help rabbit not nesting

hi i have a house rabbit whos having babies (not planed) shes 31 days i think you can see them move in her only prob is she isnt nesting and shes young shes only 5 month would she do it her own way in her own time would she know wat to do or should i help? i know nothink about rabbit birth/babies any think any advice would be great she has a hutch in her own room inside ive given her loads of hay and fresh food and endless water what eles can i do? thanx

Hi, I can't say I have any experience with baby buns but I do know that you need to leave mum to gety on with things herself - provide the bedding materials as you have, she may not make a nest until just before the birth. A low sided box is a good idea in the nesting area so the babies can be contained but mum can easily get to them.

Have a good look around the forum and you will find lots of pregnant doe and baby advise in old threads.

How did she come to be having babies so young? I take it she is not with a buck now?

Good luck.

no bucks long gone i was looking after a rabbit for my friend on holiday and my daughter opened the cage (shes 3) thinking they wanted to be friends befor i could get to them it was too late i only had him for 24 hours lol so defo wasnt planed also shes a giant where he was a mini lop should that matter would she be ok i worry so much last thing i want is for her to be ill or die shes like a dog she sits on sofa gives you kisses. oh ive put a box in her cage its got a lip so babies wont come out ive keeped my daughter away and keeped it quiet. hope im doing everythink right.

Oh dear a holiday romance!

I guess there is a chance that she's not pregnant (fingers crossed as it would be best for her, being so young, and for you).

A good idea to keep her quiet as possible as you say.

im kind if hoping shes not but i have seen movement like waves and like kicking when she lies down also shes not the cute bunny when u go in her room she bites if you move her food bowl and shes eating bloody loads just fingers crossed it could be gas lol

Yes the moodiness could just be her reaching sexual maturity (which I believe happens a bit later in giants than smaller breeds). If she doesn't produce kits in the next week (and you are sure of your dates) you would be best to get her checked by a vet and get some advise regarding having her neutered which will protect her from uterine cancer which, sadly, is very common in unspayed rabbits.

yeh that was my plans to do that tbh ive allways done it to my bunnies bless her lol thanx

As much as baby bunnies are mega cute, I hope for her (and you!) that she's not pregnant and is just being a stroppy mare

a.cotterill said:

yeh that was my plans to do that tbh ive allways done it to my bunnies bless her lol thanx

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:shock:Blimey a mini lop and a giant - I wonder what the babies will be like? -I do hope she will be OK, I suppose if it were the other way round it could have been a bit dangerous. I would agree with what has been said on here, try to keep her as quiet as possible and apparently bright lights can damage the new kits eyesight so as has been said it is probably worth searching and reading old threads for more information. Hope she will be alright x

i know shes a papilion and hes was a mini lop going to be weird lol ive taken the bulb out of her room and put a small desk light in hope that will be ok.(out of nibble reach) lol:lol:

a.cotterill said:

i know shes a papilion and hes was a mini lop going to be weird lol ive taken the bulb out of her room and put a small desk light in hope that will be ok.(out of nibble reach) lol:lol:

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I just found a picture of a Papillion is she really that big ?
http://www.peacockshock.com/archives/herman giant rabbit-thumb.jpg

shes not that big but shes only 5 months looks abit different shes black and white with really big ears bigger then a cat lol but beautfull ill get a pic of her when i can (dnt wanna upset her) and place it on here

they are also know as a checkered giant rabbit google that you will see

Heck ...couldn't be any further from extremes could they! Giant and a mini ...hope they'll be ok....keep us updated

a.cotterill said:

they are also know as a checkered giant rabbit google that you will see

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Oh yes, hopefully as she is bigger she will deliver OK, what do you intend to do when she has the kits, are you keeping them all?

