Took in pregnant bunny/babies 6 wks.now

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dana, glad you're back!  We have a home sanctuary with bunnies/guinea pigs and the latest (and last) one we took in 2 mo. ago was a 8lb. orange/white English Spot looking bunny.  I figured it out myself after having her 1 wk. she was pregnant.  Anyway, 1 day after discovering this & making her a nest, she did have her babies during the night (there they were next AM).

Six lived, one was dead.  The mother was constantly jumping out of her large pen, even scaling it when I made it over 3 ft. high!  I realized mother bunnies are hard wired to keep away from the babies when not nursing.  I let her stay out more than our other bunnies.  

I'm asking if I should 'still' be letting her eat all the pellets she wants (like the babies are).  I've seen her eat hay a tiny bit only a few times but she loves the veggies and devours pellets like crazy.  Is she getting too full on pellets to not want hay really?  Even the babies will eat some hay.

Two days ago I saw her nursing them but not yesterday or today although I don't know what goes on during the wee hours as I let them ALL have the run of the house then (reason too long to explain).

When will she stop wanting to leap out of the pen?  She's not nursing as often or at all now or being an English Spot, just a very hyper rabbit?

Another thing is when can I separate the boys from her & sex them?  They are 6 wks. old today.  I've tried & thought 1/2 were boys/1/2 girls but should I wait another couple of weeks?

We will be getting the boys neutered for sure when the time comes.  

At 6 wks. old, the babies are just over 2 lbs., does that give any indication of how big they'll be full grown?

Also, I know genetics are a 'funny' thing so to speak because the mother must've been mated with a lionhead.  Four of the babies have her shape of face (longer) & longer ears, lankier body & 3 are spotted, 1 is a self colour.
The other 2 babies are exactly the same in colour (agouti) & look like purebred lionheads!  They're getting a mane around their heads and the tufts of fur around their hindquarters.

I know this is an awful lot for you to take in, sorry Dana, but I couldn't write to you since you were off.  I would've written probably 3 letters LOL!

I wish I could send you a photo of the mom & 6 babies.

Would you please answer my questions?  I know there's quite a few.

Thanks so much & welcome back

Paula

BTW We're keeping all the offspring & mom just like our other rescues.

ANSWER: Dear Paula,

As long as she's still nursing them at all, keep up the free choice pellets.  She'll wean the babies on her own soon, usually at around 8 weeks.  Those are big babies!  They might be quite big if they're already 2lbs at only 6 weeks of age!

Not surprising that they're part lionhead.  The lionhead hybrids seem to be the fashionable "rabbit du jour" right now, and we're getting lots of them.  They are adorable.  :)

They boys' testicles should drop at around 12 weeks of age.  You might want to *physically* (but not completely, so they won't unbond with the others) separate them from the females by about 9 weeks, and then get them snipped as soon as the testicles descend.  It's not terribly likely that they'll have lots of viable sperm right away, but it's not impossible.   The baby females are not likely impregnable at that age, but mama certainly is.  So the best thing to do is to have her spayed as soon as possible.  Perhaps when the babies are eight weeks old.  That way, the interruption in nursing will help her dry up, and the babies will be weaned.

Hope this helps!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Dana & thanks so much for your help!  I hope she goes back to eating hay when the free choice pellet diet for her is finished.

I guess I should let the babies eat free choice until they're 7 months old or so then start cutting back?

Paula

I'm going to try & attach 2 photos.  I'm not good at this so I hope it works.

If it does work, the single bunny is mom and 2nd photo is babies.

Answer
Dear Paula,

No pictures attached.  :(  But if you want to send them directly, try hunhare@gmail.com

Seven months is a good duration for free choice food, and then you can gradually cut back, watching their weight to properly adjust.  Good luck with the brood!  

Dana