Hello! My name is Leah! I made a post in the introduction thread giving a little background about my rabbit experience and my situation. A brief recap, I've always loved rabbits and had one as a child for 11 years. I'm grown up now with kids of my own and have been seriously thinking about adopting a rabbit. A few weeks ago, my daughter and I found a rabbit hopping around our yard. The weather wasn't great and my heart would not let me leave the sweet thing outside. We brought the rabbit in and spent 2 weeks trying to find it's owner with posters, craigslist ads, etc.. No luck. We fell in love with Ms. Honey Bunny :bunnyheart so we decided to keep her. My husband built her 2 story a cage (which we keep in our living room) and she potty trained really quick. She's now part house bunny, part cage. We've had her for 3 weeks. A week ago, she started building a nest and I quickly realized she was pregnant and not experiencing a false pregnancy. I did research and provided her with a nest box inside the nesting area in her cage and last night she kindled 8 kits. All are presently alive and seem to be doing well. I've read a bunch on-line but to be honest, I'm pretty anxious about this because I really don't know what I am doing. Reading and watching videos on-line has not assuaged my fear of doing something wrong. I know I need to check the kits regularly to make sure they have full bellies. What do I do if I find one that doesn't have a full belly? Once the kits are big enough to get out of the nest box, will they be able to safely navigate down the ramp to the bottom level of the cage? I'm concerned they might fall and hurt themselves. ANY advice or tips on anything having to do with kits would be greatly appreciated. I want to provide the best care I possibly can for them. Thanks in advance for any help. :happybunny:
Rescued Bun just gave birth! Any advice welcomed!
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Another question.. I noticed that the kits are in their nest, huddled together in the hollowed out area their Momma made to contain them. However, they are resting on the bottom of the box, which is wood, with all the fur piled on top of them. When she first made the nest it was hay, they the fir. Now in that area where the kits are, the hay must have gotten pushed aside. They seem warm and are covered in a lot of fur, I was just wondering if it's ok that they are resting on the wood, rather than on top of hay or fur?
Hi,
seems all fine.
The kits are great when it comes to wiggling into a place that is comfortable, as long as they are not completly out of the nest. Also, the doe will adjust the nest now and then (but will never move the kits, they care for the nest, not single kits)
Don't worry if you never see your doe caring for the kits, they only nurse once or twice a day, and many take care not to go near the nest while being watched. So, give her some privacy.
Watch her when handling the kits, some does get upset, some are just interested - give her some small treat to nibble on while you do it.
I give nursing does additionally some rolled oats, sunflower seeds and unlimited food, they need a lot of energy. Whatever you feed, don't change that rapidly or at all, introduce new stuff slowly over days.
You can check the kits anytime, but I wouldn't do it more then once per day during the first days, unless any problems occurs. It can take up to 48h that the doe has milk, but normaly they are fed in the first day.
If you notice that there are well fed kits, and others that didn't get a meal you can take out some of the fattest kits for one feeding, normally they nurse around dusk and dawn. It doesn't hurt them to miss one meal out of 3, and the weaker kits have a better chance. Even one full belly makes a huge difference.
Then there's the possibility to give kits an extra meal by holding the doe on your lap, with the kits on a towel underneath, between your legs, but there is the risk that the doe struggles and injures the kits with her claws.
In an emergency, you could hand feed (no cow or cat milk!), but that's not often necessary.
Anyway, don't worry too much about that right now, 8 is a good number, she is caring for the nest, I think she's doing fine.
seems all fine.
The kits are great when it comes to wiggling into a place that is comfortable, as long as they are not completly out of the nest. Also, the doe will adjust the nest now and then (but will never move the kits, they care for the nest, not single kits)
Don't worry if you never see your doe caring for the kits, they only nurse once or twice a day, and many take care not to go near the nest while being watched. So, give her some privacy.
Watch her when handling the kits, some does get upset, some are just interested - give her some small treat to nibble on while you do it.
I give nursing does additionally some rolled oats, sunflower seeds and unlimited food, they need a lot of energy. Whatever you feed, don't change that rapidly or at all, introduce new stuff slowly over days.
You can check the kits anytime, but I wouldn't do it more then once per day during the first days, unless any problems occurs. It can take up to 48h that the doe has milk, but normaly they are fed in the first day.
