Newborn Babies
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Since your rabbit is indoors, I would just leave the nest as it is. Even if a baby crawls out, it's warm enough inside that it should be fine, plus you probably are checking on them frequently. You really don't need to worry about handling the babies, especially if mom is comfortable with you. If she seems a little anxious about it, you can just distract her with her veggies while you are checking on them. I handled my babies all of the time when they were born. I did make sure to wash my hands before, and you do want to be careful when holding them, as they are VERY squirmy and can just pop right out of your hand. But checking on them at least once or twice a day is important, to make sure everyone is getting fed and doing well. There's really no worries about touching them or holding them(besides making sure you have a good hold on the kit). Plus you don't want to miss out on baby bunny snuggles. That's the best part 
Your bun is obviously a good momma bun. She's feeding them and taking care of them, so everything should be just fine.
Your bun is obviously a good momma bun. She's feeding them and taking care of them, so everything should be just fine.
Thank you for your reply. I am checking on Mum and her babies 3 times per day at the moment, I check on them in the morning first thing, afternoon and then before I go to bed. Mum is going through a lot of food and water at the minute! That's what I did, she was anxious when we went to look in the nest, she started stamping her feet but I stroked her and then gave her kale.. and she calmed down pretty soon after that. We washed our hands before we checked on the babies. I am not going to handle them yet as they are all cosey and cuddly in their nest and don't want to disturb them plus Mum was really anxious when we checked them and id hate to upset her further. I will continue to check they are well but won't start handling them till at the very least 10 days old. They really are so gorgeous though and it was lovely to see them. Very proud of my Mummy rabbit!
Thank you. I hope so! She does seem to be doing a really good job and i am very proud of her
I don't have pictures of babies yet but thought id attach a photograph of Mummy bun!
Thank you. I hope so! She does seem to be doing a really good job and i am very proud of her
I don't have pictures of babies yet but thought id attach a photograph of Mummy bun!
whiskylollipop
Laura the Bunsnuggler
Oh, she's just the cutiest thing! Can't wait to see the bubs. Give mum all the food she wants while she's nursing, she'll need it.
Give mum all the food she wants while she's nursing, she'll need it.
Crystalkate
Well-Known Member
Omg she's so cute!!!
OakRidgeRabbits
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry I got your PM a little bit late this evening. It looks like most of your questions have been answered. A few things I wanted to point out:
It is absolutely okay and GOOD to handle babies, from day one. In fact, you should do this. If your doe is giving you "attitude," sometimes it works best to handle them at feeding time while she is distracted and not focusing on what you're doing. It's also better not to wash your hands before you touch them. She is used to your natural smell and will be more bothered by the smell of soap or chemicals.
Also, be careful with her diet. Nursing does should be fed a small amount of higher protein feed. About 1/2 cup per 5 lbs. body weight daily. Do not free-feed her. It's very easy to over-feed does, and they can accumulate internal fat quickly even if they're not particularly chubby on the outside. It's best to keep breeding does trim but well-conditioned, especially if you plan to breed again in the future (I think I remember you saying that). Too much internal fat can cause kindling troubles.
It is absolutely okay and GOOD to handle babies, from day one. In fact, you should do this. If your doe is giving you "attitude," sometimes it works best to handle them at feeding time while she is distracted and not focusing on what you're doing. It's also better not to wash your hands before you touch them. She is used to your natural smell and will be more bothered by the smell of soap or chemicals.
Also, be careful with her diet. Nursing does should be fed a small amount of higher protein feed. About 1/2 cup per 5 lbs. body weight daily. Do not free-feed her. It's very easy to over-feed does, and they can accumulate internal fat quickly even if they're not particularly chubby on the outside. It's best to keep breeding does trim but well-conditioned, especially if you plan to breed again in the future (I think I remember you saying that). Too much internal fat can cause kindling troubles.
Just a note also, kits don't open their eyes until 10-14 days. If you use a flash to take their picture now, it won't hurt their eyes. Daily handling is really best, for both the doe and the kits. It gets mom used to your presence around the nest and gets the kits used to being handled.
Thank you for further advice. I still think I am going to leave the kits until 10 days as they are just so snug and peaceful right now and with how stressed Mum got, I don't want to stress her further especially with it being her first litter. The kits I think are either 5 days or 6 days old today. I am sure they are 6 days old though as they are already getting quite a bit of fur and quite big. I'm looking forward to the weekend when the kits should start opening their eyes
Thanks for the feed advice. Mum is being fed plenty, she is getting her greens and pellets. And she's always quite hungry by the morning and always needs her water topping up (sometimes twice a day!). I will be sure not to over-feed her.
