Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

Rabbits have a reputation for being lucky, but the mother still needs careful care in order to produce healthy baby rabbits. Luckily, there are many things you can do to help keep the pregnancy and birth going smoothly. Start with nesting the rabbit for a safe and comfortable birth. Watch the mother rabbits feel comfortable and eat well until birth. Then, you can start caring for the litter before considering whether to keep the pups or find a new home for them.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Create the right environment for the mother rabbit

1. 

   Set aside a comfortable space for the mother rabbit and the baby rabbits. A female rabbit can lay up to 14 baby rabbits of a litter, meaning it will need plenty of space. Make sure you have a nest box for your rabbits in a cage or crib with a minimum area of ​​65-75 cm x 40 cm. That way, the mother and her babies have enough room to move, stretch and move without difficulty.
   • If your rabbit's living area is not 65-75 cm x 40 cm at the moment, now is the time to buy or build a new cage.
   • Ideally, the mother rabbit's space should be a little discreet, with as little light and equipment making noise or other stressful elements as possible.

2. 

   
   
   Make a hay nest to place in the rabbit cage. Use a wooden crib, cardboard box or similar object in a corner of the cage. Place soft hay on the bottom of the box. Remember that the nest box should be large and low enough for the mother to get in and out of. The mother rabbit will wander around until it is ready to go into labor, which means giving birth.
   • You can also use other comforting material to line the rabbit's nest, such as an old rag or tissue and shredded newspaper.
   • The cage liner also keeps the newborn rabbits warm, an important factor in their survival.
   • If you don't know what size box to choose for the mother rabbit, give him a few different boxes so he can choose what he wants.
   • Rabbits that do not have a dark place to shelter will be more stressed because they cannot hide their offspring.

   Advice: A cat's plastic litter box can make a great nest box for your rabbits if you don't want to fuss.

   
   

3. 

   Make it a habit to clean the rabbit's cage and nest regularly. Change hay or other bedding materials every 3-5 days or as needed. After removing the liner, scrub the stains with warm water mixed with a mild, non-toxic soap, such as castile liquid soap.
   • Keeping the cage clean is essential, especially if your rabbit has a habit of having bowel movements in the nest.
   • Avoid using disinfectants or other cleaning chemicals to clean wooden or cardboard boxes. These chemicals are often toxic to rabbits and can lead to breathing or digestive problems.
4. Avoid activities that could be stressful for your rabbit. Rabbits are inherently stressed out, but pregnant rabbits are more stressful and can lose their entire litter if they panic. Do not make loud noises and disturbances near the rabbit cage. Keep other pets away from the rabbit cage, as the mother rabbit can treat them as predators.

5. 

   
   
   Be prepared to separate the male rabbits right after the female is born. Separate the female and male rabbits into two adjacent pens or attach a soft baffle like a trellis to separate them. This is to prevent them from mating again. Remember that rabbits are very attached to their partners, so they still need to see each other, touch and interact.
   • Most female rabbits can get pregnant again only after 48-72 hours. For this reason, it's a good idea to separate the male rabbit from the female, unless you want to have more bunnies.
   • Both the male and female rabbits can be strained if you do not allow them to stay together. In the worst case scenario, this can cause anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, and other problems that can negatively impact the mother's ability to raise the baby.
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Method 2 of 3: Feeding and caring for the pregnant rabbit

1. 

   Give your rabbit high-quality food. Give the female rabbit plenty of hay and fresh grass for daily chewing. You can also give your rabbits timothy grass pellets to supplement your rabbit's diet. Rabbits can eat green vegetables at will, but you should also divide the portion of the pellet according to the rabbit's weight to make sure it doesn't overeat.
   • Rabbits love to eat lettuce, bok choy, carrot leaves, kohlrabi, coriander, basil, watercress, mustard greens, and beets.
   • The principle is to feed your rabbits 1 / 4-1 / 8 cups (16-32 g) of pellets for every 2.3 kg of their weight.
   • Avoid overfeeding your rabbits, as overweight and obese rabbits have a higher risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
   • Proper nutrition is always essential to the owner of a rabbit, and even more important when the female rabbit is pregnant, as the mother may need to feed up to 12 baby rabbits!

2. 

   Give your rabbit enough water. Pour more water into your rabbit's bowl or water bottle at least once a day. Pregnant female rabbits need to drink enough water to get enough milk to breastfeed.
   • You will notice that the amount of water the female rabbit drinks will increase each day as she starts to produce milk.

3. 

   Carefully lift the rabbit when you want to pick it up or move it. Use your forearms to hold the bottom of the rabbit's chest tightly, just above the front legs, the hand to support the bottom of the rabbit's rump, and gently lift the rabbit. Hold your rabbit close to you so it feels warm and secure. If your rabbit seems shy or scared, let him tuck his head under his arm until he has calmed down.
   • If the rabbit doesn't cooperate when you try to pick it up, try covering it with a large towel before attempting to lift it. The darkness will help soothe the rabbit. Be sure to support the rabbit's entire body when you pick it up.

