baby bunnies!

Question
My Rabbit Ditzie just had six babies. We have never had baby animals of ANY kind and need some guidance. I have already picked up all of the babies, forgetting about the risk of mom abandoning them. Is it true that she will abandon them? What age should I start weaning them? How do I make sure that mom is feeding them the right amount? Thank you for your time.


         -Libby

Answer
Hi Libby,

A domestic rabbit that is used to humans will not abandon her babies if you touch them.  If she feels threatened by a predator such as a dog or even a rat she may kill them and eat them to protect herself.  Rabbits will eat their young but domestic rabbits usually only do this if they are afraid.  Since you are around her every day there is really not much to worry about.  

They need to be with their mother for a full 8 weeks.  After 8 weeks you can take the mother away.  You need to separate the boys from the girls before 11 weeks.  I usually left all of mine together until 10 weeks and then separated the boys from girls until about 12 weeks before I decided who was going to be bonded and who was going to new homes.  I have never been able to successfully bond two males so they all got separated at around 12 weeks.

As for feeding as long as their bellies are round and their skin is not tenting they are getting enough food.  When they start to hop out of the nest make sure that there is enough hay for all of them and you want to make sure there is enough pellets for all of them.  The mom will eat nearly 3 times as much as normal and as the babies grow they will need more food.  You really just have to watch the dish and make sure that you clean it twice a day.  They will sit in there while they eat and if you don't keep it clean they can get sick.

Good luck

Pam