If you notice that there are well fed kits, and others that didn't get a meal you can take out some of the fattest kits for one feeding, normally they nurse around dusk and dawn. It doesn't hurt them to miss one meal out of 3, and the weaker kits have a better chance. Even one full belly makes a huge difference.
Then there's the possibility to give kits an extra meal by holding the doe on your lap, with the kits on a towel underneath, between your legs, but there is the risk that the doe struggles and injures the kits with her claws.
In an emergency, you could hand feed (no cow or cat milk!), but that's not often necessary.
Anyway, don't worry too much about that right now, 8 is a good number, she is caring for the nest, I think she's doing fine.
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Ah, one other thing to look out for for the first days, check regularly, at least after they got fed, that no kit was dragged out of the nest on the teat, the doe will not carry it back to the nest.
If you find a still moving kit just put it back into the nest.
If you ever find a cold, unmoving kit outside the nest, and even when you think it's dead - warm it up (hot towels, putting into a zip lock bag and put in body warm water...), massage it while it warms up. A kit isn't necessaryly dead unless it's warm, and still dead.
I don't want to make you nervous, but I think it doesn't hurt to know beforehand what to do, even when these things are not very likely to happen, especialle when there's a good nest.
If you find a still moving kit just put it back into the nest.
If you ever find a cold, unmoving kit outside the nest, and even when you think it's dead - warm it up (hot towels, putting into a zip lock bag and put in body warm water...), massage it while it warms up. A kit isn't necessaryly dead unless it's warm, and still dead.
I don't want to make you nervous, but I think it doesn't hurt to know beforehand what to do, even when these things are not very likely to happen, especialle when there's a good nest.
Thanks for all your advice!
So far, the kits seem to be doing good. Some of the kits bellies look fuller than others but none of them look unfed as far as I can tell. I'm surprised at how strong they are getting. They are only a few days old and they look like they might wriggle out of their burrow. I don't think they can actually get out, but they keep wiggling off the fur that's covering them.
I've been checking on the nest several times a day to make sure no one has gotten out of the nest and take the kits out once a day to check their bellies.
Do I need to do anything to the nest? I haven't noticed any blood from the birth or placentas. Is there an issue with the kits peeing in their burrow?
I'm still nervous about having these sweet little kits in my care, but I'm managing. If it was a littler of kittens, I'd be fine- I know how to take care of kittens! Bunnies are a different story!
So far, the kits seem to be doing good. Some of the kits bellies look fuller than others but none of them look unfed as far as I can tell. I'm surprised at how strong they are getting. They are only a few days old and they look like they might wriggle out of their burrow. I don't think they can actually get out, but they keep wiggling off the fur that's covering them.
I've been checking on the nest several times a day to make sure no one has gotten out of the nest and take the kits out once a day to check their bellies.
Do I need to do anything to the nest? I haven't noticed any blood from the birth or placentas. Is there an issue with the kits peeing in their burrow?
I'm still nervous about having these sweet little kits in my care, but I'm managing. If it was a littler of kittens, I'd be fine- I know how to take care of kittens! Bunnies are a different story!
It sounds like the mom is taking care of them. Since you're inside, keeping the kits covered isn't as critical unless it's cold in the house. Once they get a coat of fur, by 2 weeks, temps aren't as important. That's also the time their eyes should be open. Try to limit how far they can go because mom won't round them up to nurse.
Does clean up everything pretty good after giving birth. At 2 weeks check the nesting material for wetness and change it out for fresh hay. Save whatever hair you can and put it back in.
Does clean up everything pretty good after giving birth. At 2 weeks check the nesting material for wetness and change it out for fresh hay. Save whatever hair you can and put it back in.
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To clean the nest box, because they do pee and it can get soggy, especially if there are 8 babies.
I cut out pieces of brown corragated card board the same size as bottom of the nest box and put a few layers of paper towels under the cardboard on bottom of nest box, on day 8 I take that out and replace it with a new piece of cardboard and put some fresh paper towel underneath. When I take it the bottom it usually is pretty damp with pee. To take it out I usually put babies in another box and turn the whole nestbox upside down, take the nest out intact, feel around it for any damp areas and pull those out of the nest, and change the card and papertowel and put the nest back in on top of fresh card/paper towel- I try to keep the nest intact when I do this. Babies go right back in as if nothing ever happened. My babies usually start all getting out of the nestbox on about day 14-15. So then it is time to either take the nest box out completely or put the nestbox on its side.
