they are all together and have lots of fur will keep them quite cozy. My sister in law (the original owner of our now proud momma) said that she (the momma bunny) was born in February during a blizzard (we get seriously cold and snow here) and they all survived just fine. That being said, I wasn’t taking any chances and brought mine in. I don’t know what region you live in in the world but if the overnight/day temps are over 50, chances are you have not much to worry about except to make sure their nest is fur-filled.
You can give mommy a small bit of broccoli (only what can fit in a tablespoon) for calcium or some small bits of fresh spinach leaves as they have calcium in them too but be careful not to overdo it as it can be too sweet for them (yes, it is like sugar to them!)….plain sunflower seeds are good too in the same amount (1 tbs). Make sure they are not salted, roasted or anything else. You can use the ones for birdseed if they aren’t treated. This can help with milk production. Again, think very small doses and I don’t give them at the same time. Once per day only!! I also would stagger it by doing one on one day then the other next day. I may be a bit conservative but it hasn’t let me down yet! 🙂
I do hope your babies do well for you. Don’t forget the most important part…prayer!!! I have prayed over my kits since before they were born and they are all happy, healthy and alive. God has a plan for these little ones too, He loves his creation and He loves you! 🙂
May 13, 2013 at 11:49 pm
Hi there, thanks for helping me out, its made me feel a lot better. i live in the Adelaide Hills in Australia, so its nothing as cold as snow! It rains all winter here, so it is still quite cold. Right now, it has just started to rain (again) and it is cold enough to double up in the cooler coats. I have always been considered half mad in my family because i like cold cold days. I love to run bare foot in a frost – till my toes decide that they aren’t going to put up with anymore, so i only need one bigger coat at presant. The thermometer sayes it is 13 degrees celcias here, so they should be okay. The nest, at the back, is filled with fur. One little one wriggled out to the front during the night or early morning, and i found him dead when i checked. he was bt himself and there was no fur around him, so i geuss he froze. He was very cold and didn’t move at all so i got rid of him, though i still feel like a muderer. By the way, your last paragraph was very heartwarming, i am a strong Bible believer, and prayer does help! Thanks
May 21, 2013 at 5:46 am
Adelaide sounds lovely 🙂
Don’t feel like a murderer – rabbits have large litters because the weakest do die. It sounds very hard and as owners we spend all our time trying to save them all, but that is nature’s way. You will always lose some 😦
Focus on enjoying the strong healthy ones you have left.
May 21, 2013 at 5:43 am
Thank you – I love the advice about feeding for extra milk 🙂
May 21, 2013 at 5:43 am
If it’s just rain and the babies aren’t getting wet then I wouldn’t worry too much. If it’s a cold wind blowing into the hutch then I would move them
May 15, 2013 at 12:40 am
Hi there, i can’t see my babies in the nest, so i don’t know how many tthere are. Is it a good idea to count them? If so, how should i go about doing it? Thanks
May 15, 2013 at 1:36 pm
It sounds to me like you may need to move the nest or find a way to be able to access it. It is essential to be able to know exactly how many kits are there and how they are doing. Could you move them into a different enclosure or bring them inside for a week or two? This might help you feel more at ease and be able to help watch over them until their fur comes in and eyes open up. I did it this way for exactly the reason you mentioned. If one wriggled, I didn’t want him to be able to go very far. It also allowed me to make the nest deeper so they couldn’t wriggle out as well. I could easily check on them and momma. Just get a large box or container, layer it with hay or you can use the bedding they sell at stores (I used hay). You can even use the hay that is currently in the hutch your bunnies are in. Just pick it up. Then when the bucket is ready, reach in, get the fur and the babies and gently place then in the new area. Bring momma in or you can put her in first. Just make sure she can’t get out. I’m not sure what you have currently for an enclosure but it doesn’t sound ideal for babies and keeping an eye on them or for them to be able to stay in properly.
I’m so sorry for your little one. Don’t blame yourself. If he had been in the wild, he probably wouldn’t have made it either as most kits don’t. That is why rabbits can breed so quickly and so often and have larger litters as a result. As prey, they have to be able to keep their numbers up.
