Anybody ever watch a rabbit give birth?? LOL..
We raise rabbits for meat and had an unintended encounter between our breeding male and one of the 6 Mo old females... My fault but nothing I could do about it once the deed was done, Moved her to the nursing hutch a few weeks ago and last week she started gathering hay to make a nest, knew the birth would happen inside a week...Just went out to feed and water the animals and saw that she had pulled fur so opened her cage and to my amazement she had pulled fur all over the wire floor and had started birthing already... I calmly put some hay down in the birthing box and then some of her fur and one by one started putting the newborns in, they were still warm so I knew they were just moments old, as I was doing this I happened to glance at her and out pops another, so hard to not get exited but I remained calm, waited for her to clean it off and added it and out pops another.. all total she had three with me standing there, after she was done I gathered the rest of her fur and placed it on top of the kits (I didn't count as I put the first ones in but I think all total she had 10) Waited a moment to make sure she was done and then closed her cage and left her alone to take care of the chickens, came back to feed and water the rest of the rabbits and she was in the birthing box with them. I don't expect them all to survive, its been my experience they typically cant raise more than 8 , but hope she didn't get to spooked with me there, our last newbie mother over a three day period killed all her newborns, we culled her a month later. We have one solid good momma rabbit and was hoping to add this one to the breeders but I was wanting to wait til she was atleast 9 mo old..
Cross your fingers for her that she can atleast raise a few and that I didn't mess her up moving her babies...
But how cool, I watched baby rabbits being born!!!
We raise rabbits for meat and had an unintended encounter between our breeding male and one of the 6 Mo old females... My fault but nothing I could do about it once the deed was done, Moved her to the nursing hutch a few weeks ago and last week she started gathering hay to make a nest, knew the birth would happen inside a week...Just went out to feed and water the animals and saw that she had pulled fur so opened her cage and to my amazement she had pulled fur all over the wire floor and had started birthing already... I calmly put some hay down in the birthing box and then some of her fur and one by one started putting the newborns in, they were still warm so I knew they were just moments old, as I was doing this I happened to glance at her and out pops another, so hard to not get exited but I remained calm, waited for her to clean it off and added it and out pops another.. all total she had three with me standing there, after she was done I gathered the rest of her fur and placed it on top of the kits (I didn't count as I put the first ones in but I think all total she had 10) Waited a moment to make sure she was done and then closed her cage and left her alone to take care of the chickens, came back to feed and water the rest of the rabbits and she was in the birthing box with them. I don't expect them all to survive, its been my experience they typically cant raise more than 8 , but hope she didn't get to spooked with me there, our last newbie mother over a three day period killed all her newborns, we culled her a month later. We have one solid good momma rabbit and was hoping to add this one to the breeders but I was wanting to wait til she was atleast 9 mo old..
Cross your fingers for her that she can atleast raise a few and that I didn't mess her up moving her babies...
But how cool, I watched baby rabbits being born!!!
Though I suppose someone wanting to 'eggtopsy' them may do it by placing them into a zippy bag first, then breaking them open.
