New visitors in my workshop - mom & kits!

[tjrex]

Somebody let3rabbits out and they have been running around my yard for the past few months. They let you get about a foot from them and then they run away.

I was cleaning out my shop and found 6 babies under my freezer. The mom was nowhere to be found. I left them in the workshop and left the door open for mom to come in and feed them. Well this morning 1 of the babies was in the front yard..300 foot away and was mutilated, the mom rabbit was hanging around and looked like she was concerned.

There are a lot of cats around here along with snakes. Louisiana

I went and got one of the other babies and brought him out to try and get the mom to come close enough to catch her but was unsuccessful however the mom went looking for the youngsters and I shut the door on the shop. She is now in there with the kids.

I put water and food in there for her.

Now what should I do? I like having the rabbits running around the yard and would like to help these babies get big enough to fend for themselves without being caged up. I believe the little critters are about 2-3 weeks old.



Should I get a cage temporarily? keep the mom with the babies all the time?



Thanks

 

[JimD]

Are these wild or domestic rabbits?

 

[tjrex]

I'm not sure but my guess is domestic rabbits that were let lose. I say this because they let you walk up and get close to them...is there a way to tell?

 

[jenfur427]

What do the rabbits look like?

 

[JimD]

What color are they?


Could they be cottontails ?

 

[tjrex]

I have 1 white, 1 black, 2 brown and white and 1 black and white.

This mom is very nervous!

 

[JimD]

Oh my!!

Those are definitely domestic bunnies!!!
Are all the babies that size?
Eyes open and ears up is a good sign!

I would try to keep them all in the workshop if you can.
Maybe give them a cardboard box with some shredded newspaper in it. Cut it low enough for them to get in and out

What kind of food are you giving them?

Do you have rabbits of your own?

The mom looks a lot like my Rosie. She was abandoned, too!

~Jim

 

[tjrex]

I bought some pellets from wal-mart along with some sort of snak food..corn, sunflower seeds...it said it was for rabbits.



no I dont have any rabbits.

they are all about the same size..

I put them in a box but they all jumped out once the mother got in thes hop, before that they all stayed in the box with the nest material from under the freezer.

The rabbits have been running around for 3 months now.. Can rabbits like this live outside? I hate to put them in a cage..we live in the country and its nice to have rabbits running around he yard.

 

[JimD]

The mom doesn't have to be with the babies constantly.
She'll nurse them a couple of times a day....unless she's started to wean them.

The babies are probably out and around because mom's with them. They'll probably settle down after a while and snuggle up at nap time.

Mom will get used to you once she understands that you're not going to hurt her or the babies. She'll probably be anxious and protective until then.
Let them have some quiet time and keep them safe.

Can you get them some hay. Timothy hay would be good, but alfalfa might be better for the little ones.

~Jim

 

[clarzoo]

Cute! Those are definitely not wild bunnies, lol!

As far as your mom and babies go, those babies look several weeks old.At this point they will start spending more time outside the nest than in it. They will begin venturing out to learn from mom what is edible and what isn't. If the babies and mom are 'trapped' in your workshop,then they will need a good food source. Hay is ideal, and a good quality pellet is recommended. Sounds like the rabbit food you found is the stuff with treats in it- it is like snack food for kids, and isn't the healthiest stuff. Try to find pellets with nothing extra mixed in.If you are in the country- your feed store should carry some better quality brands.

The ideal thing to do in your situation would be to trap all the rabbits loose on your property with have a hart (no-kill) traps. The reason I say this, is because domestic bunnies can wreak havoc on an environment. They multiply quickly, and eat so much that other species of animals have to find food sources elsewhere. Chances are, if you have any sort of farm land around you, there is probably already a pretty large wild rabbit population. Also, domestic rabbits in white and other spotted colors like yours are, are much easier for a predator to catch since they stand out so easy from their environment.

If you do trap the rabbits, you could build rabbit-proof runs (on the ground) for them, so you still get to enjoy seeing them, and they wouldn't be loose. Rabbits can reproduce every 30 days, so it would be ideal to at the very least seperate the rabbits by sex, or get them altered. If you decide not to keep the rabbits, you can try to find an animal shelter to take them to, or re home them to someone looking for a bunny.

