HELP my rabbit just had babies

[Stina]

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???

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

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

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

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....)

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

@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.

 

[Bunnylady]

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.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

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.....

 

[Bunnylady]

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.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

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

 

[Stina]

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.

 

[Stina]

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