How do i prepare for the birth of bunnies?

Question

ok so my bunny is pregnant and i have never done this before are there any key things i have to keep in mind

mommy diet?

the nest?

HELPPP

Answer 1

All you need to do really is make sure there is a closed compartment in your bunny's cage so that it will stay dark and warm in there. Also make sure you put loads of hay in there to help the mother make the nest to keep the baby bunnies extra warm!!! Good luck!!!!

Answer 2

You need a nestbox, preferably one made out of wood. Are you sure she is pregnant. When was she with a buck or around bucks? How old is she. if she is very young then she may have problems when she gets ready to kindle.

Letting a doe kindle without a nestbox is asking for the kits to die. They need the protection a nestbox gives so they do not end up falling from the cage.

Keep her diet the same until after the kits are born. Then increase the pellets and give her some regular old fashioned oatmeal to increase her milk. Make sure she has plenty of hay.

Do not be surprised if some or all of the kits are dead or die after kindling(Labor and birth). Many first time mothers just have no clue what to do. Young ones have an especially hard time raising a healthy litter.

If you have an approximate date of when she was around a buck you can figure out when she will be ready to kindle, at least a close date. Rabbit gestation is from 28-35 days with 31 days being the average. if she has not given birth by day 35-40 she is not pregnant. No babies will be born.

If it is close now, get her the nestbox and put fresh hay in it. She will do the rest. She will pull fur and line the nest with it. She may do this soon or not until she is actually kindling.

Each rabbit does it differently.

If you need more help you can email me privately.

I have raised many litter over the 16 years I have been raising rabbits.

EDIT- If she was mated by a buck 2-3 days ago, she would not be getting fat or anything. Most does never even get fat. Some you can't even tell they have kits growing inside them.

You should learn the correct language fro the animal you have-a DOE  is a female rabbit, a BUCK is a male rabbit.

Rabbits breed or are mated when the copulate. and this only takes seconds to happen. the buck mounts the doe and connects with her then falls off to the side sometimes with a squeal. Do not be ashamed to use the correct terms for things. It is just part of nature and the breeding of animals.

I hope these are purbred rabbits with pedigrees, but since they are from a petstore most likely not. Just what the world needs more unwanted mutt rabbits that will end up in a shelter or rescue, intead of as someones dinner!

Answer 3

http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html This should tell you everything you need to know about caring for mom and the babies when they arrive.  Really, you should have looked into this before you bred her.

Answer 4

plenty food and water , keep hutch clean... the mother will build a nest out of her hair so leave that. keep things calm and dont touch the babies.

Answer 5

If you find yourself caring for a domestic rabbit that you suspect is pregnant, or has recently given birth you will probably have a million questions. This article addresses not only rehabilitation care, but is also a guide for answering questions and concerns about the proper care of the domestic mother rabbit and her babies and orphaned Rabbits

prerare a nice rug for the mother at the time she gives birth

also prepare the rug in a place where there are no natural predators that may attack the nerwborn bunnies since they are very helpless at birth

If you find yourself caring for a domestic rabbit that you suspect is pregnant, or has recently given birth you will probably have a million questions. This article addresses not only rehabilitation care, but is also a guide for answering questions and concerns about the proper care of the domestic mother rabbit and her babies and orphaned Rabbits.

Often times, people suddenly discover babies in their rabbits' cage and never realized that they had a male and a female. Help is often needed to s*x adults. We here at The Sanctuary have made mistakes sexing Rabbits, as have Vets we have known. A behavioral attitude, such as mounting, does not necessarily help identify s*x in a rabbit. It is usually easy to identify the male once we know what to look for: large testicles, recognized as pink, hairless "sacks." This can be difficult in young Rabbits, before the testicles drop. The scent glands in a young female can be mistaken for emerging testicles. Males can also pull their testicles in to their abdomen. If you have any doubt, a trip to the Vet may be warranted.

Often times people are concerned that the mother rabbit "is not feeding the babies," sometimes because she is never seen with them. This is normal behavior for a domestic (or wild) rabbit and that mother rabbits do not "lay" with their offspring in the same manner as dogs and cats.

Domestic rabbits retain some of the genetic imprints of their wild European ancestors, who are animals preyed upon by others in nature. Mother rabbits instinctually sense that staying with their offspring would call a predator's attention to the nest. Adult rabbits have a scent, while babies do not yest have a strong scent.

Most mother rabbits will not hop into the nest (or box) to check on their infants during the day, although she is usually watching from a safe distance. This is normal behavior.

Rabbits feed their offspring only once or twice per day and will only do so when they feel safe, usually just before dawn and/or just after dusk. If humans and children are continually gathered around the cage, the mother may become too stressed to nurse the infants.

There is a way to determine that the mother is indeed feeding the offspring. Did the mother rabbit pull fur? Did she shred papers, or gather hay or rip up carpeting (if housed indoors) in an attempt to "make a nest?" Mother rabbits usually make a nest any time between a few days prior to the birth up to the day of birth itself. She may also do so without an actual pregnancy.

A mature female will often pull fur to make a nest, with or without a male present and regardless of whether actual mating has occurred. This hormonal behavior is known as a "false pregnancy."