Sometimes, especially if the mother rabbit has stuffed extra hay in the box, babies climb on the hay and get out of the box early. Therefore I modified my nestbox to have higher sides, 7 inches, and I put two bricks next to the nestbox so the mom can have steps up to the nestbox and jump in easier.
If you have one of those two story hutches with ramps I've seen people modify the ramp so babies can't fall out.
I cut out pieces of brown corragated card board the same size as bottom of the nest box and put a few layers of paper towels under the cardboard on bottom of nest box, on day 8 I take that out and replace it with a new piece of cardboard and put some fresh paper towel underneath. When I take it the bottom it usually is pretty damp with pee. To take it out I usually put babies in another box and turn the whole nestbox upside down, take the nest out intact, feel around it for any damp areas and pull those out of the nest, and change the card and papertowel and put the nest back in on top of fresh card/paper towel- I try to keep the nest intact when I do this. Babies go right back in as if nothing ever happened. My babies usually start all getting out of the nestbox on about day 14-15. So then it is time to either take the nest box out completely or put the nestbox on its side.
Sometimes, especially if the mother rabbit has stuffed extra hay in the box, babies climb on the hay and get out of the box early. Therefore I modified my nestbox to have higher sides, 7 inches, and I put two bricks next to the nestbox so the mom can have steps up to the nestbox and jump in easier.
If you have one of those two story hutches with ramps I've seen people modify the ramp so babies can't fall out.
I've been paying close attention and the momma bunny is taking good care of her bunnies. It turns out the momma bunny feeds her kits around 10:30pm. So now I check them around 11 just to make sure they all got fed. They all seem to be doing just fine and are starting to get furry!
I cleaned out the burrow part of the nest yesterday because it was really soggy. I will try to cardboard if I have to change it again. I just put down a layer of care fresh and then clean hay and relined it with fur.
Yesterday, what I fear might happen did- but I was there just in time. One of the kits got dragged out of the nest on the teat and dropped off into the cage. Fortunately I was right there, since I know what time the doe feeds them now. I quickly picked up the kit and put it right back in the nest, but it was wiggling towards the edge where the ramp is. Today, my husband put in a ledge so they can't fall off the edge but they could still tumble down the ramp. I'm not sure what to do to modify it further so I'm going to google it. Hopefully I'll find something.
Thanks for your helpful advice!
Can you move the nest to the bottom level? Or if not, block off the bottom level completely? Once the babies are old enough to start hopping around, the ramp will really be quite hazardous to them til they are a bit older. They really need to be confined to a single level for safety.
The ramp can be pulled up and lock in place acting as a floor in the spot on the top level. I can close it, my concern was that it wouldn't be enough space for the doe to be confined to the top level. The safety of the kits is of course paramount. The 2 levels are each 2ft by 4ft. So the kits and the doe will be confined to 2 x 4. I could move the nest downstairs and possibly leave the ramp so the doe can go upstairs, unless you think the kits will try to go up the ramp and possibly hurt themselves? I want to do whatever is best.
How long is the ramp? Right now it would be best to confine all to one level, until the kits' eyes are open and they're moving around good.
By the time the kits will go up the ramp they will have no problem going down again. Kits can climb 2' high vertical wire cage walls, they can climb much better than adult rabbits. Imho no worry about hurting themself on a ramp.
The other way round, well, i can imagine kits rolling down the ramp while still not able to get up. I like hutch designs where the nest box is the lowest point of the cage, or at least on the lowest level.
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I just checked on the kits and their eyes are open! All of the kits still seem to be doing well; each has had a full belly upon each daily check. They all started out the same size, but there are a couple that have grown considerably bigger than the others. Their body type seems different as well. The big ones have really thick legs and the smaller ones appear to be more dainty boned. Some have a face shape similar to their mother and others have a more square shaped face/head. All are equally adorable. :heartbeat: :happybunny:
As for the cage issue. For today, I'm going to close the doe upstairs with the kits. I'll clean out the bottom of the cage and then move the nest box downstairs tomorrow, leaving the ramp so the doe can go upstairs. This particular doe does not like being caged. At first, we had her in a single 2x4 cage and she would shake the door for hours, trying to get out. Whenever she was out of the cage, she would panic and evade us when we tried to put her back in. Since we upgraded to the bigger cage, she stopped behaving like that. She still prefers to be out, but when it's time to go back in her cage, she doesn't put up a fuss. My concern was that she would go crazy being confined to a single 2x4 space with 8 kits. I think moving the kits downstairs and allowing the doe access to the upstairs will work nicely. I guess we'll see.
