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HELP! New 'mother' with questions!

Thistle and Me

Thistle and Me

New Kit
Hello everyone - I've just registered, as I'm looking for bunny help!

I rescued 'Thistle' from the roadside (isolated country lane) a month ago. She was very friendly, and obviously 'dumped'. She is now living the life of luxury.

However, having been living outdoors for probably at least a week, she was pregnant, and 11 days ago, the new additions arrived! All doing well so far - looks like eye-opening and nest-leaving are imminent!

My question is - when can the mum and babies go out in the run? How long should I leave them in the hutch together to start with - and can mum go out in the run on her own for an hour or two once the babies start moving about? I have been putting her out for a few hours a day up until now, but am just concerned about once the babies are in the run part of the hutch - will they get stressed if mum isn't with them?

Our family have always had a rabbit or two since I was a kid, but we've never had babies!

Look forward to replies ... and future help!

Mims
:shock:
 
Hi welcome to Ru and well done for rescuing bunny:wave::wave:What you are doing sounds fine.It gives mum a break from her kits.The kits only feed at night time I would say Its OK to put the kits in the run at six weeks old as long as there is a dry area for them.Please let us know how they get on.
 
Awww glad mum and babies are doing well. Well done for taking them on.
Welcome to the forum.

Don't forget to have the babies sexed at 14 weeks and seperate the males from females.

Look forward to photos.

Rabswood
 
Buns are doing very well

Thanks for your support ... the five babies are doing brilliantly - I have some wonderful pictures, but I don't seem to be able to post attachments :( as it says on my 'posting rules' - do I have to have been a member for a certain amount of time?
I can't wait to share the pictures - cuteness overload!
 
"Don't forget to have the babies sexed at 14 weeks and seperate the males from females"

I was under the impression that they needed to be seperated much earlier than this 8-10 weeks as at 12 weeks rabbits have been known to be fertile.

Sure someone will know
 
Cute - 3 weeks old!

photo
 
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Awwwww how lovely is Thistle & her baby thistles! Welcome to RU & well done for rescuing Thistle - she looks so happy & relaxed with her babies :love:
 
Gosh they are gorgeous aren't they :love: Those babies don't look as if they were fathered by a wild bunny though, I wonder if perhaps she was one of a pair and was dumped once the owners found out that 'he' was a 'she'?? Or maybe an escapee from a breeder?!

Not too sure on your questions as I've never looked after a litter so young, I'd have thought that they could all go out together once the litter are all active enough, as long as they don't eat too much grass in one go as their little tums are still developing. Mums in the wild ignore their buns for good portions of the day anyway so I'd have thought it would also be ok to put mum out in a run without them for a while (she'll probably appreciate the rest, they look like a right handful!)

They do need to be sexed and separated at 8-10 weeks, otherwise you will end up with yet another generation of babies. There are some pictures of 'how to sex' on here, and your vet should be able to help as well. Good luck!
 
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Free at last!

Well, they all went out in the run yesterday - 2-tiered, created by 'daddy' and 'grandad' - took them about 5 mins to work out how to charge up the ladder to the upper level! And they're not even 6 weeks old yet!

Only nasty bit was that I found horrible tapeworms in mum's poos today, which took the edge off the delight of seeing the whole 'family' out and stretching their legs - but we went to the vet and we have Panacur to try to sort it out. Still doesn't stop me worrying about her, and now them, as they're bound to have got them too.

This is worse than having kids!!!!!
 
:thumb: Well done for rescuing bun, pictures are absolutely gorgeous:love: And yes they are a big worry constantly:lol::lol: but worth it! Welcome to RU.:D
 
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