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bunny pregnant

22 10:53:18

Question
QUESTION: Hello! I have a rabbit thats pregnant and about to give birth to her first litter. Im just wondering if you could give me some advise on what to do, what to expect, things I should watch for while shes giving birth. What to do afterward as well, a friend told me that you cant put your hand in the cage for a couple weeks afterward because she will reject her litter. Anyway if you could give me all the information on the birthing process and what I have to do during and after she gives birth and things to watch out for I would greatly appreciate it thank you!

ANSWER: Hi Kenji

I wouldn't stick my hands in there for an hour or 2 after giving birth since the mother will still be under some stress.  However, rabbits don't really care if you touch the babies.  They will not reject them just because you touch them.  When I find a litter in my nest box I gently pet the mom and pull the nest box right out.  I pick up each baby, count them, make sure they are warm and alive.  I remove any dead babies and put a magnet with the number of living babies on the cage.  Then I re-check the nest box every day and count all the babies.  If one is missing I search through until I find it.  If it is dead I remove it.  Your friend is wrong, it is actually very important to check the nest box every day.  If a baby dies it will start to decay and rot and the other babies could die from the germs.

You don't have to do anything during the birthing process.  Just let the rabbit do her thing.  Give her a nice cool, dark area and some privacy.

Make sure she has a nice cozy nest box lined with some aspen chips and plenty of hay.  If she tries to make her nest in a different spot then move the nestbox to that spot rather than trying to move the nest to the box.  If she makes a nest somewhere that means that is where she wants to have the babies.  If you put the box there she will almost always have the babies in that spot.

Some things you want to be aware of is that not all rabbits know what they are doing the first time... or sometimes the 2nd or 3rd.  You can't teach her, she just has to learn on her own.  The only thing you can do is make sure that the babies stay warm.  If one gets pulled out of the nest it needs to be put back or it will die from exposure.  

The only other thing I can think of about rabbits in labor is that if they seem to be panting and appear to be in labor for a long period of time and the babies are not born, then she may need to go to the vet to have some oxytocin to assist her.  This is very rare and when it does happen it is usually because the kits are to big for her to deliver.

After the babies are born let me know and I can let you know their growth stages, what to expect from there etc.  For now just keep an eye on her and keep her safe and cozy.

Good luck

Pam

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

QUESTION: Thank you that was very helpful! I do appreciate it, but what do I do if she doesnt know what to do? I dont want the babies to die! and also, my mom had a rabbit once that ate her babies. Do you know what would cause that to happen? Thanks a bunch!
ANSWER: Hi

Unless you have 2 doe's that have babies due at the same time there isn't really much you can do if she isn't a good mother.  Often times they will scatter the babies and they will be dead by the time you find them.  If she were to neglect them and not feed them then you could try hand feeding them.  If that happens let me know and I can give you the formula.  Generally mothers only feed their babies once a day so you may never know if she is feeding them since they mostly do their feedings at night.

I guess you can just hope that she is a good mother.  If she isn't the first time just don't give up.  Sometimes they will surprise you and be excellent mothers even the first time.  The best thing to do is to make sure they have a warm dry nest and hope they can figure it out.  If she has her babies in a different area out of the nest and you catch them in time, you can put them in the nest and move the box to where she piled them up.  I have had doe's have litters outside of the nest box but still take very good care of them.

About cannibalism... rabbits don't generally eat their young.  Sometimes when they are birthing they will have difficulty and will put them out with their teeth.  Often times the babies will be bitten in half.  The mother generally doesn't mean to do this.  Some people say that mothers that eat their young don't have enough protein in their systems.  I don't know how accurate it is but I have heard all sorts of theories.

Good luck Kenji and please let me know how the babies do.

Pam

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

QUESTION: Hi Pam. I have another quick question for you. My rabbit already started to make her nest before I had a chance to put the nest box in. I was going to do it wedsnday (28 days after mating) but I noticed this morning that there was a nest in the corner of her cage. Is it okay if I put the nest in the nest box where I had it or what should I do? Im so excited.
ANSWER: Hi Kenji

Gently pick up the nest and put it in the nest box.  Then put the box over the location where she started building this nest.  She should continue building the nest inside the box.

She is basically telling you that is the area she wants to have her babies.  Hopefully she will have them soon.

Good luck

Pam

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

QUESTION: Okay, so I picked up her nest and put it in the nest box, but my rabbit just started pulling it around her cage and kinda flipped it over. Then she started making a nest in the corner where the box was (and the first nest she made). Im wondering if its necessary that she have the nest box? Or at least until the babies are born? My concern is that she will not have the babies in the nest or they are going to somehow get pulled out of the nest. I dont know how long they can be out of it for, I work a lot and check on her in the morning when I get up and then around 5 when I get home. My house is very warm, especially since we dont have the air on. I just dont know how easy it is for them to get too cold.
Anyways thanks a bunch Pam.
ANSWER: Hi Kenji

If you are using a nice heavy un-treated wooden box she shouldn't be able to lift it up.  My nest boxes are very heavy.  

If you don't have a wire bottom cage and you have nicely covered clean aspen chips on the floor then she will probably make a nice nest on the cage floor and the babies should be fine.  However if you find them on the cage floor you should really put them in a heavy box.  It is much safer for them and she won't accidently step on them.  She will only go in the box when she is feeding them.

Kenji??  How long has your rabbit been pulling her fur?  It seems like the first time you asked me was quite a while ago.  Rabbits are only pregnant from 28 - 33 days and they generally don't even start pulling their fur until a few days before.  If they pull their fur for extended periods of time they are often times having false pregnancies.  It is still good to be prepared but I was just curious how long it has been.

If your bunny is on a wire bottom cage please get her on a plastic bottom cage immediately.  I never keep my expecting doe's on wire bottom cages.  I do occasionally have a doe deliver on the cage floor but as long as they pull fur and I put the babies in the nest box they survive.  Occasionally one will get pulled out of the box and if I don't catch it within a 15 minutes or so it will usually die from exposure.  Generally after they get hair and their eyes open they can survive out of the nest for longer periods of time.  After about 2 weeks they can survive out of the nest pretty much indefinitely.

Good luck

Pam

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

QUESTION: Well I looked into the cage today and found four new bundles of joy in the corner! All warm and wriggling! Any advice for this point forward?

Answer
Just make sure they stay warm and covered.  Check them every day to make sure they are all alive.  If any happen to die you need to remove it so the others don't get sick.  You can pick them up to check them and the mom won't care but give her a pet and let her know that you love her.  She may seem protective of them but just kind of push her away with your other hand while you are checking the babies.

Also they wiggle a lot.  When you pick them up to check them make sure you only lift them slightly off the nest.  They will wiggle right out of your hand and fall very easily.  You don't want them falling on the cement.  Other than that all you have to do is keep their cage clean and  just wait for them to grow up.  Keep them with their mom until they are 8 weeks old.  Then you can take them away.  I usually take away to at a time a few days apart.  I still keep all the babies together until they are about 10 - 11 weeks old.  At about 2 weeks they will have their eyes open and they should be hopping around.  They grow very fast.  Enjoy them while they are young, they are such precious little creatures.

Congratulations on the babies.

Good luck

Pam