rabbit litter help!?

Question

our female rabbit had just given birth to her first litter of 2 about 12-13 hours ago and we are rather worried about her. we came downstairs about 15 mins ago to find that she had knocked the top of the cage off. we let her out of the cage and she started to jump up to high places - dangerous places. she has been resting though. the baies are fine, they are both snuggled together in their mothers fur in the cage but she won't go in. she is also ripping it out but shes also looking around. we have been thinking, could she be lonely? she has had a male in with her ever since march when we got them - we didn't know the male was male, we aquired females and yes, they were sexed twice by the pet shop when they were small. we took the male out around 7AM today when we heard the female making noises and it was around 8 - 10AM when she gave birth. should we let her meet the male? what should we do?!? please give advice and help A.S.A.P. thankyou

Answer 1

DO NOT put the male and the female back together, especially now. For the obvious reason of breeding and there are several others such as fighting and fur chewing and an entire long list. Don't worry about her being lonely. She'll be totally fine.

Also don't worry about not seeing her milk the babies. It is actually a good sign if you don't see the mother sitting in the nestbox and milking the babies. Most domestic rabbits will only milk their babies once to twice a day. And normally they will milk their babies in the middle of the night when you are asleep. If you see the mother sitting all of the time in the nestbox, that is not a good sign.

If you don't have a nestbox in the cage you should have one in the cage. A nestbox should be about an 1-2" wider and longer than the mother is wide and long when she is laying down. It is best to have the nestbox filled with straw. Don't use hay or woodshavings. Straw is the best to use because it has little odor. Rabbits don't like a strong smell in their nestbox. Make sure the straw doesn't have a moldy smell to it. The babies should not be on the cage floor.

Make a nest with the straw if their is not already a nest with bedding, then make a divot in the center place the pulled fur in the divot, then place the babies in the divot and cover them up with fur. For the bottom of the nestbox it is a good idea to use pegboard. The holes in the pegboard allow any urine to drain out. If urine accumulates in the nestbox, an ammonia odor can build up in the nestbox and the mother may stop milking the babies.

Don't worry about handling the babies. The old wive's tale that the mother will stop milking the babies if you handle them is false and has no truth to it. Many rabbit breeders such as myself will handle the babies even minutes after the female has just had them and don't have any problems whatsoever. And no, we don't rub our smell on their nose or put Vaseline on their nose either.

The only things you really have to worry about regarding smell are:

1.) The smell of the bedding - use non-moldy straw
2.) Any ammonia smell due to urine - put holes in the bottom of the nestbox
3.) The smell of any dead babies in the nestbox - check daily to make sure all of the babies are alive. Remove any dead babies as soon as you find them. Sometimes a rabbit will have more babies than it can milk. If your rabbit had only two it should be able to milk them both.

If the babies work themselves down to the nestbox floor, add a little straw under them. With the straw, the floor can sometimes become slick. And if the babies get down to the floor of the nestbox they can sometimes develop what is called sproddled leg. That is where one of the back feet juts outwards irregularly. This can be due to the baby getting down on the slick nestbox floor where it cannot get a sure footing, causing the foot to sproddle out. So make sure to keep straw under the babies.

If you can, I'd recommend keeping the female in the pen for right now and not letting her out until you see the babies start hopping out of the nestbox on their own and eating pellets on their own. If you already have a nestbox in for her, she may be hopping up on top of it and that may be partly how she is knocking the top off of the cage.

About how big is your rabbit and how big is the cage size?

Answer 2

Rule: NEVER listen to anything a pet store tells you. Do your own research and only use pet store employees to confirm what you've learned. And when you find that they are totally wrong, assume full responsibility on yourself to know everything if you're going to continue going to that store.

Most people who breed rabbits don't even house the male and female together at all, but just place the female into the male's cage, and take her out in a few hours. It is entirely up to the doe to raise her young, so there is no need to add more rabbits into the picture. Don't bring the male into the room at all. He may try to breed with her again, and she WILL end up pregnant very shortly. He might also touch the babies which might end up in their injury and/or her stress for them.

What I'm thinking right now is that she's out of the cage because she's under a lot of stress. You say you've just removed the male. Well she must have been pregnant for around a month, and the male has been mating with her ever since then. This puts a lot of emotional and physical stress on her. He has also been her companion ever since you got them, and suddenly losing him and giving birth all at once is also a bit chaotic.

