Help! We've got babies!
At the Rescue we are regularly contacted by people who have discovered to their horror that the two 'female' bunnies sold at a pet shop have produced a litter of babies or kits. We hope that this page may be of use to anyone facing this dilemma since it appears that reliable and correct information or assistance does not seem to be readily available! Too often the first that the owner knows about the babies is when they have arrived, so there is no time to make preparations well in advance.
Normally the new mother is more than able to look after her youngsters. Very occasionally a litter will need to be hand reared. If this is the case and for more information click here: Hand rearing
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There are babies in the cage! What should I do?
The first thing that needs to be done urgently is to split the two adults. The doe can become pregnant again within 12 hours of having her litter. You think that you have problems now - it could only be half of the story! Also the buck may well attack the babies or destroy the nest. He must be re-housed separately.
But we were sold them as two females.
Clearly someone has got their facts wrong. As of now, you probably have one buck and one doe. Another possibility of course is that they are both females, but one was pregnant before you purchased her!
It is possible that two does may continue to get on well together with a nest of babies in their cage. However the mother may become very territorial, guarding her nest quite aggressively. If this is the case the does will need to be split, but it is essential that the correct doe remains with the litter. If you are uncertain which doe is the mother you can tell because of her behaviour and the milk-swollen teats underneath her. Alternatively, if you are local to us we may well be able to help, or a call to your vet will be in order.
We were told that they would not have a litter because they are different breeds.
Sorry, this is a fairy story, as is the one that bunnies from the same litter will not breed!
How will I know if my bunnies are of an age to reproduce?
Rabbits become sexually mature at different ages depending on their breed. However it is a possibility at any time from 3½ months onwards. Younger babies will start practising their mating skills at an early age - do not be appalled if you see them doing this! But start to be thinking ahead and talk with your vet about neutering. Dutch rabbits in particular mature early.
How long has my bunny been pregnant?
Pregnancy generally is 28 - 32 days. During this time the doe may be moody, making squeaking or grunting noises and frantically chopping up and digging in the bedding materials. Sometimes you may see her making a nest and carrying hay or straw in her mouth. Does often make a nest, scuff it to pieces and remake it several times before producing the babies.
There is blood around the cage.
This is quite common and there may be traces of blood seen in the toilet corner for the next day or so. If it is more than this you will need to get some experienced help. You may also find after-birth. Carefully clean away anything like this which the doe has discarded.
There are babies scattered around in the cage and not in the nest.
Many first time does, even in the hands of an experienced rabbit breeder, can have problems raising a first litter. If the babies are scattered they are in danger of being chilled. They will die of cold if you do not get them into the warmth of their nest - even in summertime.
One of the babies is cold, but it is still moving. What should I do?
The baby must be warmed - hold it in your hands so your body warmth will help to re-heat it, or put it back into the nest with the others. Do not be afraid to pick it up and put it back - it will die if you leave it. You will feel it begin to move around as its body re-heats. The litter will need to be watched for the next 2 weeks since the kits can wriggle out from the nest or be dragged out whilst feeding.
It looks as though a baby is missing one of its limbs or ears. What has happened? Will they re-grow?
It can happen that a doe, whilst cleaning up the baby, has accidentally nipped or licked off part of the baby. The missing limb or ears will never re-grow. A decision will need to be taken about the future of this baby and whether it should be allowed to continue to live. A rabbit can cope without its ears, but the future owner must be very vigilant during the heat of summer since the ears are used to help the bunny keep cool in hot weather. Are you prepared to manage this? Also disability due to lost limbs needs careful consideration. You may need to discuss this further with a vet or with ourselves.
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An adult rabbit with one ear - perfectly healthy, but needing an extra bit of love and care. |
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The children want to see the babies? What should I do?
It is wisest during the first days that access to the cage and nest be very limited. If you need to see the nest to check that all is well, it is worth distracting the doe with some favourite titbit so she does not become stressed . Certainly it is not a good idea for the children and all their friends to come visiting. The doe needs a quiet and calm environment. If the doe is upset or frightened she may scatter the nest and kill the babies.
The babies are different colours. Is that alright?
When the babies are born their skin colours can vary from pink to a silvery grey or black or the skin can even seem to have patches of both pink and darker skin. This gives you some indication of the colours that the fur will become within the next few weeks as it begins to grow through. The darker the skin, the darker the fur. Pink skin is indicative of future white or light coloured fur.
The mother seems to be having nothing to do with the nest. Are the babies being fed?
It is unlikely that you will see the doe feeding the youngsters since she normally does this once a day, usually during the evening or night. The visits last for a few minutes only. A doe who is forever fiddling around with the nest runs a higher risk of actually losing the babies than one who appears to be neglectful. It is normal for rabbits to be absent from their young in this manner and will not spend hours curled up with their kits. While the kits have full bellies and are growing, all is well. There may be a weakling in the litter and the other babies will push this one away at feeding time. Within a few days this one will become noticeably weaker and may even die.
The kits have their eyes closed. Is this normal?
The babies' eyes will be closed for about a fortnight.
How long will it be before the babies come out of their nest?
You will need to wait just over a fortnight before the babies come out of the nest. They are still taking milk from the doe and, even though they will begin to nibble at solid food, the weaning stage does not being until they are around 3 weeks old.
What should I expect to see happening when the babies are in the nest?
Take a look at our website page See How They Grow. This page shows the development of a successful litter of babies from birth until they are out out of the nest as independent youngsters.
We cannot keep a litter of babies? How soon before we can get rid of them?
We strongly recommend that the babies remain with their mother until they are a minimum of 6-8 weeks old. We strongly recommend that they are not re-homed until they are 10-12 weeks old. We recommend that if possible you take the doe away from the litter before the babies are separated. This is to allow them time to get used to being without mum within the hutch that they regard as home. This can be a very stressful period and many youngsters develop stomach disorders at this stage due to the stress.
What do I do with these babies?
Consider where they are going. You need to act responsibly since you are dealing with precious lives and not just getting rid of something of nuisance value only. If you are going to advertise them the vet's notice-board is a possibility. Be careful with adverts in the free-ads and shops - free to a good home can attract people looking for live food for pet snakes... Contact us for advice.
