rex rabbits

Question
when can i hold my doe again? when can i touch the litter? will my doe abandon her litter if i touch her litter immediately even without petting the doe first to get the human scents away??? if you could answer me immediately, it will be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!..


Answer
If your doe has just given birth, then you may hold her at any time but be aware that her teats will be sore for a while and maybe uncomfortable as long as she is nursing and a bit afterwards so try to limit the amount of holding time on the doe until the babies are about 4wks old, but lots of petting and talking and general attention is a good thing.

As for the babies  you can touch the litter as soon as they are born, I do suggest petting mom first, not to get away the human sent, (because if you pet,play, hold, feed, clean out her cage your sent is every where anyway and not considered a threat) but I always consider it a curtosey to pet momma first then mess with the babies.  With my litters I take out the nest box generally within the first 6-8 hours after birth to make sure I have no dead kits, then make sure to mess with them everyday for short periods of time and get them used to being handled at an early age that way i have friendly, easy going adult rabbits.

If you have already  touched or handled the babies and did not pet momma first, she is not going to abandon them, or stop taking care of them, like I said earlier, it is not human scent, this is something that she is used to and smells every day on herself, her cage, and in the air around her.

Good Luck
Amy