# HELP my rabbit just had babies



## Stina (Jul 29, 2018)

Finally, my rabbit had some babies. She’s been with my male for about 1 year now & I go outside to feed them (they share a cage) & I see 7 babies! Sadly 4 were dead. Must’ve just happened because they were cold but not stiff. I didn’t have a nest box so I put a card board box with some newspaper & put the surviving babies in there. Is there anything I should know or do???


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jul 30, 2018)

It's time for the parents to be split up.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jul 30, 2018)

Agreed. The buck should be separated while mom takes care of the surviving babes. The reason for this.....IMO... The buck will want to mate but mom is busy taking care of babes, he will kill the babies for her attention. Also, mating her while she is feeding the babes can cause her milk to dry up as her body prepares for another pregnancy. Her body cannot support feeding babes AND growing new ones inside. You should always let your doe rest between litters.

(Correct me Tales if I misspoke about the reasons, just my research and experience....)


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jul 30, 2018)

@MatthewsHomestead, you did fine! I am not an expert, just another breeder.

However, there are some breeders that do back to back pregnancy like colonies or whatever referring to how it is with wild rabbits, but it is not the best way for raising quality domestic rabbits, in my opinion.


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## Bunnylady (Jul 30, 2018)

Tale of Tails Rabbitry said:


> It's time for the parents to be split up.



The doe may already be bred again. A doe can become pregnant immediately after kindling. If the buck was there when she kindled, it's a good idea to mark the calendar because the odds are she will have another litter a month from now (though since it took so long the first time, you can't be sure).

I'd be curious to know if anyone has actually _seen_ a buck killing babies? There's no sense in it - the doe can breed immediately, and usually does; and the babies are most likely his anyway.  In my experience, a buck pays no attention to the babies at all, but will almost obsessively pursue the newly-kindled doe. He's like the Muppets character Animal - "_WOMAN!!_" She, on the other hand, is, "my babies, my babies!" She's scampering around, jumping in and out of the nest box, with the buck in hot pursuit. I can see how babies get trampled in the melee, but it's more likely the doe doing the trampling (I've witnessed this a few times, in a few colonies that I set up, when I didn't get the buck out in time. And yes, I've had to wean a few litters a lot younger than I like to, because of back-to-back litters caused by my inattention). Frequently, the first litter gets lost, either due to physical trauma or from the stressed-out doe not caring for them.

Seven is a decent number. Be warned - does do an extreme hormonal peak when kindling, so litters conceived by does that have just kindled are frequently very large; at least, as large a litter as they are capable of producing.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jul 30, 2018)

The buck killing does was a warning from the breeder I got my first pair from. He witnessed this happen thus the warning. I generally pull my buck when she starts pulling fur for her nest.....


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## Bunnylady (Jul 30, 2018)

MatthewsHomestead said:


> The buck killing does was a warning from the breeder I got my first pair from. He witnessed this happen thus the warning. I generally pull my buck when she starts pulling fur for her nest.....



Once again, I'd be curious to know what he saw. If it was the buck stomping, well, any rabbit does that when excited - I've seen does standing in nest boxes, stomping; does it make sense that they were trying to kill the babies that they were also attempting to bite me to protect? Rabbits don't stomp on each other; it's not that kind of behavior.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Jul 30, 2018)

he said it attacked. I've not ever had it happen since I've been breeding. Maybe he had an aggressive buck.....?


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## Stina (Jul 30, 2018)

Thank you for all the replies. I went out there this morning & only 1 has survived. Other 2 were dead. I also took the buck out & put him in his own cage but still he can see the doe.


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## Stina (Jul 31, 2018)

Came home from work & the little one was still alive!  My only concern is I don’t see a full belly...


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jul 31, 2018)

Mother's milk comes in about two days after kindling.


