my rabbit just gave birth....help

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xdanielle86x

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hiya....i have 3 rabbits....i thought all three were girls. i got up this morning to feed them and found baby bunnies in the hutch. have found out which one is the male and seperated him but do not know which of the other two is the mother as both have nipples showing. is it ok to leave both of the femalesin the hutch with the babies? please let me know. thanks
 
I'll PM a mod to move tis to the rabbitry section for you, you'll get more replies there..
 
If they are both getting along then I think you would be OK to leave them in together till you find out witch one is the mother, But then if one is more dominant over the actual mother then the actual mother mightn't be able to feed her babies so best to find out who is the real mother asap.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum! I see the gender fairy has visited you.;)

FYI, the other girl is likely pregnant and the mom of this litter is possibly pregnant again. They can- and do- breed again very quickly after birthing.So do make sure they are on quality alfalfa pellets in addition to hay and keep an eye on their weights. Being pregnant while nursing can be very hard on a bun.

I wouldn't leave the girls together. Rabbits are territorial critters and are especially hormonal at the "teenage" stage they're likely in. They might be friendly today and fighting tomorrow. With the babies in the mix it's just not safe to leave the girls together. You can rebond them afterwards.

Are both girls the same color? If not, which color is the fur in the nest? Also, check for bare or thin spots of fur on the chest and over the nipples where the mom would have removed fur for the nest and to make nursing easier. I'm not sure how long it takes, but when the mom's milk lets down you will feel definite "breasts."

Do put the babies in a nest box. A shoe box that they can't crawl out of but that comfortably holds the mom is good. This will keep the babies from wriggling away and getting lost and cold. Put hay or wood shavings in the bottom, then scoop up the whole nest babies and all and gently place it in the box. While you're at it, check the babies over for any problems. Sometimes there will be a stillborn bun, the mom might not eat the placenta, or she overgrooms the babies andaccidentally harmed them.

If you can, now is a great time to get the boy neutered. It takes at least a month after the surgery for his sperm to die off and he can't be around the girls at all until then. So neuter now, and he'll be safe by the time the babies are weaned.:)

 
Naturstee has give you some good advice.

I would also advice trying to find out which rabbit is the mother and separating the girls.

I second the notion that the mother is pregnant again and the other girl may very well be pregnant as well.

Also, it is very normal for mother rabbits to ignore her babies. Mother rabbits do not lie with their young like cats and dogs do, they only visit the babies for feeding time and a quick clean up. They also nurse by standing over the babies and do not lie on their side, so it may look like Momma is stepping or sitting on her babies, but she should be feeding at that time.

--Dawn
 
You have gotten some very good advice. Have you figured out who the mother is yet? Did you separate them? Be prepared for another litter, just in case. As Naturestee mentioned, the other girl could be pregnant too.

How are the babies doing?
 
I wouldn't let the fur color be a big factor on who is mom. Delusinals accidental litter the mom was stealing the other bunnies fur. :)
 

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