Oh for goodness sake!

[SnowyandHazel]

Hazel had her babies 6 weeks ago - she's been an amazing mom and her babies have done wonderfully. Hazel has been living in the 2 story hutch with the babies, and the hutch is inside the run, which Snowy (dad) has to himself. Mom, babies, and dad can all sniff each other, but no physical contact.

It's been well below freezing at night so Ive been bringing them in - I have a big, long cage with a mesh divider in it. Dad stays on one side, mom and babies on the other. Im not sure if bringing them in at night is the right thing, but Im was worried for the babies. I also didnt want Snowy and Hazel to lose their bond, so they all came in and night.

My 13 year old went to put them out for the day, and an HOUR later realized he left the bottom door of the hutch open, giving Hazel and Snowy unlimited access to each other.

One surprise litter was enough. They all have homes, none died, and they're all healthy. They're scheduled to get spayed/neutered right before Christmas, when all the babies are gone. The clinic said to bring them in together, but with a separation, so they keep their bond and that if you fix them separately they can lose their bond. So I waited on Snowy, so he could get fixed with Hazel.

I know this is a stupid question, and I'm assuming the answer is yes... but Im guessing he's knocked her up again? And no, Im not having her spayed ASAP to prevent babies...it's not something out family is comfortable with and I know I can find good homes for all of them. We of course separated them immediately upon realizing that the door was open - so I guess its a wait and see to see if shes pregnant again.

 

[Imbrium]

Rabbits are induced ovulators, meaning they ovulate as a response to having sex. This makes it incredibly likely that she is, indeed, pregnant again.

I recommend that you go ahead and get Snowy neutered as scheduled/bring Hazel in with him for bond-related reasons as you'd planned but re-schedule her spay for after the second litter of kits are weaned and arrange for him to tag along for her spay. She can just chill at the vet and wait for him to get out of surgery - the concern with bonds is that he would come home smelling like "vet's office," so as long as she goes to the office as well, it shouldn't cause any issues. This would at least make it highly unlikely that you'd have a third "oops" litter (it takes up to 6-8 weeks for a male to stop being fertile, so there'd be a very small window after the second litter was born when he *might* still be fertile).

On the plus side, at least the kits are 6 weeks old now, meaning they'll be weaned before the new litter arrives AND she'll get a two week break before she has to be a mom again.

As for bringing them in, the kits are old enough to regulate body heat and would be fine in a well-insulated hutch at this age... or is the run that dad is in part of the reason for bringing them all inside? Since they're used to being outside in such cold temperatures and have grown thick winter coats accordingly, you'll want to keep them in as cool an area as possible while inside and keep an eye out for signs of overheating (particularly if you keep the house heated pretty well). As long as no one seems overly warm, there's no harm in everyone coming inside .

 

[Imbrium]

Oh, and I totally understand about refusing the idea of an emergency spay. I always suggest it as a possible option to people in an "oops litter" situation but when explaining the concept, I refer to the procedure as functioning as an abortion, as that's what it is and there's obviously a chance that someone will be opposed to that idea (which is totally okay). I only strongly encourage it in situations where mom's health could be at risk (for example in a 4-5 month old female, a litter would put a lot of stress on her growing body and there's a significantly higher chance of a kit getting stuck, which could be fatal to both mom and her litter, etc.). From a purely objective standpoint, it's a logical solution to an unwanted litter of rabbits... however, there are obvious moral implications that everyone has their own personal stance on, which means it's not always a viable option.

If your family isn't comfortable with getting an emergency spay and prefers to find homes for the kits, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - you shouldn't do anything that you're not all okay with. Being a good parent is about the choices you make as a role-model as much as it is about what you say; making a decision as a family that accurately reflects your morals and values is unquestionably the way to go. I applaud you for sticking to your beliefs and not letting anyone give you crap about it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - the only time I think there's something wrong with another person's beliefs is if they try to cram them down someone else's throat instead of agreeing to disagree, so I can't help but respect someone who's capable of asserting their own personal beliefs without condemning the opposition .

Besides, who could possibly look at those adorable little faces in the nest box and honestly tell them "we wish you were never born"?

 

[majorv]

One thing I will add is if she's pregnant, try not to plan the surgery too close to kindling. You don't need the added stress of hauling her to the vet during that time.

 

[zombiesue]

Besides, who could possibly look at those adorable little faces in the nest box and honestly tell them "we wish you were never born"?

Me. Buahahaha.

 

[DogCatMom]

To the OP: Since you hadn't planned on breeding the female, you may not have read up on nutritional requirements for lactating does. Be sure Momma Rabbit is receiving 18% minimum protein and unlimited pellets/hay so she has plenty of wherewithal to feed babies and get ready for the oncoming babies.

Good luck!

 

[Imbrium]

Me. Buahahaha.

Hah! You've got a bigger mean streak than I do... maybe you should come tell that to my two girls to see if you can scare the naughty out of them! I could never bring myself to tell them I wished they were never born, no matter how bad those little demons are... and they're as bad as they are cute!

 

[SnowyandHazel]

Thank you for the feedback everyone!

All the rabbits are very well fed I will definitely bring her in with him while he gets done (I dont know why I hadn't thought of that...) and do the same when its her turn.

So outside overnight is fine? Its going down to 24F tonight, so well below freezing...

So picture a large rectangular run, with a hutch inside. Mom and babies are in the hutch, and in their enclosed area she has warming pad made specially for rabbits. Dad gets the rest of the run. He has a wood house with his own warming pad in side his space.

 

[zombiesue]

Hah! You've got a bigger mean streak than I do... maybe you should come tell that to my two girls to see if you can scare the naughty out of them! I could never bring myself to tell them I wished they were never born, no matter how bad those little demons are... and they're as bad as they are cute!

I'm on my way LOL

@op; Good luck with your second, and last, litter lol.

I know that people around here keep rabbits outside way below 24*F lol. What's the low tonight... 5. hah.

But most tend to keep them in a barn or a shed. I've heard tossing a blanket over the hutch can help too. Remember, there's tons of rabbits running around outside well north of your location.

 

[SnowyandHazel]

Agreed... but dont they burrow? Mine are above ground.

Starting Tuesday the low will be closer to 36F at night- Ill leave them out when it's above freezing. I'd worry too much if I didnt, even though I trust you folks.

 

[Imbrium]

Rabbits tolerate cold extremely well... but it's always better safe than sorry, just the same. When in doubt, trust your "mommy" instincts"!

I'm glad you'll be getting him neutered as planned - hopefully that's enough to ensure that something doesn't go awry and result in a third pregnancy! We'd love to see pics of the adorable little kits (and parents), by the way

 

[SnowyandHazel]

 

[SnowyandHazel]

 

[Imbrium]

Omg, *squee*!!