Unexpected baby bunnies!! Please help!

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Of course! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thank you! You have been so awesome

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

how do I know if the mama is taking care of them? She is kinda Ignoring them right now and playing in the run

Normal. Big fat bellies, which your kits have

 

[LizzzyJo]

I am a holland lop breeder and I second the notion to not bring them indoors. Leave them out - just make sure that they have a place that is out of the wind/elements. I would also put an additional hiding space for mom as she will likely not hide out in their nest. It's an instinctual behavior to keep predators away from the nest.

Keep her maintained with food and water. At two weeks change out the nesting material to be sure that they stay dry.

Congrats on the cute babies!

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

With that nest, those kits should be good into the negatives.

Oh that’s awesome, thank you!

 

[LizzzyJo]

Oh that’s awesome, thank you!

The unwritten rule is to bring them in at real temp -10 (not wind chill as they are not in the wind). The issue is that once they come in they have to have a slow transition back out into the cold or they could go into shock.

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

I am a holland lop breeder and I second the notion to not bring them indoors. Leave them out - just make sure that they have a place that is out of the wind/elements. I would also put an additional hiding space for mom as she will likely not hide out in their nest. It's an instinctual behavior to keep predators away from the nest.

Keep her maintained with food and water. At two weeks change out the nesting material to be sure that they stay dry.

Congrats on the cute babies!

Thank you!!

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

The unwritten rule is to bring them in at real temp -10 (not wind chill as they are not in the wind). The issue is that once they come in they have to have a slow transition back out into the cold or they could go into shock.

Ok, that makes perfect sense, thank you!!

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Is there any special care I need to be aware of? Different food for mama? Special water? Thank you!

 

[NatJ]

My rabbit was the one who has babies, and we have already separated the father. They are outdoor rabbits and it is quite cold right now here in Maine, they don’t have a heated hutch. Do we need to move them into the hOuse? Or will they be ok?

I may be repeating a few things that have been said, but:

--5 bunnies should be fine during cold weather since they are in that cozy nest with that much hay and especially with that much fur.

--Mother rabbits usually nurse their bunnies one or two times per day, and ignore them the rest of the time. You will almost never see her nursing them, because she does it when no-one is arround. As long as the bunnies are warm and have round bellies, they are doing fine.

--It's best to leave the bunnies with their mother for 8 weeks or so before you separate them. But they can be weaned as young as 4 weeks if they are eating well (only do this if you have a really good reason, like the mother having another litter at that point.)

--The mother is probably pregnant again. Have another nestbox in the cage 4 weeks from when the bunnies were born, because there's a high chance of more bunnies on day 31. If she reaches 6 weeks after you removed the male, you can be sure she did not get pregnant again right away. If new bunnies are born, move the current litter out immediately. They can live in a cage together for another month or so before you rehome any of them.

--The mother needs plenty of food, such as unlimited alfalfa-based pellets (usually around 18% protein or sometimes higher.) Unlimited hay is a good addition. If you don't have alfalfa-based pellets for her, then provide alfalfa hay in addition to whatever she usually eats. And of course she needs plenty of water. You don't have to do anything special about the water, just make sure it is not frozen, empty, or too dirty.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Is there any special care I need to be aware of? Different food for mama? Special water? Thank you!

Give her whatever her normal food is, but I would also start her onto alfalfa hay in addition to the timothy hay or orchard grass she is getting. She will begin to drink a crazy amount of water, so if you have space give an extra heated bowl for her. Bottles allow for underhydration, but maintain it in addition to the heated bowl if that is what she is accustomed to. Give her greens (not iceberg lettuce) just be sure the babies don't get them.

Remember to not feed the babies ANY fresh greens or fruits. It will cause diarrhea. Wait months before giving them these treats.