i think my rabbit is have babies

Question
Hi...i have 2 rabbit one is a doe and the other is a buck, i'v only just got the doe(3 weeks)i got her from a farm she is about 5 years old and has been use to a cage most her life but, now she loves going out in the garden, most days i take it in turns to let them out a diffent times but my son let the buck out the other day and i don't know how long as i only notice when i went to get the doe(dolly) in, they were both out runing round, and then today i'v gone to change her hutch and there is alot a fer and hay in one conner? is she having babies? please help as i'v never have babies rabit be4!  p.s would my buck(thumper) be the dad or would she already be from the fram were i got her from?  

Answer
The normal gestation (pregnancy) period for rabbits is 28 to 32 days, so around 4 weeks. So if she just had access to your male, she is probably pregnant from when you got her. If it has been at least two weeks since she was with your male, though, he could be the father. Some does start plucking fur and making a nest as early as that, though most wait a week or less before they are going to give birth to make a nest.

She will need a nesting box. Sometimes feed stores like Tractor Supply carry them. Otherwise, if you or someone in your family is good at woodworking, you can build one. Untreated pine boards work well. They should be as tall or a bit taller than the mother when she is in a normal sitting position. The box should be built to be 4 inches wider and longer than the mother in a normal sitting position. The front of the box should be cut down to be around 4 or 5 inches high (shorter if she is a small rabbit, taller if she is a large rabbit). Basically, she should be able to get into the box fairly easily, but it still needs to be high enough to keep the babies in until they are around 2 weeks old. If you absolutely cannot buy or build a nesting box, a cardboard box of the size described can work. However, since she will likely chew on it, you will probably have to change out the box frequently. Also, if she pees in the box, the bottom will get soggy, so it is not a bad idea to put absorbant litter down on the bottom then include the nesting material. Even better, but a board that fits well into the bottom, then put in absorbant litter, and finally put in the nesting material.

Hay works just fine for nesting material, but make sure she has enough both to eat and to make a nest with.

Do not increase her feed until after she has the babies, as it could be dangerous for her if she is overweight when she tries to give birth.

When she does give birth, check the babies for any dead or severely injured ones. Both should be removed to prevent infection spreading to the healthy ones.

Rabbits only nurse their young once or twice a day for a few minutes each time, so it is common to never see the babies being fed. As long as you cannot easily see their ribs, they are fine.

Finally, don't take them away from the mom before 7 weeks of age. I usually wean the biggest pairs (if there are 4 or more babies) at 7 weeks, leaving the smaller babies one more week with the mom. Always wean in at least pairs, if at all possible, so the babies don't suddenly go from living with the mom and siblings to living all alone. Once the babies have adjusted to being away from mom (a week is usually good), they can move to their invidual cages and/or be placed in new homes.