Unexpected baby bunnies

[user 34041]

Last night my female gave birth to a litter of 4 unexpectedly, she had the babies in the middle of the night on her cage floor. Woke up this morning to discover the babies which were cleaned, together, and covered in her fur. She is an indoor bunny with her own room. I moved the babies into an 8X13 shoe box (no printed images on the box) and filled with bedding on the bottom, hay and the fur she pulled out originally and cut an opening big enough for an entrance for mom to go in and out, with about an inch base to prevent the babies from crawling out. I went out and purchased another cage for the babies to grow up in, lined the cage sufficiently to keep them warm and safe, filled it with proper nesting materials, put that next to her cage and then put the shoe box I made in the new cage. She has free roam of the room and access to both cages so she can come and go as she pleases. My question "Is the nesting box sufficient size for her to be able to feed her babies and move around in or should they be put back where she originally had them on her cage floor". Overall, my girlfriend and I are new to baby bunnies and didn't expect to wake up to babies. Any advice at all would truly be appreciated and helpful. Definitely want to make sure we are doing the right things. At this point the babies are only about 16 hours old. Right now their bellies do appear full and they are warm/moving so I believe these are all good signs so far. Attached is a picture of the girls rooms current set up.

 

[JBun]

No, it's best to keep them in a nesting box so they can't crawl away from the nest and get isolated and chilled. The box needs to be a little bit bigger than mom, big enough she can hop in and turn around without trampling the kits, and with a lip low enough that mom can hop in easily, but high enough that the babies can't crawl out until they are old enough, at about 2 weeks when their eyes open.

You want to check the babies several times a day, particularly in the morning and evening to make sure that at least once a day they have a nice full belly. If they start to get wrinkly, that is an indication of dehydration and that they aren't getting fed. Also to check none have wandered off and are cold, and just and overall health check. Though be careful handling as they are really squirmy and can pop right out of your hand. So best to do all handling on the floor level with padding below.

If you haven't already increased mom's food, you'll need to gradually do so over the next few days. She should always have unlimited hay, and while nursing she'll need unlimited, or close to unlimited, pellets. Mother rabbits eat more than 3 times the normal amount of food while they are nursing. If her pellets are a grass based low calcium pellet, consider adding in some alfafla hay, or gradually switching her over to a good quality alfalfa based pellet(15-16%) over the next few weeks. Though while you do this I would offer alfalfa hay so she is getting more calcium and protein in her diet to support nursing the kits and so she doesn't develop low blood calcium.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Baby_rabbits_(domestic)
https://flashsplace.webs.com/accidentallitters.htm

 

[user 34041]

The mother is a little bigger then that box but thats all I really have for tonight as a sufficient nest. Nothing is open around me to do some shopping. If that won't work should I take them out for tonight? I'm really considered about the box not being big enough but I dont have another option.

 

[JBun]

As long as there is a spot for her to sit in the box to nurse and not be right on the pile of babies, I would leave it in there. Without a box, the kits can squirm their way out of the nest and get separated, then get cold and could die.

 

[user 34041]

Perfect thanks for the advice very much appreciated! This makes me feel comfortable for tonight.