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This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
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So you found out or suspect that your female rabbit (or doe) is pregnant. Now what? You should know a few things in order to prepare the doe and her cage for the pregnancy, as well as how to help ensure the health of the newborn baby rabbits (or kits).
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Preparing for the Arrival of the Newborn Rabbits
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1Feed the mother a quality diet. Your rabbit’s diet will not vary much while she is pregnant or weaning, but it is as important as ever to provide high-quality nutrition. Check your feed label and provide a feed that is:
- 16 to 18 percent protein
- 18 to 22 percent fiber
- 3 percent or less in fat
- She should also have constant access to clean water, which you should change two to three times per day.
- You can supplement her diet while she is gestating and weaning the kits (babies) by giving her some alfalfa hay or cubes to provide more protein.[1] X Research source Go to source
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2Separate her from the male rabbit. It is uncommon for the male rabbit to harm the kits. However, he can impregnate the female again as soon as she gives birth, resulting in another pregnancy before she finishes weaning the first litter. To avoid this, you should separate the two rabbits as birthing draws closer.[2] X Research source Go to source
- Ideally, you should keep the male close enough to make contact with the female through their separate enclosures. Rabbits bond very closely and still being close to the male will cut down on unnecessary stress for the female during the pregnancy and birth.[3] X Research source Go to source
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3Prepare a nest box. Kits are born without fur and will need constant warmth initially. Providing a nest box with bedding materials will help keep the kits warm and collected in one place. This small box (cardboard is fine) should be slightly larger than the mother with about a one-inch lip to stop the kits from getting away from the box.[4] X Research source Go to source
- Put a generous handful of grass (make sure no fertilizer or pesticides are present), straw, or hay in the box as well for bedding.[5] X Research source Go to source Put the bedding on top of a clean towel without any loose threads that might catch on the kits.[6] X Research source Go to source
- The female might rearrange the bedding in the box or even pull out some of her fur to add to the bedding, which is usually a sign that the birth is close.[7] X Research source Go to source
- Make sure you place the nesting box on the opposite side of the cage from the mother’s litter box to help avoid any complications for the kits.
- You should also place the cage in a quiet, darkened space. Too much activity around the mother and her new kits will cause her undue stress.[8] X Research source Go to source
Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Caring for the Newborn Rabbits
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1Check the kits. The pregnancy for your doe will last roughly thirty-one to thirty-three days.[9] X Research source Go to source She doesn’t need any help with the birthing process, which usually happens at night or in the very early hours of the morning. This means you’ll likely wake up one morning to the new litter of kits. Immediately check to see if any of the kits did not survive the birth. You may have to draw the mother away with a treat to get access to the nest box to remove any of the dead kits.
- You should also remove any placenta or afterbirth from the box.
- Don’t be afraid of handling the babies as the mother will already be accustomed to your scent.
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2Warm the kits if necessary. If the mother gave birth to any of the kits outside of the nesting box, then you’ll have to place them in the box. These kits will often be too cold and need warming. To do so safely, fill a hot water bottle with warm (not hot) water and place the bottle under the towel and bedding in the nesting box. The kits should not have direct contact with the bottle since this will likely be too warm.
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3Provide the mother constant access to food and water. The doe will need constant access to food and water to eat at will while she’s nursing the kits.[10] X Research source Go to source This is to ensure she produces enough milk to adequately feed the litter. Put out plenty of fresh food daily and check her water often, as she’ll drink more more than normal as well.
- Ensuring that she receives proper nutrition will also help reduce the possibility of the mother cannibalizing the kits.
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4Look for signs of nursing. The doe’s natural instinct is to stay away from the nest most of the time, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t actually see her nursing, which will only happen once or twice a day.[11] X Research source Go to source Instead, look for signs that she’s nursed. The babies will be warm and have round tummies from feeding.[12] X Research source Go to source They’ll also be quiet instead of making mewling noises like a kitten if they’re well fed.
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5Contact your vet immediately if the mother isn’t nursing. If the babies are weak (barely respond to being handled), have sunken tummies, and have wrinkly skin (caused by dehydration), then the mother isn’t properly nursing them, and you should see your vet immediately.