I am just wondering, when the kits are ready to begin trying to eat should Mum be swapped back to her usual bunny food? I was feeding her Waggs bunny brunch but got her a more nutritious bag of pellets when she gave birth. Just want to be sure kits get the right feed when they start weaning. I also keep hearing stories of separating babies from Mum at a few weeks old (around 5 weeks) into another cage, is this vital? We were thinking of removing the male bunnies from the hutch at 5 weeks but not the females too as my partners family used to breed rabbits and said they can breed again at around 6 weeks? Which obviously I want to avoid especially with how young they are and as they are family.
I might get a photo when they are 7 days old before they open their eyes and will keep you all posted. Just been in to see Mum and babies and all seems fine still. Thank you everyone.
Thanks for the feed advice. Mum is being fed plenty, she is getting her greens and pellets. And she's always quite hungry by the morning and always needs her water topping up (sometimes twice a day!). I will be sure not to over-feed her.
I am just wondering, when the kits are ready to begin trying to eat should Mum be swapped back to her usual bunny food? I was feeding her Waggs bunny brunch but got her a more nutritious bag of pellets when she gave birth. Just want to be sure kits get the right feed when they start weaning. I also keep hearing stories of separating babies from Mum at a few weeks old (around 5 weeks) into another cage, is this vital? We were thinking of removing the male bunnies from the hutch at 5 weeks but not the females too as my partners family used to breed rabbits and said they can breed again at around 6 weeks? Which obviously I want to avoid especially with how young they are and as they are family.
I might get a photo when they are 7 days old before they open their eyes
and will keep you all posted. Just been in to see Mum and babies and all seems fine still. Thank you everyone.
OakRidgeRabbits
Well-Known Member
I would not switch anyone's food anytime soon. The kits will start nibbling mom's food at about three weeks old and will be eating it "full time" not long after. Rabbits are very sensitive to sudden food changes, so it's best to keep mom on the same diet as she nurses and weans them. After that, she could be slowly transitioned back to her normal diet. The kits should stay on the same food until they go to their new homes. It's best to provide the new owners with a week's worth of food to help the babies transition.
Separating the litter depends more on their development and the size of your cage than the age of the kits. If you're working with a commercial breeding operation where does are bred back to back, it's best to separate the kits at 4-5 weeks to avoid overworking the doe. With pet or show rabbits, this simply isn't necessary and can be difficult on young systems. I would wait until at least 6 weeks to make any decisions on separation. At that age, if the kits seem to be doing well eating on their own, separate the 2-3 biggest babies first. Wait another week, then separate the last babies. They babies can all be housed in the same cage, this makes their separation from their mom easier. There are two reasons for doing it the way I described. First, it helps your doe dry up slower. If she abruptly goes from 5 babies to 0 babies, she will still be producing milk for 5 babies. Separating the kits a week a part helps slow down production and avoid discomfort for her. Secondly, it helps the youngest babies with added support before they're weaned entirely.
Gender doesn't matter at that point in time. I'm sure there has been a fertile 6-week-old somewhere in the world, but that's far from common. About 10-12 weeks old is when you'll want to separate by genders (or as soon as you see bucks mounting does, if it happens sooner). I find that my rabbits are fine until this age, sometimes beyond. I usually keep same-sex groups of babies together until I see mounting happening. Obviously it's just dominance at that point, not breeding. But that helps to avoid any little tiffs and usually means they're about ready to transition into the breeding herd.
In closing, I would again stress that you should be handling the babies DAILY from birth. Kits occasionally die for no apparent reason, a doe's milk supply could dry up unexpectedly, a kit could crawl away and get buried where you can't see it. You should be doing a physical once-over and health check daily to make they maintain good body condition, stay in the nest, and aren't injured by a sibling or mom. Handling also helps get them used to your touch, even at a young age. In my experience, those early moments set the tone for the rest of the rabbit's life. The kits that I handle more typically have calmer, more friendly personalities when they grow up. If I am busy with other things or have several litters at a time and can't handle them quite as heavily, the kits are often more "reclusive" as adults. They have good temperaments - not aggressive or mean - and I feel that's a genetic tendency you can breed for. But as far as desensitizing them to handling...it starts in the nestbox.
If your doe doesn't like that, well, she will get used to it. Rabbits are a little bit like human kids. They don't always know what's best for them. It's our job to know what's best and take action, even if it ruffles their feathers a bit until they realize we mean no harm.
Separating the litter depends more on their development and the size of your cage than the age of the kits. If you're working with a commercial breeding operation where does are bred back to back, it's best to separate the kits at 4-5 weeks to avoid overworking the doe. With pet or show rabbits, this simply isn't necessary and can be difficult on young systems. I would wait until at least 6 weeks to make any decisions on separation. At that age, if the kits seem to be doing well eating on their own, separate the 2-3 biggest babies first. Wait another week, then separate the last babies. They babies can all be housed in the same cage, this makes their separation from their mom easier. There are two reasons for doing it the way I described. First, it helps your doe dry up slower. If she abruptly goes from 5 babies to 0 babies, she will still be producing milk for 5 babies. Separating the kits a week a part helps slow down production and avoid discomfort for her. Secondly, it helps the youngest babies with added support before they're weaned entirely.