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## Stina (Jul 31, 2018)

Just went out to check this morning & still alive but very skinny looking. It squirms when I pick it up or touch it


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jul 31, 2018)

Stina said:


> Just went out to check this morning & still alive but very skinny looking. It squirms when I pick it up or touch it


It is quite typical for them to lose weight for the first two days. It is alarming when it is your first time, but it is normal. If you do not see milk in the belly by the end of the third day...then it is time to consider intervening.


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## Stina (Jul 31, 2018)

Here’s a pic


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## Stina (Jul 31, 2018)

Just went out to check b4 going to work & baby has died


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Jul 31, 2018)

Stina said:


> Just went out to check b4 goig to work & baby has died


I am sorry.

It is very difficult for a single kit to survive due to it uses littermates to help regulate its body temperature. I have never had one single kit make it yet, regardless of time of year or temps, even when the doe was experienced and had pulled fur.

Start counting the days because as said previously, she may be pregnant right now.


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## promiseacres (Jul 31, 2018)

Tale of Tails Rabbitry said:


> It is very difficult for a single kit to survive due to it uses littermates to help regulate its body temperature. I have never had one single kit make it yet, regardless of time of year or temps, even when the doe was experienced and had pulled fur./QUOTE]
> I always attempt 2 does at the same time, have had excellent success fostering kits if one mama has a small litter or looses them for one reason or another.


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## Stina (Jul 31, 2018)

Tale of Tails Rabbitry said:


> I am sorry.
> 
> It is very difficult for a single kit to survive due to it uses littermates to help regulate its body temperature. I have never had one single kit make it yet, regardless of time of year or temps, even when the doe was experienced and had pulled fur.
> 
> Start counting the days because as said previously, she may be pregnant right now.




Thank you. Yeah I kind of figured that. I tried the warm water bottle method because it was raining last night & temps are in the 70’s at night time. I have already marked my calendar so fingers crossed...should I put her with the male 1 more time or just wait it out?


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## Tale of Tails Rabbitry (Aug 1, 2018)

Stina said:


> Thank you. Yeah I kind of figured that. I tried the warm water bottle method because it was raining last night & temps are in the 70’s at night time. I have already marked my calendar so fingers crossed...should I put her with the male 1 more time or just wait it out?


I would not. Although rare, there have been cases when the doe has released eggs twice so two pregnancies at two different stages of development. That these two rabbits have not conceived at all in a year until now is rather odd and kind makes me wonder if there are already reproduction issues. I would be the one to err on the side of caution. I am sure that there are other viewpoints on this though.

And there is the fostering method that @promiseacres suggested. I have not done it because I have always had my does on a rotation breeding schedule and sometimes one breeding does not take. If you only have that one pair...you do not have that option anyway.


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## Bphar (Aug 1, 2018)

Stina said:


> Finally, my rabbit had some babies. She’s been with my male for about 1 year now & I go outside to feed them (they share a cage) & I see 7 babies! Sadly 4 were dead. Must’ve just happened because they were cold but not stiff. I didn’t have a nest box so I put a card board box with some newspaper & put the surviving babies in there. Is there anything I should know or do???



The cardboard box won’t last long. You need a proper nestbox. Wood or metal. Found online. I always used white shavings for a base, then straw on top of that. The doe will blow her own fur into the straw to create a nest. If you haven’t already, remove the buck. Bucks can, and will breed the doe again one day after she kindles. So, she would have another litter around 23 days later. Hence the term breeds like rabbits. American Rabbit breeders on the net, is an excellent source of rabbit information. Normally the nestbox is put into the cage three days befor she is due. You have to keep track of mateings or you will have many disappointments, and very few live kits. Don’t allow the buck and doe to live together, and when you want to breed them, take the doe to the bucks cage. She will let him know if she’s not interested. Then take her back to her own cage. If they bred, Mark the date, so you can count days. Hope this helps.


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## Bunnylady (Aug 1, 2018)

Bphar said:


> The doe will blow her own fur into the straw to create a nest. If you haven’t already, remove the buck. Bucks can, and will breed the doe again one day after she kindles. So, she would have another litter around 23 days later.



