Bunny Boy had Bunnies..

[chickens really]

I brought Bunny Boy home because I didn't like the fact that he was in with other rabbits so soon. Remember mine was a Male till yesterday...Only 8 months old too. Bred at about 7 months. Good grief...

 

[lovingmyhens]

Do I actually need to wear rubber gloves?

No momma will take care of them regardless. This happened to me a few years ago. Give her some more stuff to line the nest...shredded newspaper or Kleenex or grass clippings. We held our babies rt away and they were fine.

 

[chickens really]

Then maybe your friend would like one of the kits when it is older

That won't happen in my life time.

 

[chickens really]

No momma will take care of them regardless. This happened to me a few years ago. Give her some more stuff to line the nest...shredded newspaper or Kleenex or grass clippings. We held our babies rt away and they were fine.

Awesome...Her nest is totally hair and straw. I had Bunny Boy are prepared for winter weather so I put in straw over the pine shavings. I sure didn't expect Baby Bunnies at all...

 

[lovingmyhens]

Awesome...Her nest is totally hair and straw. I had Bunny Boy are prepared for winter weather so I put in straw over the pine shavings. I sure didn't expect Baby Bunnies at all...

I had 2 boys. I got another boy but I couldn’t integrate him with the other 2 no matter how I tried. Eventually I had to get him his own hutch. 30 days later my daughter heard noises in the top of the hutch where my 2 boys were. I opened up the lid and voila! 5 baby bunnies I was screaming and jumping up and down like a crazy person. Went from 3 bunnies to 8 in a matter of minutes. They were born around Jan 30. It was soo cold but she took super good care of them.

 

[chickens really]

I had 2 boys. I got another boy but I couldn’t integrate him with the other 2 no matter how I tried. Eventually I had to get him his own hutch. 30 days later my daughter heard noises in the top of the hutch where my 2 boys were. I opened up the lid and voila! 5 baby bunnies I was screaming and jumping up and down like a crazy person. Went from 3 bunnies to 8 in a matter of minutes. They were born around Jan 30. It was soo cold but she took super good care of them.

Awesome story........I still haven't counted mine because I'm too scared to bother them...

 

[Bunnylady]

Wow! lots of confusion here. Let's see if I can clear some things up.

Rabbits are what is called obligate breeders,

Ummmm, sorry, but no. They are not obligate breeders, they are induced ovulators (so are cats, interestingly). The female ripens eggs, and holds them in a state of readiness, until she is bred. The act of mating causes the release of a hormone that, in turn, causes the eggs to be released. Contrary to popular belief, the female rabbit is not always receptive; she does have a hormonal cycle, she just has a much longer (potential) fertile period during that cycle than animals that release eggs automatically. The ARBA's Domestic Rabbits did an article (eons ago!) about a study in which does that didn't breed voluntarily were held for the buck ("forced breeding"); those that bred on their own became pregnant about 80% of the time, and those that were force bred failed to conceive at least 80% of the time. This was a clear demonstration of the fact that a doe is not always fertile, and a failure to breed or conceive may simply mean you are trying at the wrong time of her cycle.

But yeah, sometimes you get a radical shift in behavior when a doe is pregnant. Usually, they become touch-me-nots, but we had a doe that was an absolute snot when she wasn't pregnant (very territorial about her cage), but became really sweet and lovable when she had a litter. Go figure.

Imagine yourself finding your Male Rabbit has a nest full of babies...

Some of my very first rabbits had been pets at a day care center. They thought they had two females, so imagine the horror of the staff when, one morning, they came in to find fur and dead baby rabbits all over the cage! Just too traumatic for them; they gave them to me rather than risk it happening again. A few months later, I took a litter of baby bunnies in for the kids to see and play with, and remarked that their white rabbit was the father of the litter. They were stunned - since the fur that had been all over the place was white, they had assumed it was the mother's fur, therefor the white rabbit was the doe . . . nope. As they will do, the doe had gathered material where she could, and had pulled his fur to line her nest. Things aren't always what they seem.

Bred at about 7 months. Good grief...

Most rabbit breeders start breeding animals at around 6 months or so (giant breeds may still be growing at that age, so may be started later). Actually, waiting too long is a bad thing with rabbits; it's so easy to overfeed small breeds, and a fat rabbit may not want to breed or have serious problems if it does. Most does begin losing fertility by age 2 years or so; if a doe is still alive at 4 or 5, she is most likely effectively sterile by then (as are older bucks). Whether intended or not, a litter at 8 months is not a problem.

 

[chickens really]

Wow! lots of confusion here . . .



Ummmm, sorry, but no. They are induced ovulators (so are cats, interestingly). The female ripens eggs, and holds them in a state of readiness, until she is bred. The act of mating causes the release of a hormone that, in turn, causes the eggs to be released. Contrary to popular belief, the female rabbit is not always receptive; she does have a hormonal cycle, she just has a much longer (potential) fertile period during that cycle than animals that release eggs automatically. Domestic Rabbit did an article (eons ago!) about a study in which does that didn't breed voluntarily were held for the buck ("forced breeding"); those that bred on their own became pregnant about 80% of the time, and those that were force bred failed to conceive at least 80% of the time. This was a clear demonstration of the fact that a doe is not always fertile, and a failure to breed or conceive may simply mean you are trying at the wrong time of her cycle.

But yeah, sometimes you get a radical shift in behavior when a doe is pregnant. Usually, they become touch-me-nots, but we had a doe that was an absolute snot when she wasn't pregnant (very territorial about her cage), that was really sweet and lovable when she had a litter. Go figure.



Some of my very first rabbits had been pets at a day care center. They thought they had two females, so imagine the horror of the staff when, one morning, they came in to find fur and dead baby rabbits all over the cage! Just too traumatic for them; they gave them to me rather than risk it happening again. A few months later, I took a litter of baby bunnies in for the kids to see and play with, and remarked that their white rabbit was the father of the litter. They were stunned - since the fur that was all over the place was white, they had assumed it was the mother's fur, therefor the white rabbit was the doe . . . nope. As they will do, the doe had gathered material where she could, and had pulled his fur to line her nest. Things aren't always what they seem.



Most rabbit breeders start breeding animals at around 6 months or so (giant breeds may still be growing at that age, so may be started later). Actually, waiting too long is a bad thing with rabbits; it's so easy to overfeed small breeds, and a fat rabbit may not want to breed or have serious problems if it does. Most does begin losing fertility by age 2 years or so; if a doe is still alive at 4 or 5, she is most likely effectively sterile by then (as are older bucks).

You don't understand I think?....Bunny Boy is a single Rabbit Here on my farm. He was given away although I brought him back home because I didn't like his situation at the place I gave him too. Yesterday I found Babies so that changes Bunny Boy to actually Bunny Girl...my Bunny was a girl and his Was aboy . I have babies and he doesn't.....

 

[chickens really]

4 perfect fat little bunnies are in Bunny Boys nest. I put it into a nest box and stuffed straw around all sides. The Bunnies are all spotted and so cute...
Thanks everyone for all the replies...

 

[chickens really]

Please keep replying because I need as much help as I can get from today till weaned...