You must make a calm, pleasent environment for her. Leave her alone in the room with the babies, even if she's out of the cage. You said the babies are fine, so I'll assume she's already fed them, right? They really cannot go long without being fed and groomed, but as of now, I'd just see what happens with the mother. Anyway, leave the room, dim the lights, make sure it's a comfortable temperature, and avoid any loud noises. Don't handle her at all. She's ripping out her fur, which means her mothering instincts are there. Just give her some time, and check back in an hour on the babies. Check that their belly insides are white (with milk). She may be feeding them, but not quite ready to go in with them, which if fine as long as she has those instinct, and only needs to calm down. Ensure the cage is away from drafts, or isn't too hot.

If she is totally neglecting her babies, read up on hand-rearing them. But DON'T eagerly resort to this, give her a chance first. You must have rabbit vet available if anything were to happen, or if you would like some questions answered. It would also be wise to have a vet sex the babies, and give them and the mother a general check up.

After your babies are grown, don't put her back with the male! You are clearly not someone who should be breeding as it was accidental to beggin with. For all you know, they may be siblings, being from a pet store. Both your rabbits probably would prefer company though. You can get your male nuetrered and reintroduce him with the female, but only after the babies can be housed on their own. The female can be spayed as an alternative, but it's more expensive and there is more risk. Or if you decide to keep the babies and they happen to be male/female, you can place them with the parents.

Some sites for you to read through:
breeding
http://islandgems.net/bunbreeding.html
http://www.mismatch.co.uk/rabbitbreed.htm
sexing
http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/sexing.htm
general care
http://www.rabbit.org/

Answer 3

Hi,

Again...pet shops are not the place to have your animal sexed, it should have been the vets.

PLEASE PLEASE do NOT put your rabbit back with the male unless you want another litter, even then it's a selfish thing to do as she has just given birth to kits and should not be put through this again at this time. I know you think you are doing a kind thing letting your rabbit see her 'mate' again, but you are creating a recipe for disaster.

If she is jumping up high places you should put her back in the cage! Your rabbit will most likely go to her babies when you aren't around and it doesn't mean that you have to keep her locked in her cage, especially if she isn't used to being in there but if she is out where she can hurt herself then locking her in is best for her. Don't panic, she has had a pretty stressful day and is bound to be out of sorts slightly.

Please do not let her near the male again, have you heard the expression 'breed like rabbits?' It only takes a matter of seconds for him to get her pregnant again, rabbits are induced ovulators and will ovulate every time they are mated.
Yes your rabbit will probably be missing her ,but the kindest thing to do is go get him neutered now since you can't put them together for six weeks after surgery (they still can hold semen for that length of time) and get her neutered after the babies have gone off to new homes.

Answer 4

Get him castrated straight away and as you have left it so late to take him out she will give birth again in a month.

History
Dutch rabbits, along with the English, were the most popular pet and exhibition rabbits a position that has now been filled by the Lop breeds. Originally from Holland or Belgium, the breed is striking in its appearance with a white blaze carrying up to a point between the ears, a saddle of colour continuing right around the middle of the rabbit with a straight edge and white markings on the hind feet. Their coat should be glossy and they are a medium size rabbit weighing 2.04 -2. 26 kg (4.5 lb. 5 lb.). Behaviour
Dutch rabbits are very lively and alert and should make good pets although a prospective owner should be looking for a breeder that handles the rabbits regularly from a young age so that the rabbit is not too jumpy. Colours Black, Blue, Chocolate, Yellow, Tortoiseshell, Steel Grey, Brown Grey, Pale Grey and Tri Colour
Feeding Rabbits require a high fibre with lots of hay (dried grass) or straw and low protein feed to prevent digestive problems. Use rabbit pellets which can be purchased from pet shops to provide all your rabbits dietary needs, along with fresh fruit and vegetables (green stuffs). Most green stuffs are suitable for rabbits although be careful to avoid feeding potatoes (they have toxic parts) lettuce, chicory, chickweed and dandelions (can cause diarrhoea if fed in excess). Extra vitamins and salt licks are not generally required.

Any changes in diet must be made slowly (green stuffs and prepared feeds) over a period of a couple of weeks, to avoid digestive upsets. Fresh water must be available at all times and renewed daily.
To enable your rabbit to extract as much protein, vitamins and minerals from their food as possible, they digest their food twice, these are soft, kidney shaped droppings which are covered in a small amount of mucous. These droppings are very different from the dry round droppings that you will usually see your rabbit passing.