Ummmmmm. I'm sorry, but there is so much not quite correct about this post.

The expression "to blow the coat" refers to the natural shedding and replacement of the hair coat, not fur pulling for nest making.

Does can rebreed within minutes of kindling. I currently have a young rabbit that is the result of a mating that must have occurred within an hour after a litter was born, since the buck was removed as soon as the litter was discovered, and there were warm, live babies on the wire at that time.

The gestation period of rabbits is 31 days, plus or minus a couple of days. I assume that "23" is a typo, but just in case anyone who doesn't know otherwise reads this post, it probably ought to be noted.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 1, 2018)

Bunnylady is correct on days of gestation.  30-31 days from breeding to kindling.  I like to put the box in 3 days ahead of the due date, and keep it in for about 4 days after the 31 days since some years I had all litters 28 days after  breeding and another year 33 days after breeding.  All the kindling does in the barn did this same schedule those years.  Very strange!  Again Bunnylady is right, the doe does not _shed_ her fur into the nest box but very carefully _pulls_ mouthful of hair out of her belly and chest when making her nest.  Some does don't pull much fur, and others are completely nude underneath.  If there is a lot of hair in the box and the weather is hot, I gather some of it and save it in Ziplock bags for those times when another doe does not pull much and the weather is very cold.

Does do breed back immediately given the chance.  The first 3 days after kindling the doe is most receptive to the buck.  If I have a doe that does not have a surviving litter, I immediately breed her back.  If a doe only kindles 1 or 2 kits, I will foster to another new mother and rebreed the doe.  I practiced production breeding when we were raising semi commercially.  I would rebreed the mama when the kits were 30 days old, then remove the doe into an adjacent cage a week before she was due to kindle again.  With production breeding you have to raise the protein level of the feed you use.  I used an 18% protein feed with oats, sunflower seeds, calf manna and barleycorn mixed together for an additional supplement for the does.  The bucks only got oats ad if they were showing, a small amount of the supplement but without the calf manna.  I continued the calf manna mix for the weaning kits.   

So, if you want bunnies, I would put the doe in with the buck now.  If she is not receptive, growls or kicks at him, remove him and figure you will have a new litter 30 days from when the first litter was born.  If he hops on top, she lifts her butt a little and then he suddenly falls over, he has bred her again.  Remove him from the cage and keep him separate.  Only put him with her when you want to breed them for bunnies.  This time, get a wooden nest box without a top, put a 2-3" layer of pine shavings in the bottom and then stuff it with straw.  Put it in her cage several days before the due date on your calendar.  Make sure you do NOT put the nest box over the place in the cage where they like to potty.  You don't want her to use the box as a toilet.  The doe will burrow into the straw, possibly carry pieces of straw around the cage and make herself a nest.  If she wants to make a next in a corner of the cage where you did not put the box, move the box into her chosen corner and put her nest materials back into the nest box.

You didn't say what breed the bunnies are.  Nest boxes come in different sizes.  I would get the larger size since a small rabbit can kindle in a large box, but a large rabbit can't kindle in a small one.  If you or someone in yiur family os handy with tools, you can make a nest box from 3/8" plywood.


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## MatthewsHomestead (Aug 1, 2018)

Ridgetop said:


> Bunnylady is correct on days of gestation.  30-31 days from breeding to kindling.  I like to put the box in 3 days ahead of the due date, and keep it in for about 4 days after the 31 days since some years I had all litters 28 days after  breeding and another year 33 days after breeding.  All the kindling does in the barn did this same schedule those years.  Very strange!  Again Bunnylady is right, the doe does not _shed_ her fur into the nest box but very carefully _pulls_ mouthful of hair out of her belly and chest when making her nest.  Some does don't pull much fur, and others are completely nude underneath.  If there is a lot of hair in the box and the weather is hot, I gather some of it and save it in Ziplock bags for those times when another doe does not pull much and the weather is very cold.
> 
> Does do breed back immediately given the chance.  The first 3 days after kindling the doe is most receptive to the buck.  If I have a doe that does not have a surviving litter, I immediately breed her back.  If a doe only kindles 1 or 2 kits, I will foster to another new mother and rebreed the doe.  I practiced production breeding when we were raising semi commercially.  I would rebreed the mama when the kits were 30 days old, then remove the doe into an adjacent cage a week before she was due to kindle again.  With production breeding you have to raise the protein level of the feed you use.  I used an 18% protein feed with oats, sunflower seeds, calf manna and barleycorn mixed together for an additional supplement for the does.  The bucks only got oats ad if they were showing, a small amount of the supplement but without the calf manna.  I continued the calf manna mix for the weaning kits.
> 
> ...


i concur


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## Stina (Aug 2, 2018)

Thank you again for all of the responses. My doe is New Zealand/Californian & my buck is Flemish/New Zealand, very big rabbits. I bought a nest box from the feed store, I’m prepared this time around. Just gonna wait till the 29th & see if she has babies.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 2, 2018)

Sounds like you are ready for a positive experience!  Easiest way to check for a litter is when you see the fur feathered up over the nest looking like cotton candy, just casually reach one finger into the center of the fur.  If you have bunnies, it will be warm.  If the kits have not arrived yet, naturally no warmth. 

Once you know that kits are in the nest, don't be afraid to check the bunnies each day to pull out any dead ones.  Occasionally one will happen.  I take the box out so the mom will not be upset as I go through the next.  I like to di this every day for the first few days to make sure they are doing well.  You will seldom see the mom in the box nursing her
kits. 
You are in for a fun time!  Baby bunnies when their eyes open and they start climbing out of the nest are so cute!


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## Stina (Aug 4, 2018)

Ridgetop said:


> Sounds like you are ready for a positive experience!  Easiest way to check for a litter is when you see the fur feathered up over the nest looking like cotton candy, just casually reach one finger into the center of the fur.  If you have bunnies, it will be warm.  If the kits have not arrived yet, naturally no warmth.
> 
> Once you know that kits are in the nest, don't be afraid to check the bunnies each day to pull out any dead ones.  Occasionally one will happen.  I take the box out so the mom will not be upset as I go through the next.  I like to di this every day for the first few days to make sure they are doing well.  You will seldom see the mom in the box nursing her
> kits.
> You are in for a fun time!  Baby bunnies when their eyes open and they start climbing out of the nest are so cute!



Thank you for your response. Yes, I’m ready for a positive bunny experience! I also worry about her stepping on her kits, going in & out of the nest box. Does this happen a lot? Just wondering...


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## Ridgetop (Aug 4, 2018)

Only if something startles her into jumping into the box.  Then you might hear indignant squeaking from the kits, but usually no damage is done  I have had kits hang onto the teats and get pulled out of the box when mom jumped out.  Just check the cage night and morning and stick any kits back in the box until their eyes open.  Remember that the doe will not move her babies like a dog or cat will. 

You should do fine this time around.  She is experienced, you are experienced, you have a proper nest box, the buck is in another cage, and all will be fine.  Relax and enjoy.


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## Stina (Aug 6, 2018)

Ridgetop said:


> Only if something startles her into jumping into the box.  Then you might hear indignant squeaking from the kits, but usually no damage is done  I have had kits hang onto the teats and get pulled out of the box when mom jumped out.  Just check the cage night and morning and stick any kits back in the box until their eyes open.  Remember that the doe will not move her babies like a dog or cat will.
> 
> You should do fine this time around.  She is experienced, you are experienced, you have a proper nest box, the buck is in another cage, and all will be fine.  Relax and enjoy.



Thank you for this positive & encouraging reply. My fingers are crossed. Expected date is the 29th/30th if she’s pregnant...


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