Gender doesn't matter at that point in time. I'm sure there has been a fertile 6-week-old somewhere in the world, but that's far from common. About 10-12 weeks old is when you'll want to separate by genders (or as soon as you see bucks mounting does, if it happens sooner). I find that my rabbits are fine until this age, sometimes beyond. I usually keep same-sex groups of babies together until I see mounting happening. Obviously it's just dominance at that point, not breeding. But that helps to avoid any little tiffs and usually means they're about ready to transition into the breeding herd.
In closing, I would again stress that you should be handling the babies DAILY from birth. Kits occasionally die for no apparent reason, a doe's milk supply could dry up unexpectedly, a kit could crawl away and get buried where you can't see it. You should be doing a physical once-over and health check daily to make they maintain good body condition, stay in the nest, and aren't injured by a sibling or mom. Handling also helps get them used to your touch, even at a young age. In my experience, those early moments set the tone for the rest of the rabbit's life. The kits that I handle more typically have calmer, more friendly personalities when they grow up. If I am busy with other things or have several litters at a time and can't handle them quite as heavily, the kits are often more "reclusive" as adults. They have good temperaments - not aggressive or mean - and I feel that's a genetic tendency you can breed for. But as far as desensitizing them to handling...it starts in the nestbox.
If your doe doesn't like that, well, she will get used to it.
Rabbits are a little bit like human kids. They don't always know what's best for them. It's our job to know what's best and take action, even if it ruffles their feathers a bit until they realize we mean no harm.Will the type of food Mum's on now be suitable for babies? Its a high nutrient diet, not sure if its designed for newborn babies, will they be okay on that? I have decided once Mum's done nursing and babies have gone to new home to do some research and choose carefully what food I want Mum on, as I want her to be on the best diet possible and think it might be the perfect time to considering we will be swapping her food anyways.
I won't be breeding Mum till the end of the year - this was just a surprise pregnancy as I have only had her four weeks so I am not planning on breeding her anytime soon if that's what you mean by back to back? Sorry I am new to the world of rabbits! Haha okay thank you for the information. I think I will probably house them all together as you said. I am planning on keeping one of the babies however so will it be okay to keep the one I decide to keep in the hutch with their Mum? As I want her to remain used to Mum's company and Mum to remain used to her company too. I am looking to get a double hutch for them with a closeable ramp so if they don't get along I can always separate them by locking that but would prefer to try get them bonded. Mindy used to live with two other rabbits (one female) so id hope she'd be fine sharing her home with another rabbit again.
Okay thank you so much for information will keep note of it for when they are ready to be separated from Mum.
We will be keeping check on the babies and making sure all are well, breathing and being fed. We have just decided not to handle them with it being her first litter as I know how fragile first time Mum's can be so id prefer to make as little stress for her as possible and for babies. I know people say you should handle them daily but Id prefer to wait a little while.. even if its just till their 7-10 days old which is only a couple of days to a few days away as not to stress Mum too much.. and I know by 7 days they are slowly beginning to come out of the danger zone. Its my first time with newborn babies so I am trying my best to be as cautious as I can be.. will keep making sure babies are all well though. No babies have wandered out as of yet and hopefully won't just yet! Thank you for all the information
I won't be breeding Mum till the end of the year - this was just a surprise pregnancy as I have only had her four weeks so I am not planning on breeding her anytime soon if that's what you mean by back to back? Sorry I am new to the world of rabbits! Haha okay thank you for the information. I think I will probably house them all together as you said. I am planning on keeping one of the babies however so will it be okay to keep the one I decide to keep in the hutch with their Mum? As I want her to remain used to Mum's company and Mum to remain used to her company too. I am looking to get a double hutch for them with a closeable ramp so if they don't get along I can always separate them by locking that but would prefer to try get them bonded. Mindy used to live with two other rabbits (one female) so id hope she'd be fine sharing her home with another rabbit again.
Okay thank you so much for information will keep note of it for when they are ready to be separated from Mum.