   Warning: Be gentle when handling the female rabbit. Be careful not to squeeze or squeeze the rabbit's stomach area.

4. 

   Have the rabbit play outside the cage every day for at least 1 hour. Take your rabbit out once or twice a day for about half an hour each day. Your rabbit can spend this time playing, exercising or wandering around to explore new environments. Be sure to watch out carefully to make sure the rabbit doesn't hurt itself or go into unauthorized places.
   • If you are going to let your rabbit play indoors, take a quick glance to make sure there is nothing in the house that could endanger your rabbit before you leave the cage. Dangerous things can be wires, sharp objects, and anything small enough to cause the rabbit to choke.
   • Daily exercise is essential for pregnant rabbits, as this stimulates blood circulation and helps transport essential nutrients to the unborn baby rabbits.
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Method 3 of 3: Take care of the mother and baby rabbits after giving birth

1. 

   Remove the dead baby rabbit from the cage, if any. Sadly, not all baby rabbits are born alive. If you find a baby rabbit is no longer breathing, take it out of the cage to bury it or throw it away from the rabbit's habitat. If not, it could pose a risk to the health of the remaining animals.
   • Check the baby rabbit thoroughly before taking it outside. A newborn rabbit can only be "cold" which means that it has an abnormally low body.
   • The mother rabbit is familiar with you, so don't be afraid to reach into the rabbit's cage to get the bad little rabbits out.

2. 

   Heat the rabbit cage Keep newborn rabbits warm. Pour warm (no hot water!) Into the hot pack or turn on the small heating pad to the lowest setting and place under the bearing material on one side of the box. This way, the baby rabbit can move from side to side in the box when it is too cold or too warm.
   • You may also want to put extra nesting material on so that the bunny won't come into direct contact with the hot pack, which can be too hot for them.
   • Always maintain a light source of heat, even if it is just a warm washcloth. This is especially important if the baby rabbits are born during the winter months.

3. 

   Feed the baby rabbits with infant kittens 2 times a day if the mother does not breastfeed. Pump into a sterile 4-5 cc (approximately 4-5 ml) syringe of slightly lukewarm formula. Turn each baby rabbit over and slowly pump some milk into their mouth, allowing the rabbit to suck until it is full or no milk.Feed each baby like this twice a day until the mother starts to breastfeed.
   • Keep track of the baby rabbits for the first few days after birth. If properly fed, the baby rabbit's belly will be slightly rounded; on the contrary, the belly of the rabbit will sag if they are hungry or undernourished. Note that the mother rabbits often breastfeed at sunrise and sunset, and they can leave the babies alone for quite a long time.
   • Sometimes the first-born mother rabbit may be indifferent to the offspring after giving birth, seem reluctant to take care of the baby, or even completely ignore the baby. In this case, it is best to get the mother rabbits checked by an experienced veterinarian as soon as possible.

   Advice: You can also make your own rabbit substitute by mixing 1 liter of goat milk, 1 teaspoon of Karo syrup, 1 egg yolk, and 1 pack of flavorless gelatin.

4. 

   Separate the baby rabbits from the mother rabbits 8 weeks after birth. Most mothers will stop breastfeeding by the time they are 5-6 weeks old. When the mother does not want to breastfeed, you can move the baby rabbits to their own pen, or let them explore on their own.
   • You should also separate and separate male and female rabbits after 8 weeks of age to prevent them from mating.
   • Once the bunny is weaned and sturdy enough to run around on its own, you may start thinking about finding a new home for them.
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Advice

• You will have to spend a lot of time and effort raising the bunnies, especially if you decide to keep the bunny as a whole. Check for the challenges you may face when caring for the baby rabbit.
• If you are keeping your rabbit outdoors or in an area where the rabbit can freely enter and exit, you need to fencing the site with trellis or plug holes in the fence to keep predators out.

Warning

• Contact your veterinarian immediately if the mother or baby rabbits are sick, injured or unwell during labor.
• Breeding animals should not be taken lightly - taking care of animals and their offspring is a big responsibility. Don't let the rabbits breed unless you have a good reason for the baby rabbits to be born, and you have to be ‘confident that you can take care of them properly.

What you need

Create a suitable environment for the mother rabbit

• Spacious barn or crib
• Small wooden crib, cardboard box or similar object
• Soft dry grass
• Mild liquid soap
• Add another cage or crate, trellis mesh or soft baffle (to separate the male and female rabbits)
• Rag, tissue, tear newspaper or other carrier material (optional)

Feeding and taking care of a pregnant rabbit

• Leafy green vegetables
• Timothy grass tablets
• Clean water

Take care of the mother and baby rabbits after they are born

• Hot water packs or heating mats
• Kitten replacement syringes and milk (if the mother does not breastfeed)
• Warm towels (optional)