Help - Unexpected Pregnancy!

[ronnierosental]

Hiya,

I just wondered if anyone can help - I acquired 3 female rabbits a couple of months ago, turns out they are not all female! As soon as I realised I separated them of course, this was too late however for the female as she went into labour Sunday night we are now into day 2 and all the kits seem to be doing well - I checked on them a few times yesterday and this morning - I have not yet touched them as I keep reading a lot of mixed advise re this. Unfortunately they do not have a nesting box but are in the dark enclosed side of the hutch and seem very warm i've been too worried to move them into a box as I dont know how their mum will react.

My main concern now is that I am coming down with a cold and obviously don't want to make mother or baby ill so just looking for a bit of advice really on what to do now? Or any advice at all will be welcome!

Thank you

 

[RoyalLions18]

Touch them! Wash your hands good and touch them! I have been raising rabbits for a long time and have never had a mother , not take care of her babies after.

 

[ronnierosental]

Hiya,

Even if I have a cold?

Thank you for your reply )

 

[MiserySmith]

I don't believe human colds are passable to rabbits. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure they should be fine.

 

[ronnierosental]

Thank you,

Yeah I have read that today (I have been googling none stop for 2 days solid) I was just wondering if that goes for babies as well as they look soooo delicate!

 

[gmas rabbit]

You could set up some sort of hay nest for her if you are worried, she will probably gratefully except it, just leave it in the corner where she has them. Did she pull any of her fur out for them? Could be if she did that they are pretty comfy. I agree, just wash your hands before and after and touch them. Rabbits are great moms and pretty accepting of having their babies handled. It is like "see what I did, aren't you proud of me". Just resist the urge to kiss them with your cold. lol

 

[ronnierosental]

Yeah she did - she pulled quite a lot actually. She seems to be a good mum and is feeding them all okay and they always seem really warm when I do check on them.

 

[bhoffman]

I have been handling my kits since the day they were born.. heck I was holding them about an hour after they were born. The mother is a first time mom and has not stopped caring for her babies. She is doing great actually.. the kits are now 4 weeks old (tomorrow) and are all very healthy. If you are concerned abotu the kits, I would put some straw or whatever type of bedding you have in a box.. about the size of a shoe box.. Then put the kids in there. Mom will find her babies! My doe had her kits right beside her nest box (which is why I was handling them right after she was done basically!). She found them pretty fast.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat: Never too soon to get them socialized.

 

[ronnierosental]

Hey there - just a quick update, we are now on Day 5! Rabbits seem to be doing well and are developing a nice little coat of fur! I've been brave enough to touch them! yay! Thought it was best to check for dead ones etc since I havent yet! They are so tiny and warm! There are 6 - Mum accidently saw me touching them but she didn't seem to mind - she went in to check on them once id left and she didn't kill them or anything so I don't think she minds too much! Just need them to grow fast so I can stop worrying about them!

 

[ronnierosental]

Hiya all - just a quick update and another question lol!

We are now on day 11 and seem to be doing well... However now they are that little bit more active when I go into check on them and pick them up the push themselves away and end up alone in another part of the hutch - I have upset mum a little today by collecting them back together and putting them back where there were, I panicked a little and have now put them in a nesting box type thing made out of the lid of a shoebox. I was just wondering when it is okay for them to be on their own now if they move away from the others?

Thank you

 

[woahlookitsme]

They should be opening their eyes and when they are open is when they are VERY hard to keep in one spot and this is okay. They will see where their siblings are and be able to go back to them. By day 14 all babies should have their eyes open. Usually on Day 10 the bigger babies will open and then slowly the rest will.

If you need to help them just get a warm wet paper towel and rub over the eyelids and gently pull the lids apart. If it gives a little you can wet them a little more and they should be easier. If there is no give then don't force it, wait another day or so and try again.

Make sure you are handling them daily. It is VERY easy for these babies to become very skittish and scared. You need to be picking them up and flipping them over daily. How I teach them to flip on their backs is hold them on their back and when they stop squirming and kicking then I will set them down. If they try to jump out of my hand I will pick them back up and do it again. It takes a couple of times but eventually a lightbulb comes on and they get better and better. This will be of much benefit to their new owners as all of us know that rabbits dont like to be held but if they experience it since they were little then they feel its not a big deal. One of my moms polish almost screamed its head off when i flipped him and mom was freaking out! I was seriously just laughing it was so funny. Now that baby is so sweet LOL

 

[Thumperina]

oops, posted by a mistake

 

[Hyatt101]

Its fine to touch them, just wash your hands with wamr water before and after touvhing them, and refrain from using heavily scented soaps!!

 

[ronnierosental]

Right.... Just want to say thank you to you all for all of your help so far! I dont think I could have survived through it otherwise - I do however have another problem... we are on day 16 and all the babies are moving around and annoying mum she doing a lot of stomping around ( ive opened the hutch door for her to come out but she doesnt seem to want to leave them yet - should I just leave her in there and hope that she doesnt hurt them or should I force her to come out?

Thank you!

 

[JBun]

Lol, poor momma bun My female rabbit had babies and when they were about 2 weeks old they all started coming out of the nest box. Their mom looked absolutely panicked with all these little buns running around chasing her to nurse. She finally hopped into her litter box to 'hide' from them and it worked, they didn't follow her in there. She eventually got used to them running around everywhere, and they learned when they were allowed to nurse, she just hopped away if it wasn't nursing time yet. It might help if you give your rabbit a box or something to hop on to get away from her babies if she needs a break from them. Usually people turn the nesting box on it's side and the mom can hop up on that to get away from the babies.

 

[ronnierosental]

Yeah thats a good idea - ill try that! Thank you!