Rabbit nest in my yard

Question
Hi,
My wife and I noticed a couple rabbits in our back yard for a while now. Yesterday I had just cut the lawn and we were inside. Hours after cutting the lawn there were 2 rabbits in the center of the back yard. We saw one of the rabbits by a certain area and then was chased by the other rabbit, which was the male. We learned this by watching them. Then they left the yard. We went to see if she pooped in the area she was at since we have found pellets around the yard. Suprisingly we found a nest. I pulled back some dead grass by the fresh dug dirt and there was a sack type hair with movement inside. We learned it was the nest and put the grass back on the hole the best we could using a stick, being careful of course. I have read some of the notes on the question forum, but was wondering on a few topics I could not find. How long will the bunny babbies be there? How far away from cutting the grass around that area should I stay? How do I keep the rabbits from having babbies in the yard again? I want to let them be and hopefully they will move on. Again the nest is in the center of the yard. We also have a dog that keeps wanting to smell the hole, but she listens and leaves it alone. So, any suggestions? Your help and advise is greatly appreciated...

John in NJ

Answer
How long they will be there really depends on what species of rabbit it is. If you are in the USA, they are likely cottontails or jackrabbits. If they are in a dug out hole of any kind, they are not jackrabbits, as they don't dig burrows for nests. If you are in Europe, they are probably European rabbits, which are the ancestors of domestic rabbits. US rabbit and hare species usually only stay in their nest for a few (around 3) weeks. European rabbits may stay longer.

I'd stay at least 2 feet around the nest, but be careful when mowing because they might start moving about some. Once the babies have moved out of the nest, totally wreck the nest. Cause as much commotion and damage in the area as you can. Also once they leave, let your dog around the area as much as possible to put a predator smell in the yard. This will often disuade the mom from nesting there again. As far as keeping them from nesting in the yard entirely, that is kind of hard. Wild animals will do as they please. All you can do is make it as inhospitable to them as possible. When you see them (after the babies are out of the nest), make noise, chase them, etc. It might seem a bit harsh, but it is better than accidentally mowing over a litter of babies in the future.