Rabbits - nursing doe

Question
QUESTION: Hi Alice,

My mini lop rabbit gave birth to 4, possibly 5 babies last night unexpectedly. I removed the male and he is now in the house. The doe is in an outside hutch.  

This may sound silly, but I'm worried that the doe and buck are missing each other. The doe has started to eat newspaper and i'm wondering if she's bored. Is it normal for rabbits to eat paper?

My real question is whether I can bring the doe into the house for a run around. I don't want to take her away from the nest if this will make her anxious. Previously to giving birth she came into the house every night for a few hours.

We've just had the buck neutered, when could they come into contact again?  We are building a new hutch for the buck tomorrow, is it good for the rabbits to see each other through a wire cage (if we put the cages next to each other) or will this distress them?

Many thanks in advance.

ANSWER: Hi There Rabbits will routinely eat newspaper, drywall, base board or anything else that crosses their path. and you are right that boredom will lead to excessive chewing. Rabbits who are nervous will chew on hay to relieve their anxiety. I suggest replacing the newspaper with recycled paper, hemp bedding and giving the rabbits plenty of timothy hay. The hay is essential to healthy digestion and they can eat as much of it as they want and it adds roughage to the diet and helps prevent hair balls. You really don't want your doe eating newspaper because of the inks etc. It is considered toxic and generally not recommended, especially because your doe is nursing. Your doe likely does miss him. However, if he did come around right now, she may act aggressive with him. I have had this happen numerous times and the mother rabbit wards him off either before or after the pregnancy to protect her babies because the males sometimes kill the babies. So her natural reflex is going to be to protect her young. Furthermore, if she was exposed to him at this point, then she could become pregnant the first day she has her kits. My male jumped up to the top shelf of my hutch to be with his mate. It was the day before she delivered and as it turned out, 30 days later she gave birth again. A rabbit ovulates every time they mate, so their chances of pregnancy are high. Especially when rabbits can carry two separate pregnancies at one time. Their uterus is shaped into two horns, each which will hold a litter. So there is a possibility that your doe could already be pregnant again. Is she caring well for the babies? Cleaning them, keeping the nest clean? Jumping in and out only a few times a day to feed? sometimes new nervous mothers will jump in and out of the nest 'just to check' but they end up injuring their young inadvertently. If this occurs you may consider removing the nest box and returning it three times a day to feed. You may find that she is anxious away from her babies for any length of time. If you bring them in too and put them on the floor with her she may relax, but be prepared to intervene if she decided to jump in and out of the box. Your doe may remain anxious about the buck being near her or her young at first. I would absolutely recommend putting their cages next to each other to 'reintroduce them'. It will keep them familiar with each other. Allow them when you feel they are ready, explore a neutral room away from the kits. She will feel the need to protect them until they are six to eight weeks old, sometimes beyond, especially with larger breeds (12 weeks). My buck is living below my doe and she just gave birth to two healthy kits a week ago. She does not seem bothered in the least that he is there and every chance they get when I open their hutch they are sniffing noses. Hope this helps, if I have left out anything or if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Alice

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

QUESTION: Dear Alice,

Sorry to bother you again and thank you so much for your previous answer. I've got a few more questions if you don't mind. In response to your questions the mother appears to be very caring, she is feeding them, cleaning their nest, keeping them cool or warm depending on the weather by opening up the nest or covering it over.

However I really am concerned that my doe is pregnant again. If she gives birth when her current litter are 4 weeks old - what do I do? Will the doe be able to feed both litters? If she can only feed one of the litters should the older ones be taken out or the younger ones?

A further query is that the current kits are now 10 days old and look like they will soon be opening their eyes and moving about more. The problem is that their nest is in the upstairs of the hutch (not in a box that can be removed) and there is a ramp that goes to the lower level of the hutch. I am worried that when the babies start to explore outside their nest that they will fall down the ramp or off the ledge. Can I move the babies to the downstairs of the hutch now that they are a bit older or should I not disturb their nest?

Thank you for all your help.

Debra

ANSWER: Hi Debra

This had happened to me not long ago as well. If the rabbits mate a few days before the doe gives birth it is possible that she is pregnant again. My sneaky male found a way to push the screen out and jump up to the top shelf where my doe lives.
By the time she has the next litter, the current babies will be about four weeks old and almost to the point of being weaned. She may wean them herself at this time if they are onto solids. They should be starting to nibble on pellets and should be just about weaned by 5 weeks. 6 weeks is typical, but the last week is a safety measure to ensure the kits are completely off their Mother's milk.

If she does decide to stop feeding the older kits and they are not exclusively onto solids you can do one of two things. You can hold your doe and try to let the older kits feed once a day. Or, you can buy kittens milk from the pet store to have on hand in case this should happen. The rabbits will be old enough that if it is put in front of their mouths (with a syringe without the needle) then they should be able to just lick it up. I would only do this though if they begin losing weight. A scale might be handy for you so you can keep track of their weight and ensure everyone is gaining enough. Rabbits will sometimes have up to 12 in a litter, so if she has another litter of 4 or 5 then she should be able to feed them. If the litter is larger then it might be more difficult for her. I would only introduce the kitten milk if absolutely necessary. Young rabbits bellies are so sensitive and if they keep going the way nature intended, then that's the best way.

I would move the babies down to the lower level. Now that they have their eyes open you want them to begin gaining strength by exploring. This is how they gain their muscle development.

No problem about a follow-up, anytime,

Alice

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

QUESTION: Hi Alice,

Me again! Thank you so much for your response.

The kits are now just over 2 weeks and ridiculously cute. Two of them however have one eye open and one eye shut. One of the kits looks as though the eye is stuck shut. What should I do in this situation?

On a separate note I haven't yet moved the babies downstairs as they still aren't moving around too much. Will the mother still continue to feed them ok if I move the nest do you think?

Thank you for your help.

Debra

p.s yes the male was in the cage when she gave birth. She is a very protective mother - a cat went past the cage the other day and I've never heard thumping like it!!

Answer
Hi Debra

I'm glad to hear that the kits are doing well. as for their eyes, take a warm damp washcloth and just wipe any crust from the eye. All eyes should be open by now, my kits were born just after yours and mine opened their eyes a few days ago. That being said, development rates differ from breed to breed and also to the size of the animal.

Crusty eyes and nose are sometimes an indication of a cold. Look at their noses, is there any brown or white crust around their nostrils? Babies can catch a cold easily. We can catch rabbit fever and syphilis from rabbits and they can develop colds from being handled when their owner has a cold. If Mom is showing any symptoms, then often the mother rabbit will be treated and the kits get their dose of the anti-biotic from the mother's milk. If you do notice any signs of a cold, I would get it looked into because they are so delicate at this age.

Yes the mom will feed the babies wherever you put the nest. I would suggest that you move the babies down because they are going to become active really soon, and they need to develop their muscles by getting out and moving around now. Leave the nest box in the cage, but allow them a few minutes to come out and exercise and you will see their strength increase by the day. They need this now.

Good Luck and anytime!

Alice