6 babies

[Gary]

My first time having rabbits and my doe's first babies. How will i know if she's taking care of them? Is there anything i need to do to help her?

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

I would feel them and make sure they are warm. After day 1, check and see if their bellies are round. I would often check mine more than once a day, just making sure they're all warm, and I advise to check and make sure that their bellies are round. Then if any seem very thin, you can carefully hold the momma on her back and hold the baby so it can nurse. Be careful doing so, as the baby could get scraped by the momma' s nails if she puts up a fight. I had that happen to a kit, but she survived.

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

You can rest your hand on the doe's head while checking the babies with the other of she gets grumpy or tried to defend her babies. Be careful. She may be perfectly fine with you checking them though.

 

[Bunnylady]

Then if any seem very thin, you can carefully hold the momma on her back and hold the baby so it can nurse.

The key here is "very carefully." Most does resist this, sometimes pretty violently. The baby isn't the only one at risk for injury; the doe and even you are also at risk. There is also a chance that the mother may be so traumatized by the whole business, she rejects the entire litter (I had an experienced doe that did that; fortunately, I had other does with litters that I could give the babies to).

6 is generally considered the "ideal" litter size for a commercial-type litter, so things have every chance of going well (congrats on live kits! That by itself is a major victory). Hopefully, there is enough hay or other material in the nest box to keep the kits warm, and the doe pulled enough fur to cover them. Don't be surprised if the doe continues to pull fur; a lot of mine do it for days, especially during cool weather. Does typically only feed once or twice a day (around dawn and dusk), so you may never see her in the nest box. A first-time doe's milk supply is pretty limited for the first couple of days, so it may be a little hard to tell if the doe is feeding them, but you should be able to see a whitish blob in the middle of the belly through the newborn's translucent skin. About day 3, the babies should have such full tummies, they almost look like they swallowed golf balls.

Producing milk for a litter takes a lot of energy, so a doe's need for food and water goes up tremendously. A nursing doe should have access to as much food as she will eat, and her water bottle/dish should be kept filled.

I've been raising rabbits for over 30 years, and have done things with does that I never would have believed possible when I started (but since you are new at this, let's just stick with the basics for now). Most does are far more tolerant than people would have you believe. Good luck!

 

[Gary]

Thanks for all the info