We have a male and femal rabbit we have had them for a while now. the girl hadn't even had babys yet so we thought she wasn't pregnet but then yesterday when no one was home and it was BOLING hot she gave birth to 5 little babys. When my mum got hom she went out to feed the rabbits and saw the babys two had died because of the heat we think and then this morning i went out there nice and early to see if they were ok and two were dead but one is still alive and he/she is really nice and pink compared to the others which were pail white. How often does the mum feed them because i dont even no if she has been near them yet. how old can they be before i can pick him/her up?Please help the baby is in a hutch with its mum at the moment its a really hot day today as well we are doing everything to keep them cool.
2007-11-16 11:24:15 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
there are plenty off book you can buy or the computer is alwaysa handy source to look up w/e you need. unless you want to like breed them or w/e then you might want to think about getting them spayed and nueterd b/c they can multiply FAST
2007-11-16 11:29:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yay! Baby rabbits! Ours had baby rabbits last year, its so cute when they grow fur and try to learn how to walk :).
Ours gave birth to only 2, one of them died , but now the other one is quite grown up and alive :)
Well basically, the mum only goes to visit/feed them once a day. I think its something to do with 'not attracting predators' to the nest. The mother won't reject them if you pick them up so i guess you can do that straight away -- just be careful.
Did the mum rabbit make a nest? Because if she didn't you probably should give her some hay or something so she can build one for the baby rabbit. ( Maybe the other rabbits died of exposure or something ? )
A pink baby is a good sign. White i think actually means there too cold or something.
Good Luck :)
2007-11-16 18:58:58 · answer #2 · answered by JJ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We handle our babies from day one. We check for any dead babies or placentas and get those out of the nest box. We hold them for longer periods when they are a few days old - maybe a week old. Mom will get used to it and soon won't care at all.
You can give your rabbit a nest box and she will appreciate it. Give her a box that is a little wider and longer than her. Leave the top open and make one wall about 6 inches tall. Put an inch of pine shavings in the bottom to soak up moisture from growing baby. Put plenty of hay on top of that and make a well (nest) in the middle with your fist. Your mom rabbit is sure to have pulled out hair by now. Collect that and put it in the well. Place baby on that. It will burrow under it if it needs to be warmer.
Feed mom as normal. Make sure she has plenty of fresh, clean water. Give her hay to eat daily.
She will feed baby once every 24 hours. You will likely never see her do it. Don't worry. If baby has a round, pink belly and is less wrinkled by day three then he is definitely getting his fill.
Keep dad bunny separated from mom and baby or she will likely be very stressed.
Mom rabbit will begin to wean baby at 5 weeks and will probably be done nursing at 9 weeks. You don't have to do anything but keep fresh fruits and veggies away from baby to prevent enteritis. Baby can have some fresh veggies/fruits when she is at least 4 months old.
Bring mom and baby inside until the weather goes below 80 degrees.
For your other rabbit- mist the adult rabbit's ears with water to keep them cool - NOT their cage or any other part of them. Do not keep their ears wet - just barely misted. You can also set up an automatic mister to mist the air AROUND their cages to cool the air. Frozen tiles or water bottles can help.
Sorry these are all kinda disorganized thoughts. I'm tired but thought I should answer. Enjoy your rabbits. Read "Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits" by Bob Bennett.
2007-11-16 12:54:30 · answer #3 · answered by Amber 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be best to bring the baby inside for the day. You can cool the mother by placing a frozen water bottle next to her. Most does only feed their bunnies once a day, usually at night. I handle mine from the day their born. I recommend petting the mother first, though, so that her smell is on your hands. I usually only hold them long enough to make sure they have full bellies and nothing is wrong. Once they open their eyes at about ten days I hold them a little more. Good luck and I hope everything goes well!
2007-11-16 15:22:01 · answer #4 · answered by erinheadleyfan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wait a few dayz before you go picking them up. I'd cool down the rabbits (except the baby) with a cool,wet rag against their ears. If you're lucky then this little baby will survive. I'm sorry to hear about the others but that happens to everyone once in a while. I'd get some info from perfessionals.
2007-11-16 12:12:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can handle the babies the mom won't kill them but its best you dont until they open their eyes. When my baby rabbits were in their hutch in the hot weather i put some washed floor tiles in the cage which they could stand on and cool off. Or you can mist the cage with a spray bottle. Another one is you put some cold water in a plastic bottle and just put in the cage floor.
hope this helps.<3
2007-11-16 11:45:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have raised rabbits before, and often the first "litter" doesn't survive. My first litter were all still born.
With the second litter I handeled the babies the day they were born, though mama didn't like that very much.
Don't fret too much, nature will take over and mama will figure everything out. Keep them in the shade and hope for the best.
2007-11-16 11:32:10 · answer #7 · answered by Dr. Quimby 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We raise rabbits, and seeing as you have extreme temperature coniditons, you should probably bring them inside. Put them in a large box or container, wth the lid off and leave them in your kitchen. Give them the normal food and you might want to tried papya for the mother. The baby seems to be healthy, i think they aer so cute, so good luck!!!!!!!!
2007-11-16 11:30:45 · answer #8 · answered by lovelifeandpeace 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's best not to handle them until they have their eyes open and are walking around. The less you handle them, the better off they are. Yes, it was probably the heat that killed them as they don't do real well in heat. And it's not unusual for newborns to die. Usually they will have many more babies and several will die before they have a chance to grow up.
2007-11-16 11:28:28 · answer #9 · answered by Frosty 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think its 3 - 4 weeks...
Milk soaked into bread is also good for the baby rabbit!
If you touch it and the mother smells you on the baby the mother will kill the baby ;[
2007-11-16 11:28:22 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