- If the mother set up the nesting box—especially if she pulled some of her fur—then she’s paying attention to her mothering instincts. The problem may be as simple as your vet providing a small dose of oxytocin to help with milk production.[13] X Research source Go to source
- You should also contact your vet if the litter is more than eight kits, as this may be too large a number for the mother to support all of them. If the mother has more than eight kits or she abandons the litter and will not nurse them, then your vet will likely provide instructions for bottle feeding the babies. However, results are often unsuccessful because there is no formula 100 percent adapted to newborn rabbits.
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6Keep the nesting box clean. The babies will toilet in the box until they are strong enough to eventually climb out of it on there own, so you’ll need to clean the box daily, providing a new, dry bottom towel and clean bedding.
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7Adapt the diet of the kits. The babies may begin nibbling at pellets as soon as two weeks after birth.[14] X Research source Go to source However, they should not stop nursing for a full eight weeks after they’re born.[15] X Research source Go to source During this period, the babies will slowly decrease nursing and increase their consumption of pellets, but it’s important that they continue to nurse as well as the mother’s milk provides antibodies against pathogens.[16] X Research source Go to source If they are weaned too soon, their immune systems might not yet be strong enough without these antibodies.
- You should additionally avoid feeding the rabbits greens for several months due to the potential for digestive complications. You can try tiny bits of one item at a time starting around two months, but remove it from the rabbit’s diet immediately if it causes intestinal problems such as diarrhea.[17] X Research source Go to source Good items to start with include carrots, romaine lettuce, and kale.[18] X Research source Go to source
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8Handle the babies beginning at eight weeks. Until they’re weaned, the babies will be highly susceptible to illness and bacteria, especially E. coli, which can kill a kit in a matter of hours.[19] X Research source Go to source You should thoroughly wash your hands anytime that you need to handle the babies until they’re weaned. After that, try to handle them often because it will lead to tamer adult rabbits down the line.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionShould we let mamma rabbit out of the cage for a break away from the babies?Yes. Mother rabbits often leave their young for hours at a time, so she will appreciate the opportunity to take a break. Just make sure that she can access the cage and return to her babies whenever she wants to. Try leaving the cage door open and provide a ramp for the mother rabbit so that she can return when she is ready.
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QuestionShould I hand-rear baby rabbits if the mother ignores them?Where possible let the mother rabbit take care of the babies, as hand-rearing a rabbit is fraught with problems. Be aware that the mother only feeds her babies twice a day and she may well leave them unattended for long periods in between. Thus, although the babies may appear abandoned, if the mother can still get back to them the chances are they are not in difficulties. If you know the mother is dead, then feed twice a day (as she would) to tide them over until they are two to three weeks of age, when they start eating solid foods.
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QuestionWhen is the best time to start training your baby rabbits to use the litter box?It is easier to litter-train an older rabbit than a youngster, because the latter's attention span is limited. That said, even young rabbits tend to use one corner of the hutch to toilet in, so you can put a tray there as soon as the kits start to be more independent and move away from their mother - just don't expect too much too soon.
Tips
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Do not be concerned that the mother isn't spending time with the babies. Rabbits do not sit with their litters as cats and dogs do, as in the wild it would attract attention to the nest. Rabbits only go into the nest to feed the babies once or twice a day.
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Always try to revive a baby rabbit if it is 'dead' or chilled.
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Baby rabbits are born without fur and with closed eyes.
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References
- ↑ https://florida4h.org/projects/rabbits/MarketRabbits/Activity5_Requirements2.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
- ↑ https://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://www.merckvetmanual.com/pethealth/exotic_pets/rabbits/breeding_and_reproduction_of_rabbits.html
More References (10)
- ↑ https://florida4h.org/projects/rabbits/MarketRabbits/Activity5_Requirements2.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/surpriselitter.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/diet.html
- ↑ https://hare.as.miami.edu/diet.html
- ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/teaching-and-research/fact-files/encephalitozoon-cuniculi-in-rabbits
About This Article
Article SummaryX
To care for newborn rabbits, make sure they're nursing from their mother for the first 8 weeks after they're born. If they're not nursing, contact a vet immediately so they can help. Also, start to introduce pellet food 2 weeks after the rabbits are born so they start to wean off of milk. Try to handle the newborn rabbits as little as possible during the first 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, you can handle them as much as you'd like so they get used to you. For more tips, like how to take care of a mother rabbit after its kits are born, keep reading!
