Hello, my bunnies just had babies 3 days ago, they had a litter of 5 babies. The problem is, the entire cage is filled with bunny poop and it needs to be cleaned. What should I do? Should i disturb them to clean it? Or should I just let them be? Its getting really filthy, and Im not sure what to do! Any help would be appreciated.
Please Help!!!!! PLEASE!!
- Thread starter Jilliiee
- Start date
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binkies
Well-Known Member
1. Is she in a nest box?
2. Is she aggressive towards you?
3. Did she build a nest?
2. Is she aggressive towards you?
3. Did she build a nest?
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
Are the babies in a nest box? You can remove the nestbox, move momma to a safe areaand clean the cage. The mother is not going to abandon her kits just because you cleaned the cage. A mothers instinct to care for her babies is stronger than any smell... yours or any other. Leaving it dirty will endanger the health of the doe and her babies.
Clean out the cage, make sure it's totally dry and put the babies back first. Then put momma back in. She'll check on them and all will be fine.
If they are not in a nest box, remove the babies in a box lined witha towel. Save any fur she pulled with them. When you put them back, make a nestbox for her (it can even be a cardboard box if that's all you have. It's safer for the babies.
Clean out the cage, make sure it's totally dry and put the babies back first. Then put momma back in. She'll check on them and all will be fine.
If they are not in a nest box, remove the babies in a box lined witha towel. Save any fur she pulled with them. When you put them back, make a nestbox for her (it can even be a cardboard box if that's all you have. It's safer for the babies.
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
You have to remove the doe first. Put heavy gloves on if necessary and gently take her out. Her hormones are raging now and she can't help it. Be patient with her.
Phinnsmommy
Well-Known Member
She will be fine for a couple minutes, but try and work fast 
Wee Wabbits
Well-Known Member
If you have a really aggressive doe then very carefully remove her from the area (Without getting bitten) so that she won't get to stressed out when you move her babies... My rabbits I can just reach in and touch the babies from day one but they are very use to me and have had a few litters. (I also breed for temperment)
Then put them in a nest box, A wooden apple crate or a cardboard box that she can get out of will suffice and stuff it with shavings and hay.
Clean the cage. Put them back in that corner. And put some Vanilla Extract or some Lavender on her nose and fill her feed dish and put hay in, and maybe a favorite treat and just let her relax.
She should be fine.
Watch from a distance, If she shows aggression towards the babies and starts biting them then take them out. But it is EXTREMELY Unlikely if you put stuff on her nose and leave her alone.
Maybe let her run outside of the cage with the cage door open and let her go in when she wants to. Less stressful.
Is she normally moody and aggressive or is this unusual for her? If it's her first litter then she will be a little more high strung then usual.
Good luck and hope this helps.
Then put them in a nest box, A wooden apple crate or a cardboard box that she can get out of will suffice and stuff it with shavings and hay.
Clean the cage. Put them back in that corner. And put some Vanilla Extract or some Lavender on her nose and fill her feed dish and put hay in, and maybe a favorite treat and just let her relax.
She should be fine.
Watch from a distance, If she shows aggression towards the babies and starts biting them then take them out. But it is EXTREMELY Unlikely if you put stuff on her nose and leave her alone.
Maybe let her run outside of the cage with the cage door open and let her go in when she wants to. Less stressful.
Is she normally moody and aggressive or is this unusual for her? If it's her first litter then she will be a little more high strung then usual.
Good luck and hope this helps.
TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I would dab a drop of vanilla on her nose before putting her back in with the babies.
How long have you had this rabbit? Is she used to you at all?
My guess is - if she's protective of the babies - you have a good chance that she'll take care of them...
Peg
How long have you had this rabbit? Is she used to you at all?
My guess is - if she's protective of the babies - you have a good chance that she'll take care of them...
Peg
BlueGiants
Well-Known Member
Just curious Jilliiee, how you made out... ???? How is everybody? Momma settled in? She'll appreciate it being cleaner... :thumbup even if she doesn't show it!
