Nursing Habits

Question
How often does a mother nurse her babies?  Should I woory if she has placed her fur on top of the babies?  Should she sit on the babies like she did after they wer born.  Thank you for any information.  Elizabeth

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

rabbits nurse once or twice a day for about 5 minutes.  Good chance you may not see it.  Milk is extremely rich.

She covers them with fur to keep them warm, this is okay.  Just make sure none fall out of the nest, they need the nest warmth and other bodies snugged together to stay warm.

Mom shouldn't be sitting on them unless the cage you havethem in is too small.  Rabbits stay away from newborns most of the time to keep predators from finding them.  She needs to have enough space to 'get away' from the nest and rest and stretch out.

Go to the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) and search their articles on "newborn" and "babies".  They have great information.

Lee