Hazel moved the babies

Has anyone ever witnessed a rabbit do this before? Last night I checked on the babies, counted them for sure and then made the decision to move them to a kitty litter pan as their nest. The nest was still nicely put together but the babies would squirm to the farthest corner of the nest which, because of the way it is built is under the edge of the box. Hazel, from time to time, likes to sit on top of the box and I was afraid that one of the babies might squirm under the edge of the box and it would be seriously injured if Hazel jumped on top of the box. As well, the nest she built was super deep and two of the babies are smaller and not as active as the other three, they're a bit dehydrated etc. and keep getting pushed to the very bottom of the nest by their more active siblings. I wanted a shallower nest for them so that when she was feeding, they had a better chance of latching on to a nipple.

I moved them and all the fur from the nest into a carefresh lined, hay lined litter pan, plunked them in the exact same spot and called it a day. This morning when I got up and checked on them Hazel had torn it apart and moved (!) the babies to the middle of the cage. They were laying in a small hollowed out indent without any fur covering them, lying completely still. I freaked out and touched them and they became an immediate mass of wriggling, toasty warm meeping bunnies. So I moved them back into the litter pan and recovered them with fur. Hazel watched all of this with a mild expression of concern but all and all seemed pretty mellow about me moving them. It doesn't seem to bother her at all if I touch them, I thought she might be aggressive and defensive but she more has an attitude of "Oh hey, whatcha' doin' with those babies?".

However, I'm terribly concerned that she's going to move them again sans the fur during the day and with being at work I can't check on them. Ben is going to try and zip home during his lunch break and if she's moved them again, just cover them with fur to where ever she's moved them this time.

I feel absolutely wretched about this. If those babies die of exposure because she's moved them, it will be a direct result of my actions. But everything I had read and all the advice I was given said that bunnies don't move their babies. And the nest I created in the litter pan was in the exact same spot that the nest in the upside down box was.

Has anyone had bunnies move their babies before?

(I took more pictures last night, I'll post them in their blog with an update on how the bunnies are doing and a total number etc. as soon as I get the chance)

Rabbits don't move babies, as far as I know (although someone more experienced, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

I have had a whole nest of babies move themselves, so if that a possibility? That they all wriggled together and she then built a nest around them?

If the nest is deep, don't worry, the babies spiral up and down according the feeding, they will sort that themselves.

You could give the smaller ones extra feedings with mum if you wanted to. Are the babies looking like they have swallowed ping pong balls? If so, that means they have a full stomach and have been fed.

My late bunny Jessie moved her babies into the middle of the cage (from the second level in the nest box) and she was quite happy there, she also moved 1 towards the front of the hutch when I went in to feed her, she then moved them to under the ramp and thats where they stayed (that is, until they learnt to walk..dun dun duuuuun..

Flashy, I considered that possibility, but the litter pan is quite high so they would have had to heave themselves over the edge of it to get to the floor of the cage. And the two babies that aren't doing as well definitely don't have the ability to do that. Although the one that was quite weak last night was much more active this morning so it looks like he may have gotten a better chance at nursing with the shallower nest. As well, some of the bedding and hay that I had used has been spread about the cage, some of it is in her hay box, some of it's in other parts of the cage. It's obvious that Hazel was in there and moving things about.

I'd really like to put the two babies on mom to nurse but with Hazel being feral, it's impossible to pick her up without her freaking out and kicking and squirming. I don't have a chance of even being able to hold her over the two little ones so that they can nurse off of her. It's fine if I pet her but if I make any move to pick her up or even hold her with all of her feet on the ground, she loses it and starts kicking and squirming like a crazed rabbit.

Luv-bunniz wrote:

My late bunny Jessie moved her babies into the middle of the cage (from the second level in the nest box) and she was quite happy there, she also moved 1 towards the front of the hutch when I went in to feed her, she then moved them to under the ramp and thats where they stayed (that is, until they learnt to walk..dun dun duuuuun..

Click to expand...

Thank goodness, someone else's bunny has done the same thing! At least I'm not losing my mind....

Did Jessie move the nest as well, meaning the fur? And if she didn't, did the babies stay warm enough without it?