:sweep.........:vacuum:
:sweep.........:vacuum:
Starlight Rabbitry
Well-Known Member
I would also give her a favorite treat just so she associates you with the treat.
Sharon
Sharon
jupiterannette
Well-Known Member
YEAH!!!!
pictures????
ha ha ha ?!??!?
pictures????
ha ha ha ?!??!?
lol I will try to take some later and post them!
Scared me when she had them. My cousin was sleeping, heard her crying and lots of loud noise (more than usual.) And she just had them. No real signs that she was pregnant. She took a bit of her fur out, but not much. It was our first time dealing with this, so thats probably why we didnt realize it.
Funny story though. When she gave birth, we swore she had 5, we went back and there were only 4. Couldnt figure it out. Thought maybe she ate one. Went to get clothing out of the closet the next morning and there was one in the clothes. Put him/her back in the cage, is doing really well now.
They are cute little buggers!
Scared me when she had them. My cousin was sleeping, heard her crying and lots of loud noise (more than usual.) And she just had them. No real signs that she was pregnant. She took a bit of her fur out, but not much. It was our first time dealing with this, so thats probably why we didnt realize it.
Funny story though. When she gave birth, we swore she had 5, we went back and there were only 4. Couldnt figure it out. Thought maybe she ate one. Went to get clothing out of the closet the next morning and there was one in the clothes. Put him/her back in the cage, is doing really well now.
They are cute little buggers!
jupiterannette
Well-Known Member
scary!
glad all is well!
glad all is well!
aurora369
Well-Known Member
I'm jumping in late, but here's my advice...
How big is the cage, is it a small sized petstore cage? Having a small cage can lead to aggression. I would suggest, if you have the space, to look into building a larger NIC cage: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15348&forum_id=21
The holes are too big for babies, but I've used them before, you just need to make a baby bumper ( cardboard, or a smaller hardwire cloth). You could get a good decent size cage for under $100 easily.
The babies should also be in a nest box of some sort. If you don't have a wooden one made, a shoe box will work well. You can put a little bit of litter at the bottom to absorb their pee (although they won't make that much mess for the first few weeks), then take a bunch of hay/straw and fill the box. Compact the hay and make a fist sized hole in the middle. Transfer the babies and as much fur and hay from the orginal nest into the new box.
Don't use towells or any fabric that could produce threads. A baby could get themselves caught up in the thread and choke themselves or get it wrapped around an appendage and lose it.
I take babies out every day so they get regular handling and are friendly by the time you have to rehome them. When they are in a box, you just remove the box and you can handle the babies and put the box back in after. You should be checking them every day (multiple times a day) to make sure none have escaped the nest box or are injured/dirty.
Take a read of our Breeding and Care of Young section in the Rabbit 101: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12047&forum_id=17
If you have any questions at all, please ask us!
--Dawn
How big is the cage, is it a small sized petstore cage? Having a small cage can lead to aggression. I would suggest, if you have the space, to look into building a larger NIC cage: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15348&forum_id=21
The holes are too big for babies, but I've used them before, you just need to make a baby bumper ( cardboard, or a smaller hardwire cloth). You could get a good decent size cage for under $100 easily.
The babies should also be in a nest box of some sort. If you don't have a wooden one made, a shoe box will work well. You can put a little bit of litter at the bottom to absorb their pee (although they won't make that much mess for the first few weeks), then take a bunch of hay/straw and fill the box. Compact the hay and make a fist sized hole in the middle. Transfer the babies and as much fur and hay from the orginal nest into the new box.
Don't use towells or any fabric that could produce threads. A baby could get themselves caught up in the thread and choke themselves or get it wrapped around an appendage and lose it.
I take babies out every day so they get regular handling and are friendly by the time you have to rehome them. When they are in a box, you just remove the box and you can handle the babies and put the box back in after. You should be checking them every day (multiple times a day) to make sure none have escaped the nest box or are injured/dirty.
Take a read of our Breeding and Care of Young section in the Rabbit 101: http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12047&forum_id=17
If you have any questions at all, please ask us!
--Dawn
clarzoo
Well-Known Member
Just checking in to see how everything is going!