:heartbeat: :happybunny:As for the cage issue. For today, I'm going to close the doe upstairs with the kits. I'll clean out the bottom of the cage and then move the nest box downstairs tomorrow, leaving the ramp so the doe can go upstairs. This particular doe does not like being caged. At first, we had her in a single 2x4 cage and she would shake the door for hours, trying to get out. Whenever she was out of the cage, she would panic and evade us when we tried to put her back in. Since we upgraded to the bigger cage, she stopped behaving like that. She still prefers to be out, but when it's time to go back in her cage, she doesn't put up a fuss. My concern was that she would go crazy being confined to a single 2x4 space with 8 kits. I think moving the kits downstairs and allowing the doe access to the upstairs will work nicely. I guess we'll see.
Sounds like a good plan, especially now that their eyes are open as they will very soon be scooting about. If there is a concern about the kits trying to go up the ramp before they are steadier on their feet, you could try raising the bottom of the ramp up on some blocks so that it is high up enough to prevent the kits from going up it, but low enough that mom can still access it.
I'll share a few tips for kits at this stage, in case you don't already know. You'll want to check their eyes each day and make sure none of them develop goopy eyes(from infection), which can occur when their eyes open and they are still in the nest box. If any do develop an eye infection, they will need to be put on antibiotic eye drops. Once they start venturing out of the nest box, it can be difficult for them to get back in if the sides are high up, which can mean they will miss the next feeding from mom if they aren't in there at the time. So usually this is the point to get rid of the nest box. You can either clean it out and turn it on it's side with a fresh bed of hay for them to nestle on, or take the box out completely and just make a cozy area where they can cuddle up together for naps. I had one batch of bunnies that decided their food bowl was the perfect place for a nap, all 7 piled on top of each other
They sound like they are healthy and mom is taking care of them well, which is always a relief. If you would like to, feel free to post pictures. We all love baby bunny pics
I'll share a few tips for kits at this stage, in case you don't already know. You'll want to check their eyes each day and make sure none of them develop goopy eyes(from infection), which can occur when their eyes open and they are still in the nest box. If any do develop an eye infection, they will need to be put on antibiotic eye drops. Once they start venturing out of the nest box, it can be difficult for them to get back in if the sides are high up, which can mean they will miss the next feeding from mom if they aren't in there at the time. So usually this is the point to get rid of the nest box. You can either clean it out and turn it on it's side with a fresh bed of hay for them to nestle on, or take the box out completely and just make a cozy area where they can cuddle up together for naps. I had one batch of bunnies that decided their food bowl was the perfect place for a nap, all 7 piled on top of each other
They sound like they are healthy and mom is taking care of them well, which is always a relief. If you would like to, feel free to post pictures. We all love baby bunny pics
:inlove:
Are you just in baby bunny heaven! Oh, this so makes me miss raising baby buns. It's just such a fun precious experience. Enjoy every minute of it, because it goes fast and they are hormonal teenagers before you know it
Are you just in baby bunny heaven! Oh, this so makes me miss raising baby buns. It's just such a fun precious experience. Enjoy every minute of it, because it goes fast and they are hormonal teenagers before you know it
:inlove:
Are you just in baby bunny heaven! Oh, this so makes me miss raising baby buns. It's just such a fun precious experience. Enjoy every minute of it, because it goes fast and they are hormonal teenagers before you know it
Yes, we are in baby bunny heaven!! They are so precious. <3 I wish we could keep them all!! I'll post some more pictures. The ones I posted were from today and yesterday. I'll post some from when they were smaller.
It's fun to see the transition!Aww, they are such precious little things. Thanks for sharing pics
You're welcome! I'm going to post a few more from when they were younger so you can see how much they've grown!!
