new to rabbits help she had babies.

Hi i normally rescue guinea pigs but was given a rabbit on sunday the she had babies on tues i've found three stillborns and think there in one still alive.

i know not to touch the nest or touch the babies.

any imfo be great, as havn't a clue.

also when do i know how many in there? when do they leave the nest? once they leave the nest do you clean out? can i add iteams to the hutch? she has two tier hutch and the uper area is the toilet and i want to add a litter tray. It was a last min thing getting her and i didn't have any thing for her so feel bad. i happen to find the babies as i went to go sort her hutch out after a trip to pet store. i'm just glad i had a good set up for her.

Hiya :wave:

Wow what a situation you've ended up in :shock: I dont know much about new born kits but there are alot of peopl on here that do. Why not edit your post title to inc. that you need help wth new born kits then Im sure some more people will respond

With regards to mummy bun heres a few tips:

She'll need regular exercise in a large space eg. a run attached to the hutch, free range time in your house or in the garden.

Rabbits diets are very different to guinea pigs. She'll need about an eggcup full of good quality rabbit pellets every day (science selective and excell are good choices.) She'll also need unlimited good quality fresh hay as hay should make up about 80% of her diet. She can also have fresh veggies once or twice a day. If you look in the diet section on this forum theres a list of bunny safe veg Any new veg that shes never had before will neew to be introduced slowly to avoid tummy probs. Grass and dandelion leaves are also a great addition to her diet.

When her kits are old enough she will need to be spayed, as female buns have an 80% chance of contracting uterine cancer if left intact. It will also mean that you can bond her with another fixed bun in the future, which is very important as buns are much happier in pairs than alone.

If a bun stops eating, drinking or pooping it is essential that she get taken to a vet straight away as an emergency. A non eating bun is a very poorly bun (just something to watch out for )

If you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask, you've come to the right place :wave:

ok it depends how the mum is with you, some wont care if you touch the nest other will, just watch her to see how she reacts. The thing is the dead kits need to be removed, have you seen the other kit? does it look plump/ well fed? other than that you can leave her to it.
They will start to move about a bit more by 10 days old when thier eyes start to open.When they are using the nest less you can clean it out. You can add things to the hutch

thanks. I get my hay in bales so always got some. i also give my guinea pigs veg every day so again not a problem.

i have have her in a two tier hutch witha run attached. i'm lucky i looked after two rabbits the week before for my mate so had built a set up for them so she went in there.

i'm hoping the last one lives and can stay with mummy.

Also due to working as rescue i have vets to go to who give discount so be getting her done.

the mother getting better with me she will let me sit and talk to her when eating. plus up baby feel out the hutch so was picked up with a towel and put back in. I have removed the dead ones. i havn't seen the live one but every morning when go out to opan the hutch so she can go in to run you can tel she has been in the nest as she added the hay ect.

she was taken in by a mate who had her for a week before she asked me to have her, so she meet lots of new people and been moved around alot so she been very stressed.

would this be why most the babies died. done of the babies looked like she had killed them.

Well you will just have to wait and see how it goes, sounds like she is doing ok though.
It is possible she was stressed and she dug them out of the nest and they died of cold, or they could of just died/be dead when she had them. It happens sometimes.

Oh bless her

One of my foster bunnies, Amber, has recently had babies. I checked the nest every day - you need to rub your hands all in mummys scent (toilet ) before you touch the nest.

I didnt clean the nest area until the babies were 3 weeks old - i left it until they had all left the nest properly. I was new to having baby bunnies too, but they kind of look after themselves Its so lovely watching them grow up

Are you sure theres only 1 left in the nest? Dead ones need removing daily so they dont send the rest of the nest cold xXx

no i'm not sure i havn't really looked throw the nest all i know was one was alive last night maybe more live or dead. i've removed three dead i think they where born dead as found first two as she just finished and the one alive way born out side the nest so was moved back in.

Should i go in to the nest and check for dead ones?

yes rub you hands through her bedding and you must remove the dead babies and checkfor others you could remove her from the hutch to do this put her in the run or something try not to touch the live one too much since its a rescue you wont know the mum that well io eat shes placid and not trying to eat you she should be ok
ann xxxx