if all is going well i will keep a female one get mum spayed and when little one is ready get her done too then find homes for others. i would love to keep them all no room lol its weird i dont like the idear of letting the rabbits go to anyone eles as i dont like the taought of then being misstreated. thats if she even is or has them ok lol but they are beatufull great house rabbits so clean

a.cotterill said:

if all is going well i will keep a female one get mum spayed and when little one is ready get her done too then find homes for others. i would love to keep them all no room lol its weird i dont like the idear of letting the rabbits go to anyone eles as i dont like the taought of then being misstreated. thats if she even is or has them ok lol but they are beatufull great house rabbits so clean

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Awww lets hope it goes well then and you can find nice homes, I know there is a re-homing page on here that might help aswell. It is important to try and get them safe places to go to I think, I would feel like you do aswell. Best of luck keep it updated with progress x

First time mums can be a worry, some will make the nest hours or even moments before giving birth so i wouldn't worry too much about that. You just need to keep a distant eye on her if she gives birth outside the nest. I had this nightmare two years ago my OH was responsible and he didn't half get an ear bending, I had Delilah my lovely pure breed red eyed white giant running around the garden, in the bottom of my other rabbit shed I had Tylier my little mini lop hopping about doing his thing. Oh was out the back when some of my sons friends came around so he opened the door to let them have a look at the rabbits and you guessed it :shock: I was horrified I was so so :evil: she went on to have not one or two or even five or six she had 12! she was a good mum she made the nest a hour or so before giving birth i caught her nesting wen't back to check and there was a nest full of babies. I have changed my set up since and oh is not aloud to let out any rabbits or even go in the shed with out me :lol: I don't want to blow my own trumpet :lol: but (ducks for cover) I breed and show mini lops so i've had a few litters in the past few years so if you want any advice i'll always try my best to help you, you can always pm me x
They went on to be funny looking rabbits like giants but with ears that wanted to lop but didn't like helicopters.
This is Delilah

Any Tylier (now been castrated)

And Tyliers wife, Eclair (helping herself as usually she actually jumped up onto the woodshavings to get to the top of the hutch)

parkfieldstud said:

First time mums can be a worry, some will make the nest hours or even moments before giving birth so i wouldn't worry too much about that. You just need to keep a distant eye on her if she gives birth outside the nest. I had this nightmare two years ago my OH was responsible and he didn't half get an ear bending, I had Delilah my lovely pure breed red eyed white giant running around the garden, in the bottom of my other rabbit shed I had Tylier my little mini lop hopping about doing his thing. Oh was out the back when some of my sons friends came around so he opened the door to let them have a look at the rabbits and you guessed it :shock: I was horrified I was so so :evil: she went on to have not one or two or even five or six she had 12! she was a good mum she made the nest a hour or so before giving birth i caught her nesting wen't back to check and there was a nest full of babies. I have changed my set up since and oh is not aloud to let out any rabbits or even go in the shed with out me :lol: I don't want to blow my own trumpet :lol: but (ducks for cover) I breed and show mini lops so i've had a few litters in the past few years so if you want any advice i'll always try my best to help you, you can always pm me x
They went on to be funny looking rabbits like giants but with ears that wanted to lop but didn't like helicopters.
This is Delilah

Any Tylier (now been castrated)

And Tyliers wife, Eclair (helping herself as usually she actually jumped up onto the woodshavings to get to the top of the hutch)

Click to expand...

Your bunnies are lovely and clearly you are happy to admit you are a breeder, I personally don't have an issue as long as they are treated really well and you are confident that all the kits go to loving forever homes and don't end up dumped in cardboard boxes next to the road for rescues to take on.

Gosh i would be horrified to think someone would do that! I did buy back a bun last year after the lady had her for three wks and "changed her mind" when I got there to pick her up she also had a blue buck that was from another breeder i know and she asked if i wanted him too, he is lovely though and luckly hes good type so i can use him. I must admit quite a few in my shed are "pets" I just can't seem to let them go. I'm not sure if i'm cut out for the breeding and showing :roll: give it another 12months and most of my buns will be retired ones i can't let go :lol: I can see why some breeders have a bad name, don't want to go into detail but one made a comment to me recently about an "issue" that is still on going and I was really shocked.