Help! found rabbit in yard. She's having babies now, what to do???

[sommrluv]

We started with meat rabbits in August and I'm absolutely addicted and thrilled we're doing it.

A rabbit is MUCH easier to clean & skin than a chicken, and even in the kitchen, as far as breaking down, it's easier. (I do have muscular dystrophy and therefore not a lot of hand strength, and it's great for me)

Also rabbit is one of the healthiest meats out there...very good because it's either low cholesterol or free from cholesterol.


what helps us with the babies is to have another litter coming up behind it from another rabbit. Than when the babies are 10 weeks old, they aren't nearly as cute as the 2 or 4 weekers you have. I kiss and snuggle and name them all..I also grew up in the 'burbs but haven't had a problem yet. Husband does do the dispatch, however.

 

[sommrluv]

Oh, and touching young rabbits is a myth. You should be able to handle babies very young, rabbits don't work by sense of smell in that way.

Also, I would give some sort of box or keep the heat lamp...rabbits get chilled VERY easily and can die (babies) when it's a warm day out even.

rabbit pellets will be SOOOO much cheaper at a feed or garden store than a pet store...somewhere in the realm of $12 for a 50 lb bag instead of the same price for a 5 lb bag.

 

[EmAbTo48]

Quote:
6-8 weeks? You should leave the babies with mom till 6-8 weeks, never had an issue. Most rabbits hormones kick in at 4-6 months. We seperate at 8 weeks to get them away from mom and then sell them. Then by 3 months they are seperated by sex if not sold yet. I have never had one go into heat or show signs of mating at 12 weeks.

Also you should leave the kits alone just look/not touch you will be able to tell if any passed from movement. Make sure to remove any of them that pass. 9 is a big litter so don't feel like you did something wrong if you lose a couple crossing my fingers they all make!!

After the first week we touch ours to make sure everything appears normal. Just watch mom and see how she is acting, our 2 doe's know and trust us, just feel it out.

Think you missinterpreted!! - What I said was between 6-8 weeks the babies can be seperated from mom. At that stage you can get them Sexed by a good vet and then seperate males from females and in that way you avoid any more babies. I have heard of folk having pregnant doe's at 8-10 weeks depending on the breed. It is best to seperate the sexes if at all possible when they reach the age to be away from mom. I would not be touching them too much as some Rabbits do turn on the young and even pregnant doe's can injest their young if disturbed. Much like Chickens they are canabolistic.

Sorry, about that! Thought you ment they would start breeding at that time. We sell Harlequin rabbits, I have never had one go into heat by 12 weeks, but I guess you have different.

To the OP, as long as your cage has no open areas that he kits can get stuck in like wire areas, then your set up can be fine with the heat lamp. However, the reason everyone is telling you to have a nesting box is because if they are confined to one area they all keep each other warm and they are able to be close to there siblings. The ones in the picture that are crawling around (if you didn't have a heat lamp) would die of low body temps or can get stuck in, water bowls, food dishes, wire on cages, etc. Our doe's would be frantic if the kits were all over the place like that.

 

[sommrluv]

How are the babies?

 

[ruffles]

Hi, I resside in Massachusetts, there is a great rabbit rescue, called Binks, perhaps you can accesss them on line and get great information. Perhaps they know of a legit rabbit rescue in your area .

Oh, Binks is in I think Exeter Rhode Island

 

[spiritdance]

If mom is not huddling with the kits the heat lamp may in fact be TOO hot! That's another reason for a good nesting box, since mom knows better what temp the babies should be and will regulate that by moving closer if they're cold or moving out of the box if it gets too warm. Baby bunnies do need to be warm, but they also lack the body surface necessary to shed excess heat, so overheating is a threat just as chilling is. Get mom a box, even if it's just a cardboard box for the moment, and let her use her internal "thermostat" as nature intended. That said, DO NOT take the heat source away until you put the box in or you could go from one extreme to the other and lose the babies for sure.

 

[bossynbella]

Quote:
The mother rabbit doesn't sit in the box with the kits no matter how cold it is. It is her instinct to avoid the box during the day, as in the wild that could draw predators to the babies. They go in to feed them in the morning and evening for only a few minutes. Otherwise usually ignoring the box altogether, some of our does do seem to peek in to check on them every so often, but until their eyes are open it seems to be just a twice a day thing.
You do need a nest box. Really its just safer for the babies, too likely mom is going to accidentally step on one if they are sprawled all over.

 

[oesdog]

Not always the case - my dutch rabbit never left her kits - only to go get food. I think it depends on the rabbit and the back ground. If they were hand reared /reared in captivity/ or more wild less handled etc.

Not all Rabbits are the same you just have to go with your Rabbit and what she wants to do.

Oesdog

 

[deerman]

rabbit are easy to sex at 6 weeks...or even younger if you have good eyes.


rabbits eat their young sometime first time mothers, the touching is a old wives tail..but best to check when mother is not in the nest.

rabbits breed early but not before 3 months,

even wild rabbit if you touch the babies ,mother will still feed them.......replaced babies in the nest after running over a nest with a mower. yes the mother came back and raised them all.


also no need for heat lamp, i rasied many thru our northern winter, outside no heat.....reason the mother lined the nest with fur.

 

[sommrluv]

Not always the case - my dutch rabbit never left her kits - only to go get food. I think it depends on the rabbit and the back ground. If they were hand reared /reared in captivity/ or more wild less handled etc.

Not all Rabbits are the same you just have to go with your Rabbit and what she wants to do.

Oesdog

Not only is that not normal, it's not recommended. A rabbit that will be in the nest box that often will ultimately stomp her kits. Their body structure does not necessitate drawing heat that way. As well as sleeping on top of fragile cargo like that. It has nothing to do with being handled...it's basic rabbit 101.