newborn bunnies

[ponymad]

Hi,

I have 2 rabbits, one owned for 2 years, the other i found under a car2 weeks ago. The new rabbit has had babies this morning. She waspulling her hair out a few days ago and now I can see movement in hernest. People have told me I should not touch the newborns or disturbthem until they are 10 days old or the mother will eat them! Can anyonetell me if this is true and what I should do to ensure they are healthy?

 

[Carolyn]

Welcome to the forum Ponymad, :dude:

You were given false information. The doe isn't like birds in that ifthey smell the human scent on the babies, they'll abandon them. As amatter of fact, you should check them every day, especially in themornings, to see if they all have round, fat, warm bellies. Themother's usually feed the babies at dawn and only once, tops twice, aday.

If their bellies aren't nice and round as if they swallowed a smallball, then she's not feeding them and they'll need your help. Theyshouldn't be thin and with wrinkles.

You also have to check to make sure that one hasn't passed away. If onefalls out of the nest box, it needs you to put it back in the nestboxso that the doe will feed it. If it's not in the nest, the doe won'tmove it and won't feed it.

Keep us posted.

-Carolyn

 

[trekcip5]

You have been given great info formCarolyn. You should also count how many you have and makesure there aren't any that didn't make it and remove them. Wecheck ours twice a day, hold kiss and talk to them so they are used toyour touch and scent and voice. Their eyes should open aroundtwo weeks, and by three they may start venturing out of the box andsampling mom's food, always keep her dish full. Around thistime, you may need to clean the nestbox if mom has been messing init. I get a spare box, line it with pine shavings and putsome hay in it. Then I take the kits out and put them in thenew box. I take the old box out and salvage whatever I can ofthe clean stuff, fur and hay and then dump the rest and clean out thebottom, line it again with new shavings and put all the saved materialback in, put the kits back in and then put it back in thecage. You may need to do this sooner as some does just haveto mess in the box, others never do. You can sex the kits at3-4 weeks so you know what sex you have.

When the kits are six weeks old you will need to wean them by takingthem out of mom's cage and putting them in their own cage alltogether. At 8 weeks you can give them away or sellthem. If you are keeping them or any, they can staytogether, bucks and does till about 3 months, then they need to beseparated by sex. Eventually they will each need their owncage. If you have any other questions just ask.Donna

 

[ponymad]

Thanks for your advice!

Misty has 6 babies, 2 white,3 grey and 1 browny grey, alleyes openfit and healthy and v.v. cute they were 2 weeks oldyesterday and already climbing out of nest.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Carolyn]

Awww!

Thanks for the update, Ponymad. Keep us posted on their progress.

-Carolyn

 

[DaisyNBuster]

Yay I just love baby bunnies - If you can I'd love to see pictures