Could you maybe put the two in a shallow box and stand her i the box and give her treats to keep her there? Would that be something that she might tolerate? I'm shooting in the dark here though.

That's a really good idea Flashy, great minds must think alike because I tried that very thing last night. I took the bigger babies out, put some lettuce and other goodies in the corner of the nest box and encouraged her to go in. She did go in and start munching on the lettuce but she doesn't squat far enough down that the babies can latch on and start nursing. I tried gently putting my hands on her to encourage her to bend a bit more but, like I said, if I try anything other thanpetting her head and back she freaks out and takes off. Which is exactly what she did last night. Then she wouldn't come back to the cage no matter how many treats I left for her.

Elizabeth wrote:
Thank goodness, someone else's bunny has done the same thing!  At least I'm not losing my mind....

Did Jessie move the nest as well, meaning the fur?  And if she didn't, did the babies stay warm enough without it?
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She didnt move any of the fur , when I cleaned out her bed box (where the original nest was) she pulled out a little more fur and left that with them, then she would just take hay there. The babys were all fine and grew up to be big, healthy, happy bunnies

Just a thought, although I dont know whether you would be comfortable with this, put her either on the bed or on that bedsheet she was laying on, then move the fur/nest (well whats left) onto it and move the littler babys with a glove or spoon or something if you dont want to touch them and give Hazel something to keep her happy (ie. hay, fresh grass, danedlion leaves, cucumber, lettuce) and maybe that would keep her happier and more relaxed to be there. (as she certainly seems comfy on the bed in the pics lol)

Just a thought. But if she isnt feeding the babys at all, then it might be worth a shot as a last resort or if she is feeding the babys then maybe just leave her and get her used to being a mom (Jessie wasnt "too fond" of the babys for the first couple of days, but she got used to it and was a really good mom after a couple of days and would lay for hours letting the little ones feed.

That's a good idea luv-bunniz. I'm quite positive she's feeding the bunnies, they're quiet and warm and not dehydrated at all (except for the two littlest ones). I think those two just have a hard time getting something to eat because the other three are bigger and more active.

I might try that tonight when she's on the bed, give her some real yummy stuff to eat and then put the two babies right beside her, see if they'll wiggle under and nurse.

If you are worried about her moving the babies while you are not home, you could remove the babies from the cage. Take the litter box/nest out and put it in a dresser drawer or somewhere safe. Put it back in when you get home.

I know breeders will do something like that with aggressive does or when it's cold.

She should feed them once you put them back in the cage.

Or see how it goes today, and if she doesn't move them today, perhaps she's gotten over the urge to move them.

--Dawn

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread, how would a rabbit move babies, nudging them?

Dawn,

It won't bother her to have the babies disappear? I like that idea and if she keeps moving them, will probably try it. I'm just concerned that she'll forget she has babies and then not feed them.

If there is 5 (the number on your blog last night) then they should be warm enough as long as they are all together its only a real problem if there is 1 or 2 (what i usually end up with lol)

The 2 that are at the bottom have the best nest position this is the warmest part I am sure i was told it was the more dominent that takes this posistion but could be wrong. I wouldn't be to worried sometimes some are smaller anyway and they grow fine.

Hi Polly,

Yup, there's five for sure. I ran home at lunch and checked on them and she hadn't moved them and they were all still warm and bouncing about when I moved the fur aside. She may move them again during the night, but I'm hoping she doesn't! Even the two smallest ones seem to have a bit more energy (at least the one does for sure anyway) so hopefully that means they're nursing better.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it!

It shouldn't bother her. I know many breeders who have done that.

The mothers normal response to the babies coming back is to hope in the nest box and feed them.

I would only start taking them away if she keeps trying to move them. It's probably best for them to stay in the cage with her, but it's a good back up plan.

I have seen baby bunnies fight for the bottom position. One will join the sibling pile and squirm it's way to the bottom. The bottom is the warmest and safest spot.

It is not uncommon to lose a baby or two in the first five days or so. Sometimes they look fine but there is something internally wrong with them or they can't suckle properly. It's a sad thing to have happen, but it's not uncommon to lose one or two from a litter.

--Dawn

Does do not move their kits. She may have moved the nest and knocked

them out of the box. They would follow the scent of their nest and regroup.

Roger