We will be keeping check on the babies and making sure all are well, breathing and being fed. We have just decided not to handle them with it being her first litter as I know how fragile first time Mum's can be so id prefer to make as little stress for her as possible and for babies. I know people say you should handle them daily but Id prefer to wait a little while.. even if its just till their 7-10 days old which is only a couple of days to a few days away as not to stress Mum too much.. and I know by 7 days they are slowly beginning to come out of the danger zone. Its my first time with newborn babies so I am trying my best to be as cautious as I can be.. will keep making sure babies are all well though. No babies have wandered out as of yet and hopefully won't just yet! Thank you for all the information
OakRidgeRabbits
Well-Known Member
You haven't mentioned (that I noticed) what you're feeding your doe, so I'm not sure exactly what she is eating. However, nursing (for does) and starting on solid foods (for kits) are stressful times for rabbits. It's a different stress than we think of - they're not sitting around worrying about it, and it's not emotionally difficult for them. But it's a physically demanding time, and changing the diet can do more harm than good. As long as your doe is getting a 16-18% protein rabbit pellet and grass hay, she should be fine. If she's eating any greens or "extra" veggies, I would slowly cut out the fresh foods for now. Kits need to be on a very basic diet to prevent upset in their systems.
By back to back, I was referring to commercial rabbitries where the doe is bred, litter is weaned young, doe is bred, litter is weaned young, doe is bred, etc. This practice is usually used when rabbits are raised for meat purposes. It's not necessarily a bad method, sometimes people get a bad rap for it. It can be managed properly. However, when we're raising rabbits for pet or show, we're not under the same pressure to keep a tight ship. We have more freedom to keep the babies with mom longer and separate them slowly. Under your circumstances and my circumstances, that process will be beneficial to the babies' overall health and development. So that's why it's a little better in your case to wait until 6 weeks to consider separating babies.
It is not in the best interest of your rabbits to house mom and daughter together after the daughter is about 12 weeks old. It is okay to bond rabbits if they are spayed or neutered, but intact rabbits typically are not safely housed together. Some people do keep colonies of breeding animals together, but it's not uncommon to see fights and injuries among the herd. Colonies need LOTS of space to keep those tiffs to a minimum, which usually means keeping the rabbits in an outdoor pen.
It is safer, in most cases, to keep intact breeding rabbits in individual cages.
By back to back, I was referring to commercial rabbitries where the doe is bred, litter is weaned young, doe is bred, litter is weaned young, doe is bred, etc. This practice is usually used when rabbits are raised for meat purposes. It's not necessarily a bad method, sometimes people get a bad rap for it. It can be managed properly. However, when we're raising rabbits for pet or show, we're not under the same pressure to keep a tight ship. We have more freedom to keep the babies with mom longer and separate them slowly. Under your circumstances and my circumstances, that process will be beneficial to the babies' overall health and development. So that's why it's a little better in your case to wait until 6 weeks to consider separating babies.
It is not in the best interest of your rabbits to house mom and daughter together after the daughter is about 12 weeks old. It is okay to bond rabbits if they are spayed or neutered, but intact rabbits typically are not safely housed together. Some people do keep colonies of breeding animals together, but it's not uncommon to see fights and injuries among the herd. Colonies need LOTS of space to keep those tiffs to a minimum, which usually means keeping the rabbits in an outdoor pen.
It is safer, in most cases, to keep intact breeding rabbits in individual cages.
Thank you for yet further information. My rabbit is on a feed that won't be recognised in the US (I am from England) which is why i haven't mentioned the name but it has plenty of fibre. I have been giving her lots of greens at the minute as I was given that advice by other people who had bred, as its meant to be good for them when they are nursing and kits are only 5 days old at the minute so would prefer to make sure she's getting correct diet for now. She's being fed mainly kale (veg wise.. not mainly as her diet, her main diet is pellets right now).
Oh okay thank you for explaining.
As for keeping Mum and daughter together.. I'd still prefer this as I only have one run. Mindy had no problems being kept with an female that hadn't been spayed in her last home so id hope they'd both be fine together now. I will be getting bunny spayed.. only Mum will be kept in tact. I think I am going to give them a go living together first before trying to separate them as i know Mindy has had no issues living with other females before. But i know this is a decision both her and her daughter will make together.. and not a decision I can make.
Oh okay thank you for explaining.
As for keeping Mum and daughter together.. I'd still prefer this as I only have one run. Mindy had no problems being kept with an female that hadn't been spayed in her last home so id hope they'd both be fine together now. I will be getting bunny spayed.. only Mum will be kept in tact. I think I am going to give them a go living together first before trying to separate them as i know Mindy has had no issues living with other females before. But i know this is a decision both her and her daughter will make together.. and not a decision I can make.
Just thought id update you all.. and show a photograph of the bunnies. The bunnies are now over 2 weeks old.. all 5 are healthy.. they don't really have a nest anymore as they tend to just hop around as they please now! They are very active lively little bunnies.. and very proud of my lovely rabbit Mindy their Mum. Whenever I go in.. Mindy their Mummy is always snuggled up to them in the hutch which is lovely to see.
Bunny Business
Member
I am new on here. But just had to say They are so cute and it looks like they are doing good. I can't wait tell my 2 new litters get their fur
