pulling hair off leg after delivery of still born bunnies

Question
we did not know the rabbit was pregnant we noticed her hind leg was missing hair and thought they had been fighting we were changing the straw and found the bunnies covered with fur what caused her to pull her fur out?

Answer
Hi Steven,

That is a natural behavior.  She was doing her best to construct a nest.  Part of the nesting material to make a nest is fur.  Many times the doe will pull fur from her dewlap...that is the bulge of fat under her neck but they will pull fur from any part of their body.  In wild rabbits, they make a nest in a small depression in the ground (an in some ususual locations) from grass and their fur.  Domestic rabbits should have a nest box to build the nest.  They will use their fur but need you to provide other necessities for a nest like straw or hay.  The nest box will afford the "protection" and privacy the kits need and having this comfort feature relieves the mother of undue stress.  The mother rabbit does not stay with the kits and returns only to nurse and do motherly duties.  Again in the wild, the small depression offers some protection for temperature (but is vulnerable to rain).  With domestics, without a nest box for some insulation, many times the babies will become hypothermic, even at room temp, and that usually results in them not surviving.  In our wildlife rescue, we provide supplemental heat for the kits until weaning.  But to directly answer your question....fur pulling is a natural behavior for buildling a nest.

Randy