If the mother has pulled fur in an attempt to make a nest, she will probably be all right if her nest is appropriate. It is safe to examine the babies and move them, with the mother, to a more proper place, if necessary.

If the babies are scattered, cold and do not have plump tummies, the mother needs help making a proper nest box, and the babies need to be warmed up before anything else is attempted. No baby mammals can successful digest foods if their body temperature is below normal. This is extremely important to understand.

In this case, warm the babies as follows: Place a hot water bottle, filled with warm water (not hot,) into a small box of any kind. Line it with clean, terry cloth towels and place the bottle UNDER the towels. A small plastic container or a leak-proof plastic bag can be used if necessary. Make a small space within the nest and put the babies within the temporary warming nest.

Be sure the babies are not in direct contact with the warm water (it may become too hot for them.) Be sure that the towels do not have holes in them and are not frayed, because the fine threads could cut their delicate skin and holes could strangle them should they squirm through one.

In the meantime, prepare a proper box and nest for the mother, so she will feel secure when the babies are returned to her. Get a cardboard box, or make a wooden one, which is just slightly larger than the mother rabbit. It should not be too big, or the babies may scatter again and miss that important feeding.

A doorway should be cut in the center of one side, which is just large enough for the mother to fit through. The doorway should have a lip of about one-inch above the floor to help keep the babies in the box (until they are old enough to venture out on their own.)

Place a large handful of straw, grass or hay in the box and place it in a corner of the rabbit cage. Be sure it is not in the corner that she uses as a bathroom! Make sure that grass clippings do not contain any pesticides or fertilizers. Do not use fabric scraps, burlap, gauze or anything else with fine threads or holes in it. The straw/hay should be removed and replaced every three or four days as it may become soaked in urine. This is done by taking the babies out of the box, removing and later replacing most of the clean fur, and changing the rest of the bedding and lining the box with clean bedding.

The babies can be placed into the new nest as soon as their body temperature feels warm to the touch. (ONLY warm the babies if they have been scattered about on the cage floor. If they were huddled together in a good nest site, leave them alone, except to check whether they have been fed.).

Place the mother and the babies in a small, warm, quiet room. Give the mother a litterbox, in the opposite corner of the nest, if she's placed indoors. If she is not used to being in the house, this may stress her more than being left in her outdoor cage. The only thing to do in that case is add a proper nest area.

A well-fed baby will have a very distended tummy, looking like the "Pillsbury Dough Boy." If the babies' tummies are full, the mother is feeding them and the caretaker can rest assured. The babies can be examined every day if that will make the caretaker feel more assured.

If the babies have not been fed, they will have sunken tummies, their skin will be wrinkled from dehydration and they will be weak (their response to being handled will be weak or non-existent, although they will hopefully be breathing.) Scattered babies are more likely not to have been fed, so make sure that they are warm first.

If the babies are weak or dehydrated, veterinary intervention is advised. Placing a drop of honey or fruit jam into their mouths sometimes helps elevate their blood sugar level until veterinary help and/or mother's milk is available.

At this point, examine the mother for signs of lactation. By gently holding the mother upright, or gently turning her upside down in a lap, the nipples can be examined. They should feel slightly swollen and it is likely that the mother pulled a great deal of fur from her chest and stomach to not only make her nest, but also to better expose the teats for the babies.

Slight pressure in a milking motion should release either small amount of milk or clear fluid. If the mother is lactating, return her to the babies and allow her to calm down and become familiar with her new nest. Examine the babies the next day to make sure that they are being fed.

If the mother is definitely not lactating or has not attempted to pull fur or make a nest, etc., take the mother to a qualified rabbit-experienced veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian will probably give the mother a small dose of oxytocin, a drug that will stimulate the milk glands. She should nurse within the next 24 hours.

If you feel it is necessary to examine the babies every day to verify that they have been fed, pet the mother rabbit first, to help cover human scents, and avoid wearing heavy perfumes when handling the babies. It is best to handle the babies as little as possible until they are old enough to leave the nest box on their own.

If your concerns begin on the day of the birth, wait a day before attempting to do anything. Some mother rabbits do not feed their babies until the evening of the first day or early on the second day.

If it has been close to two days and you are positive that the babies have not been fed, a veterinarian must be seen immediately. Oxytocin will not produce results if you wait more than forty-eight hours after the birth.

While waiting for a veterinary appointment, try allowing the babies to nurse, as suckling sometimes stimulates the milk glands. If that happens, monitoring the babies' growth is the only thing that needs to be done. Mother rabbits stand upright while nursing and the babies lie upside down beneath her. Hold the rabbits in this natural position.

If you think that the mother is injuring the babies while kindling (giving birth,) while feeding, or has "cannibalized" any of the babies (eaten them,) several issues should be explored. Sometimes a mother rabbit will accidentally injure the kits because her nails have never been clipped, the nest box is not proper, or she is stressed and skittish by too much activity around her. It is possible, if she is housed outdoors, that neighborhood predators, such as feral cats, raccoons or fox, are causing her anxiety at night. Some rabbits are highly skittish ("fractious") by nature.

Very young mothers, especially those under six months o