Very happy to know that you are a Sister in Christ! How Wonderful!! All the way on the other side of the world! I will pray for you today and your little kits that they will survive from here on out. Also, if I were your mother I’d make you put shoes on!! LOL!!! I have 3 boys and they can totally relate to your adventures….they go into our ocean in April which is still quite chilly here (temps usually only up to 40 or 50F at best for air temps so Atlantic is VERY cold—then again, it is still cold in August! LOL!!) They don’t go all the way in but are in it up to their thighs! Silly boys….oh to be that young again! 🙂
May 16, 2013 at 10:58 pm
hi there, I would happily bring them inside, but i don’t think mum is too keen on it. The nest is inside a common nestbox, which is inside the sheltered area of the hutch. i can open the door and reach into the nestbox and feel them there, but i can’t see them. i think there are five if them. I put my hand into the nest and counted them yesterday, but Flopsey came up and took over before i was finished. They started wriggling madly when i started too, so i may of gotten mixed up when counting them. Do you think that it would be a good idea to move the nestbox closer to the door? The door itself is not very wide, and i can’t fit my head and arm in at the same time. I’m not really sure what to do. Flopsey would probably let me pick them out of the nest to have a look at htem, but us that a wise idea? Thanks for the help 🙂
May 17, 2013 at 1:19 pm
Well, if you can do it safely, you can move it for sure. You can even take it out, look them over and put them back after. I cannot say you’ll have any issues with momma but I do believe the whole idea of mothers rejecting their babies after someone handles them is a bunch of bunk. I think if mothers stop feeding their babies after it is due to a lack of milk or just being bad mommies. If they kill their young after it is usually because something else frightened them, especially in the case of your bun as she is used to you and is a pet. She obviously hasn’t minded you thus far so I am thinking that if you don’t take too much time in there rearranging things and don’t do it too often and reassure her and give her a treat while you are working, you should be fine. I cannot make any promises but many breeders have said the same thing, that the whole killing of babies and so forth exept in the case of maybe wild rabbits and even then it doesn’t happen but rarely, is just that, rare.
I hope you are able to sort it out for your own peace of mind. Even a place in a garage in a bin could be helpful. In the meantime, it sounds like things are going really well. If they are wiggling vibrantly, as it sounds they are, then it would seem they are doing well. You just need to be able to see them in the mornings to know they’ve been nursed properly. They have nice big round tummies when you look them over and I do recommend you looking them over atleast once per day.
May 18, 2013 at 3:12 am
Hi, i took one of the babies out today, its grey and white like his/her mother. It was well fed and warm, and it was a lot bigger than the last time i saw one of the kits. They were feeling rather big when i felt them yesterday. I’ll check them all today, and make sure they are doing that well.
May 21, 2013 at 5:54 am
Lovely news 🙂 Mum is obviously doing a great job 🙂
May 21, 2013 at 5:54 am
I would leave them where they are – they sound as though they should be fine. For now, just focus on sliding your hand into the nest each day and making sure that they are all wriggling and warm. You WILL feel if there is a dead one as it will be cold.
You will be able to count them soon enough 🙂
May 21, 2013 at 5:48 am
It is a good idea to know how many babies you have – just gently pull back the fur and you should be able to count them – you may need to lift a couple out to be able to see under them 🙂
May 26, 2013 at 2:39 am
Hello, all of my babies have there eyes open now excepting one. What do i do? It has one eye open, but the other one is still closed. I have heard that they can go blind within days if they are not opened, is this true? It has a little bit of gooey yellowy stuff along the eye line. Does this mean that it has to be opened very soon? Could someone please help me, as i’m getting very worried about him/her. Please Help soon
Oh, if i do have to open the eye, could you please tell me how, as i don’t know what to do? thanks – in advance
May 26, 2013 at 6:51 am
Hi
When did the others open their eyes?
I have never heard that about them going blind – sometimes they just open their eyes a little more slowly than others. However, it may be that the gooey stuff you describe is holding the eyelid closed. Get some cotton wool and some clean water and very gently sponge over the eye, all you are trying to do is soften any goo that may be sticking the eyelids together. Do NOT try to open the eye at all, just sponge the area well.