Housing
Rabbits can be kept indoors or outdoors, either way they need their own space in an appropriate cage or hutch. There are many purpose built cages and hutches available, alternatively you could build your own. It is recommended that you purchase the best quality you can afford, your rabbit will need it for 7--10 years. Make sure that the hutch is large enough for your rabbit to stretch full out, and high enough for your rabbit to stand upright. Dutch rabbits are generally comfortable in a 4' x 2' hutch. If kept outdoors, the hutch should have a dark enclosed area to provide your rabbit with a quiet space. The main living area should be large enough for your rabbit to stretch full out, and have wire mesh on the door. The hutch should be at least 6" off the floor to provide adequate ventilation. In the winter you can move your rabbits indoors or into a shed. They are also quite happy remaining out of doors, providing extra protection such as an old blanket draped over the front of the hutch at night in very cold weather. Remember rabbits need good ventilation, you cannot therefore leave the cover down permanently otherwise your rabbit will succumb to chest infections from the damp, ammonia or overheating, and rabbits die from all of these.

Bedding
Hay, straw and wood chips all make suitable bedding for rabbits. It is down to personal choice which you use, however, research has shown that rabbits will choose straw rather than wood chip or wire bottomed cages. All bedding should be renewed at least once a week, and the hutch should be washed, scrubbed and disinfected several times per year.

Exercise
Rabbits need regular stimulation and exercise in a safe environment. This can be in a purpose made rabbit run or simply by bringing your rabbit indoors and letting it play in your living room. Rabbits that are playing outside of their hutches, either in a run or indoors, should be supervised at all times and their play area must be 'rabbit proofed' by removing any hazards. Young rabbits will enjoy exercise, but be careful not to over do it, particularly if you are still in the 'getting to know each other' period.
Rabbits are sociable creatures and enjoy the company of humans, dogs, cats and other rabbits if carefully introduced. It is generally suggested that each rabbit has its own hutch (particularly if you intend to show it) as rabbits are like children and prefer not to share 'bedrooms'. They can, however, socialise together in common space, such as rabbit runs, and will like being able to see and hear another rabbit when they are in their own hutches. 2 bucks must never be put together even in a run if they have not been castrated (they will fight).

Rabbits need to be occupied and they love playing with toys. This can include manufactured toys for human babies, birds, cats, dogs, hamsters etc. But rabbits will equally get hours of enjoyment from some very cheap, readily available items in the household.

Health
It is recommend that you get your rabbit covered by Pet Insurance as veterinary fees can mount up. Never leave a rabbit in the sole care of a child. As an adult you will have to assume sole responsibility for the health and welfare of your rabbit.

To prevent territorial behaviour of both bucks (males) and does (females), it is suggested that pet rabbits are neutered. Males can be neutered at around 3-4 months, and does at 6 months. Females over 2-3 years old that are not being regularly bred from are at high risk of developing uterine cancer unless neutered.

Rabbits have little ability to regulate their body temperature and die very easily from heat stroke. Ensure adequate shade is provided at all times. Handle your rabbit daily, and it will generally enjoy your company. Never pick a rabbit up by its ears, and always support your rabbits back and hind quarters when handling. Rabbits can easily experience spinal injuries. Rabbits nails need clipping every 6-8 weeks and teeth should be checked weekly to ensure they are correctly aligned. Rabbits moult 2-4 times a year, only one of these will be heavy (usually late Spring/early Summer).

Seek veterinary advice if your rabbit develops discharges from the eye, nose or mouth, has scabs inside its ears, is passing diarrhoea or mucous, or stops eating and/or drinking. Any ill rabbit must always be given drinking water in a bowl. Water bottles are a clean, hygienic way of providing water if you rabbit is fit and well, but ill rabbits often become listless and will be unlikely to be bothered to lift their heads up to the spout of a bottle and will dehydrate and die very quickly. If at all worried about your rabbit seek Veterinary Advice.

My experience
I have bred, exhibited and owned rabbits since the early 70's, all of my rabbits are well cared for live up to 12 years old.

Showing
The Hobby of Breeding & Exhibiting Rabbits is called 'The Fancy'. Every weekend, all over the country, rabbit shows are taking place. Many are Local Rabbit Clubs holding their single-day shows in places such as Village Halls and Scout Huts. Others are two-day Championship Shows held in Sports Centres and School Halls.