 

[Snuggys Mom]

First off, let me say you're doing a great job of keeping this little family safe and caring for them. Most people wouldn't bother.

Is it warm where you are now? Does the workshop have any ventilation? Rabbits overheat very easily.

The best thing would be to get these rabbits to a shelter or rescue group. What area of the country are you in?Maybe we can help you find a group.

Chances are the female is pregnant again. They can have babies every month. The little onescan and will breed among themselves if they are not separated by sex at about eightweeks of age.

Do you think you could lure the other loose rabbits in with veggies and trap them or maybe catch them with a net?

I can't believe that people "set free" domesticated pets. It causes so much trouble and usually other people (like yourself) have to clean up the mess they've made.

 

[Haley]

Youre doing a great job! Get as many of them inside as you can, they cannot survive in the wild for verylong. Keep mom with the babies and then any other ones you catch separate from the others to avoid more pregnancies.

If you need cheap cages, you can use old dog cages/pens or you can buy these cheap panels at target called Organize It shelving to buildpens/cages.http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15348&forum_id=21You can make cheap pens with just a few panels and some zip ties.

Heres a linkto a rabbit rescue: Rabbit Rescue of LA

and a list of some more http://www.adoptapet.com/RABBITS/US/LA/NAME/1

If you can get them all trapped and inside, I would call around and see if any of these places can take them or help you re home them.

Bless you for doing this for these little ones!

 

[bluebird]

I have seen situations llike this before.predators will pick off the rabbits till they are all gone.many people think if domestic rabbits are set free they can live in the wild.the colors are no camoflage and they dont have enough instincts anymore too survive in the wild.im surprised they have lasted this long.bluebird

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

They're adorable! Is there three adult bunnies?One momma, a buck and then another girl or boy? You should definitley at least buy like a playpen type thing that you can easily maneuver around to make sure the rabbits don't hop away to far from where they're situated. They could hop away and possibly crawl out of the shop from any opening and then they might be eaten by a snake or cat or dog or any other predator.



Cute pictures of them! Defintley domestic! Looks like English Spot? Or maybe Rex? Very gorgeous mother!

 

[aurora369]

Just wanted to add to the chorus of "Good job!".

You've done a wonderful thing by helping these guys out.

I think a trip to the feed store would be very helpful. Buy a big 40 pound bag of pellets and a big bale of hay (Timothy or some other grass hay or alfafa). Those babies will eat a lot as they grow, and mom is most likely pregnant again.

If possible, I definitly think you should trap the other two buns.

Domestic rabbits are just not cut out for life in the wild.They are either eat quickly by predators, or breed quickly and overpopulate the area. Eating farmers crops and starving out the local wildlife.

Try to find a low cost spay/neuter program or a local rescue who is willing to help you out. Even getting the boys done to start will would be awesome.

--Dawn

 

[tjrex]

here is an update on the rabbit situation

anything I should know about tempertures? its nice now..how cold can they get? how hot?

 

[Haley]

O Wow! Did you go out and buy that? You are awesome, they look so happy and safe.

They look old enough that you shouldn't have to worry about them too much. If you have more questions on the baby's care, feel free to post something in the rabbitry.

As far as temp, as long as the workshop isn't really hot they should be fine. Just make sure they have lots of hay and water.

Any luck catching the others? Ive used live traps before but didnt have any luck. Minnow nets worked for me, but you have to be careful they dont frighten to death if youre chasing them.

Awesome work though!!

 

[tjrex]

We love these rabbits!!! I hated to see one get killed..so we will do whatever to help out the rest of them. The Mom is very nervous and shakes a lot. Not sure how I was supposed to grab her but those legs went to kicking and I think she scared me as much as I scared her....

When we go out to look she runs in the closed off section but comes out after we leave.

 

[Starina]

Wow, great job. I think it is wonderful that you have taken on the task of helping these bunnies.:thumbup

~Star~

 

[Celestial Wind]

You are such a Bunny Guardian Angel. Kudos to you for giving these bunnies a good home.

I do sugjest that you separat(sp) the bucks from the does so no more accidents happen when they come to age.



Good luck with them and do make sure you keep posting pictures of your..............???? have you thought of a name for her yet?