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 739,252 times.
Reader Success Stories
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"I think this article was very helpful. We just had some kits and I didn't know how to raise them."
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"Thanks to this article I have learned so much and have stopped worrying about my rabbit and her babies. When I got my bunny, I was told it was a boy, and out of nowhere today she gave birth to 5 tiny pink bunnies! Now I know she won't lay there all day and night like a dog does. I was really worried when I saw she wasn't with them for so many hours,"
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"I had known nothing til I read this article and its comments. Now I am confident our babies, born this morning, will be able to survive! We didn't even know she was pregnant when we got her 18 days ago! At that time, no one knew her sex! My hubby knew right away how to sex her. I fell in love when I saw her. 7 babies and mom are doing well. "
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"I was given two rabbits a month ago, but I had no idea of how to take care of them. A week ago the doe gave birth to 8 kits, but after 4 days, I realized two were dead. I'm glad that I have learned how to take care of them. Thanks so much."
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"I recently adopted what I was told were two 4-month-old brothers.Yesterday I picked up the bigger of the two and noticed he had gained quite a bit of weight! Turns out he's a she, and I had no idea what to do; thanks for the great info!"
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"If or when to hold babies. What to look for to ensure babies are nursing. Putting a baby back in nest if they get out, had no clue mom would not put it back in. Also, I did not realize mom will feed them only 2 times a day, good stuff!"
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"Everything helped, to be honest. I had never had to care for baby bunnies, but I'd say what helps me the most was knowing that the mother will not be with her babies day and night like a dog, and only feeds them 1 - 2 times a day!"
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"The tip about the mother rabbit not sitting with her babies all the time put my mind at ease. I'm used to caring for cats and dogs with their newborns, but not our new rabbit, who just had two babies today. Thanks."
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"My female rabbit had newborns 3 days ago and this was exciting news to me because I never had this happen before. So this was very helpful to me because now I know what to do with them. Thank you!"
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"It helped me so much. I'm a first-time owner of a pregnant bunny, and I'll admit I'm a tad bit nervous, but now that I checked out your site I feel confident and excited!"
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"We raise several varieties of rabbits and are always reading articles to further educate ourselves. This article is well-written and mirrors our own experience thus far."
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"My rabbit gave birth to 6 babies 2 weeks ago. They are all doing well, and mum is a natural. I have found the information on this page so helpful. "
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"This helped so much! I was thinking of these questions, and I've got the answers! Luckily, we haven't got any runts in our pack. Thanks again!"
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"It helped me. We had a litter of 5. The mom bit 2 of them. The other 2 were stillborn or not nursed. We are keeping the other one warm."
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"I learned how to care for my newborn bunnies, what to feed them and how, thank you. I'm still in the process of caring for them."
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"This has helped me out so much. All 5 of Midnight's (my momma rabbit) babies have survived. I am so lucky for this article."
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"It helped me, because I just got three baby boy rabbits, and I didn't know what to do. Now I do, thanks!"
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"I realized a lots of things that I didn't know about rabbits. I just want to say a big thank you! "
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"Thanks so much. I just had a litter of 8 loops and they're doing great. This helped me so much. "
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"I have come to understand why my doe killed all her litters. Thanks for this article."
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"I found four baby bunnies in my barn! So cute! Your information helped me understand!"
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"Feeding, bedding, and general care and tips. I'm very glad I found this article!"
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"Cleared up lots of common misunderstandings, like mother not nursing constantly."
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"Professional insight, so helped a lot. Our rabbit just gave birth to 7."
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"All of it helped, I went through it and found out what I need to know."
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"Good information for those of us who are new to caring for bunnies."
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"This was the best site for learning all the information I needed!"
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"Now I know the right time to feed my baby rabbits solid food."
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"I have learned how to care for my kits, they are 5 weeks old."
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"It helps me a lot for how to care for newborn babies."