baby rabbits!!

Question
well .. while my neighbor went on holiday i looked after her male rabbit .. as i also have a male rabbit we let them play together in our living room then i noticed my rabbit go up behind my neighbors rabbit so i put them back in their hutches straight away that was nearly a month ago ..and recently i realized that it is not a male it is a female!! my neighbor still hasn't had chance to get her rabbit back .. and this morning i checked on her and i saw that she had lined her sleeping area with fur .. then when i looked closer i saw that it was moving i am just leaving them for the moment but i think that there is about five or six baby bunnies .. the rabbit lives outside in a hutch and i don't have a clue what to do .. as i have never had babies before!!!!! please help !

PS i would also like to know when i can hold them as i am very eager  

Answer
Dear Danielle,

Restrain yourself from holding the babies.  Your hands are covered with potentially dangerous bacteria, and the babies--even at this stage--can jerk or jump unexpectedly and fall to the ground with disastrous results.  Wait until they start to leave the nest on your own before you try to handle them.

For instructions on what to do now:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html

If your neighbor is still gone, I'd take the bunny home with you to give her proper care and feeding until the neighbor comes home to the "blessed" event.  Please also see:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

Hope that helps!

Dana