Rabbit dilemma?

Question

My cousin gave us two "male" rabbits Sunday. Well, one of our "male" rabbits just dropped 5 babies. I've never had baby rabbits before. What on earth do I need to do? I've already put food and water in a separate cage with the mama and babies along with some newspaper. What next? What are their chances? HELP!!!

Answer 1

These sites are really detailed and will help you a lot -
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
Just leave your Mama bunny to do what comes naturally :-) As this article says, don't make the mistake of thinking she's not paying them attention - she is - " ... there is a good chance that she is feeding her babies, even if she seems to be ignoring them. A mother rabbit does not constantly tend to her babies the way a mother carnivore does. Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies. If mama rabbit seems to be "ignoring" her litter, check their condition before you interfere. If the babies' tummies are round and full-looking (you sometimes can see a whitish patch where the milk-filled stomach shows through the thin skin of the belly), they are warm, their skin is a healthy, dark pink, and not overly wrinkled, and they are sleeping calmly in the nest, then mama is feeding them. If the babies are very wrinkled, cold, bluish in color, have shrunken bellies, and perhaps are even crawling around looking for mama (instead of nest-sleeping, as a well-fed baby should), then you may have to intervene." But not unless it becomes obvious.

Also, keep in mind that the most common cause of baby rabbits' deaths, is that they venture out of the nest out of curiosity, and can't get back into the nest for warmth. So they die of cold. Because rabbits can't pick up their babies with their teeth the way cats and dogs can. So if any of the babies crawl out of the nest, YOU have to put them back into the nest - first rub your hands either well over your mother bunn, or rub your hand well in some hay so that you smell like this, then just pick them up and put them back inside the nest. But don't worry, this probably won't happen!

Just let your Mama bunn do what comes naturally to her, and enjoy it all! Very best of luck to you and your bunny family.

Answer 2

You did all the right things. However, don't be dissappointed if the mother kills or ignores the babies (called kits). Rabbits are often not good first time mothers and having to move the babies can make her not want to take care of them (you had to move them though). If she seems to be taking care of them, put in a nesting box to give them more protection and line it with wood shavings or other soft material you can buy at any pet store. Newspaper is okay but it gets soaked quickly.

Answer 3

Just leave the babies alone. Their mama should take care of them. All you need to do is keep an eye on them and the mother to make sure she's getting enough water (sometimes mother bunnies will cannabalize their young). It seems to me that if they still have their mother she can take care of them.

Probably somebody with more bunny experience will have a better answer.

Answer 4

Chances are the female is pregnant again. They can get preganant the same day they give birth. You did the correct thing in seperating the mom from the dad. You need to call the vet and make an appt to have the male nuetered. For care on the babies please check out http://www.rabbit.org

Answer 5

Seems one isnt male.
Good luck. Keep the male from the female or you will be knee deep in bunnies.

Answer 6

Leave them alone, mama may leave them if you touch them. She should be doing just fine by herself, relax and let her do her thing.

Answer 7

Hassenpfeffer seems like the only way to go.