Rosalie
Well-Known Member
can anyone recommend any articles or books or just experience as to what to expect and how to prepare for a pregnant bunny to give birth .. (I'm almost 100% positive she is pregnant so if she is I want to be prepared)
bunnies giving birth?
- Thread starter Rosalie
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TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I am moving this to the rabbitry area for the breeders to help you!
You don't really have to do much. Rabbits normally have their kits at around 30-31 days. Provide a nestbox with some hay in it on day 28 and the doe should do the rest.
CCWelch
Well-Known Member
Ann Kanable "Raising Rabbits"
Rosalie
Well-Known Member
do you think it would be a good idea for me to stick some gloves in sophie's cage to let her get her smell on them so if for some reason i have to check on the babies i wont make them smell like me?
Now I am not a breeder mind you but from what I have seen of breeders here and from observing my breeder friend you really don't have to worry about your smell on the kits. Its kinda a myth that moms will kill kits if you touch them.
Rosalie
Well-Known Member
k =]
If the doe is a first time mom she may be skittish after she has the kits. If she's use to you messing with her before she kindles then she won't be as bad afterward. Some of our does don't look twice when we have our hand in the nestbox checking kits. A couple (usually first timers) get kinda agitated. If so, we just take the whole nestbox out, check kits, then put it back. We have one now like that, but she's gotten better now that the kits can get around.
BlueCamasRabbitry
Well-Known Member
At about 28 days you will want to give her a nestbox. A shoe box will work fine. Don't cut any dips in it, cause it's already low enough for the babies to get out, and you don't want that until about 2 weeks. lol.
Line it with some hay, and give the doe plenty more hay to add to it as she pleases. I ALWAYS make a nest for my doe to start out with in case she doesn't make one herself. Then my does just add to it with more hay and their own fur. I line the bottom with shavings too, but you could shred plain white paper and use that if you wanted.
You'll want to check the babies the day she has them to remove any bloody material and dead babies from the nest. After that, check daily to make sure their tummies are big and round - they should look like the baby swallowed a ping-pong ball. This means they're getting fed.
Clean the nest about every week or two. Make sure to save as much fur as possible up until the babies are about 3 weeks old. If they're inside though, they should be okay without any fur at about 2 weeks old. You just have to make sure they aren't too cold/hot. They will burrow deeper into the nest and snuggle with each other to retain body heat.
The doe should be getting a little more pellets/hay now, but you don't have to increase it too much until the kits start coming out of the nest and nibbling on the pellets & hay.
I always remove any water crocks until the babies are older so they don't drown. I put a water bottle at Mama's height, and a water bottle at babies' height, right next to each other. Babies will learn how to drink from it by watching mama.
Emily
Line it with some hay, and give the doe plenty more hay to add to it as she pleases. I ALWAYS make a nest for my doe to start out with in case she doesn't make one herself. Then my does just add to it with more hay and their own fur. I line the bottom with shavings too, but you could shred plain white paper and use that if you wanted.
You'll want to check the babies the day she has them to remove any bloody material and dead babies from the nest. After that, check daily to make sure their tummies are big and round - they should look like the baby swallowed a ping-pong ball. This means they're getting fed.
Clean the nest about every week or two. Make sure to save as much fur as possible up until the babies are about 3 weeks old. If they're inside though, they should be okay without any fur at about 2 weeks old. You just have to make sure they aren't too cold/hot. They will burrow deeper into the nest and snuggle with each other to retain body heat.
The doe should be getting a little more pellets/hay now, but you don't have to increase it too much until the kits start coming out of the nest and nibbling on the pellets & hay.
I always remove any water crocks until the babies are older so they don't drown. I put a water bottle at Mama's height, and a water bottle at babies' height, right next to each other. Babies will learn how to drink from it by watching mama.
Emily
Rosalie
Well-Known Member
thanks for the info she will definitely be inside i think i will need a bigger box then a shoe box she is quite big i think i might buy a large litter pan do you think that carefresh animal bedding would be ok the natural paper kind i thought that might be more warm and sanitary