I am sure your baby will be fine – let us know how you do 🙂
May 26, 2013 at 7:26 am
Hi, the rest of the babies opened their eyes on Friday. This one has the left eye open, but the right eye is still closed. tomorrow they will be two weeks old, so i’m probably just worrying too much. We put some cod liver oil on the eye and it has cleaned up all the the gooey stuff that i can see. I have just finished putting some more on now. Apart from that, the baby is happily crawling about with the rest. Now that they have their eyes open, they come out of the nestbox when they are fed. Somtimes i find them down the bottom of the cage. Either they have rolled down, or they have followed Flopsey down. They probably just followed her down, when thay see her they start crawling toward her as fast as they can. They were all out of the nest box yesterday when i checked on them, and Flopsey (as usual) came up to check what i was doing. They all crawled straight over and started drinking. it was so funny to watch, one was upside down, in had his/her back feet poking out between Flopsey’s front ones. i am really enjoying them, and i just hope the other one opens his eye soon! Thanks for replying so fast, i was very worried.
May 15, 2013 at 3:35 pm
a baby rabbit was brought to me, because it was about to be eaten by a hawk, it is about the size of my palm. does it still need milk, and what should i feed it before trying to release it again. problem is it was grabbed by someone at this pantry, because the mother was dead, and it was roaming around, so my mom took it, and figured maybe i could help, since i have done things like that in the past. just hoping he/she doesnt die and i can let it go soon enough
May 21, 2013 at 5:51 am
Well done for rescuing it – There is great advice on this link for hand-rearing baby rabbits. http://rabbittalk.com/tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html
Let us know how you get on
May 16, 2013 at 1:02 am
Can someone tell me how old my bunny is?
May 21, 2013 at 5:52 am
It is unlikely that we would be able to age your rabbit – is it young or an adult?
May 18, 2013 at 11:09 am
Hi, i took out all of the babies this afternoon. There are six of them, and they were all looking fat and full. You mentioned earlier that sunflower seeds are good for milk production. Are the ones from bird seed okay to use? Thanks
May 19, 2013 at 10:40 pm
Congratulations on your chubby little babies! they are just so great aren’t they? *sigh* Anyway, yes, the ones from birdseed are perfect. The best ones though are the ones that aren’t striped. The striped ones have a thicker hull and can be hard for the mommies to digest. The plain black ones are the ones you would want her to have. AND only a tablespoon of seed per day. I bought plain unsalted, unroasted boring, non-anything seeds without hulls and gave my doe 1 tbs. every other day. If your babies are looking nice and fat, you may want to wait before you give these to the mom. It seems that if they are fat, then she is making enough milk for them on her own and may not need any supplement. I only supplemented my doe with seeds because some of the babies were getting thin and so it helped with that. Keep checking them every morning and if they have nice round full tummies, I’d advise not giving the seed. You can give her the same amount in broccoli per day to give her some calcium as that is really good for a nursing mom.
Hope this helps!! 🙂
May 21, 2013 at 5:54 am
Six is a good sized litter – well done mum
May 18, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Hi, I have a baby bunny and does it have to eat it’s mom’s poop? also if it alright if i give it olive oil to get it to poop? it wont poop and idk what to do to help it!
May 21, 2013 at 5:55 am
How old is your baby bunny?
May 23, 2013 at 12:02 am
my rabbit had babies that will be 8 weeks on May 27. She is of course pregnant again and is due within the next few days. do I have to remove the other young rabbits for her to give birth to the new litter?
May 26, 2013 at 6:55 am
At 8 weeks old the babies are big enough to remove and have hutches of their own. Remember to separate the males and females into their own hutches as well. In theory the old babies won’t hurt the new ones – the biggest danger is that a) they will soon get very overcrowded and b)the males will soon be coming to an age where they will breed with their mother which you really don’t want.
Good luck
May 27, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Hi there, my baby had his eye open this morning. Thanks for helping me! You’ve gotten me through a lot of things that i would have crashed in 😉
July 10, 2013 at 12:58 am
Hi,
My baby rabbits are 2 months old, and I have to wean them. Some of our friends are wanting a baby. Is it okay to wean them in a new home, or do they have to be weaned before moving to their new home. Also, I’m told that they should be weaned seperately. I only have two other cages, but i could probably devide the bigger one into sections. Thankyou for all the help you have given me so far 😉