Well, first, if you want to have bunny babies you should read everything you can on the subject and also talk to your local animal shelters and rabbit rescue organizations. (Rabbit overpopulation is a big issue,... it's usually better to adopt than to breed). In any case, here are a few essentials you'll need to know about rabbit babies: * Rabbits breed very quickly. A female can have a litter of as many as nine babies each month. They can have as many as 200 baby bunnies in one year. In fact, females can get pregnant again as quickly as 24 hours after giving birth. * You'll be able to tell if the female is pregnant a few days after conception. Because her hormones are wreaking havoc with her, she will become moody and aggressive. You'll also be able to feel her nipples growing. Continue to feed her unlimited hay, fresh greens and limited pellets. The mom-to-be should be housed separately for her own health and comfort. * Once the babies are born, their mom will clean them off. Then, you should remove them from the living area to check on their conditions and take away any babies who did not survive. Keep the nest box with the bunnies inside then take them to nurse from their mom in the morning and in the evening each day. * You'll notice the bunnies are born with their eyes closed and naked. Their fur will begin to grow immediately, but it takes time to fill out. The babies will begin opening their eyes when they are between 10 and 13 days old. * You'll want to make sure the babies continue to nurse until they are at least two months old. By the third week, they'll want to start exploring outside of the nesting box. Make sure you have a flat, comfortable surface for them to run around on. You don't want them to stand on wires because they have tiny feet that could easily get stuck, causing them injury. Refer to the Dietsection of our book (below) for ages the bunnies can begin eating pellets, hay and fresh vegetables and fruit. * When the babies are seven weeks old, you'll want to allow them to nurse from their mother only every other day, in order to prepare them for the weaning stage. When they are two months old, you'll want to wean them completely from their mother's milk. * You can tell a male from a female when the male's testicles drop. * Start putting the babies in different living quarters when they are approximately three months old. |
