My rabbit is in labor

Question
Hi A.E.J

This is Natasha again. My rabbit is going to have her babies tonight. Her water has broke and she has been having contractions since the afternoon and it is now 9:00. She hasnt pulled her fur out yet. How long do they stay in labor for? When will she have her babies? Will she use her nest?

Thank you  

Answer
Dear Natasha,

Your rabbit may have already delivered when you get this note. If not--as to your questions--it is hard to guess these things before the actual event. Rabbits often surprise us (their owners)and do something we did not expect! In general, rabbit are in labor for, oh, maybe up to an hour. Some rabbits pull fur days before they deliver, while some pull it the day of delivery, some pull while in labor, some pull after the babies are born, and some might not pull at all, in which case you need to take action to keep any live babies warm. The first step would probably be to pull gently on the rabbit's fur in case it will come out easily, and she just has not pulled it herself. You may have to use fur from another mother rabbit, if you know one that has enough to spare, or warmed, clean rags or something.
Much of the time, rabbits use their nest box, but sometimes there are rabbits that build a nest on the cage floor and have them there. Sometimes they have them all over the cage floor, and you would have to pick them up and put them in the nest box, (warming them up with warmed towels first, if they are cold), or whatever emergency procedures necessary. If they are in a nest on the cage floor, feel how warm they are, and if they are laying on a wire cage floor, and how far they are from rolling out of the nest. If they are not in danger of getting their legs caught in a wire floor, or rolling out of the nest, or being uncovered for long, and getting too cold, and if the mother does not push them around alot, they would probably be fine, otherwise, try putting them in the nest box.

Anyway, I hope this helps, and was not too long and involved for you at this busy time!

God Bless
AEJ