Rabbit nesting - we have babies!

We have a female rabbit who currently appears to be nesting, moving hay around in her mouth, pulling her fur out and bunching it all together. How long does this "nesting" go on for before babies are born? She is indoors with plenty of hay, so is warm, dry and appears quite settled.

Any advice welcome.

Update: Weds 11:49 - little girl bun is giving birth now. All is quiet and she seems in control. Please send all positive vibes for this little bun

Babies are born between 29 to 31 days usually. When was she with a male?

Thanks Marleysworld. I know the gestation period but as I don't know when she was with a male I can't gauge when the babies would be due but as she has started nesting, I was hoping to get an estimate from that of when to expect babies. She started nesting just under 24 hours ago. She has pulled a lot more fur out over night and is sat amongst in quite settled at present.

Hate waiting like this, such a worry.

I'm sure that I once read Jacks-Jane say that the female starts to nest a couple of days before the babies are due?

That could be wrong through so don't take my word for it x

They usually stop eating before giving birth. From a google search it would seem some make a nest 2 weeks before, some 5 minutes before! Does she look fat? and can you see movement in her tummy?

Thanks for replies.

Little bun is still eating though less than she has been these last few days. She was constantly eating yesterday and the day before.

She has put on weight but I put that down to her being fed well.

I can't see any movement in her tum but I *thought* I felt movement yesterday, then again I can imagine anything when it is suggested!

I am hoping it is a phantom pregnancy but fear not.

Update: Weds 11:50 - little girl bun is giving birth now. It appears all is going smoothly (well as smoothly as birth can go, poor girl) Please send all positive vibes for this mammy and her new family.

Positive vibes for Little Bun incoming.. :wave:

Sending positive vibes.

Hope all goes well and you can enjoy the new surprises when you have got used to the idea

The little girl has jumped out of the nest, had a long drink and is now munching some carrot as a treat and some curly kale. It looks like there are 6 babies but obviously we haven't had a good look as we don't want to stress her out. She appears settled and OK.

Hope everything goes well for her and the little ones. May I ask where she is from?

best wishes to mammy and the babies!

Poor lass. Hope she takes to motherhood ok and everything goes smoothly. What's her story?

Thanks for the positive vibes.

Mammy bun seems chilled out, has been dozing most of the afternoon but she has ate well and had a long drink after the birth which took all of 20 minutes start to finish.

We have a number of house buns. Some on here may remember we rescued 7 rabbits from a rescue just before Christmas two years ago - one bun had one still born baby and died herself a few weeks later and another went on to have 7 healthy babies (who we kept and bonded together once neutered / spayed). In total we ended up keeping the 13 buns (6 surviving buns and the 7 babies) from that rescue plus we have some other rescue buns so we are known to locally to be "bunny orientated". As a result someone who runs a cat lost and found Facebook page posted about this current little bun on my wall.

This little bun had been spotted along with a dead bunny (both white) in an old graveyard which is in the middle of nowhere but the area is popular with walkers / photographers. My husband and I went over to look for the bun but didn't find her although we found the dead bun who was clearly a pet rabbit, clean, good size with cut nails. The churchyard is very very old (oldest church in Wales apparently) and very overgrown so after a couple of hours looking we had to give up that day.

We arranged to go back a couple of days later and meet the walker who had originally seen the bun and that's when we saw this little girl bun. She was making use of a very old table top tomb surrounded by railings so even though we could see her, we couldn't reach her. The grave actually dated from 1797. We had to leave little bun there again but put hay and pellets inside the railings to encourage her to stay in the area and then travelled back a couple of days later (its about a 25 minute drive from where we live) and this time went armed with cardboard,mesh panels, a net, blanket and the piste de resistance - our teenage daughter. After a stake out and some nifty rabbit grabbing by our daughter we caught her. She's been here 16 - 17 days living in our bathroom in a cage as obviously she had to be kept from all our other buns.

So, it looks like we have 6 babies although there could be more. Bun is relaxed, looking for nose rubs tonight and is currently bathing herself.

Bittersweet - beautiful babies but I am so worried about finding safe, suitable homes. I cannot afford to keep anymore and room wise we are at bursting point with the 25 house buns we have already got.

Any solutions welcome RU! :wave:

Poor buns, glad she's safe now. Well done for catching her. Hope mum and babies are all doing well xx

the 25 house buns we have already got.
:shock:
oh, wow! you are bursting at the seams!

Mammy buns and her babies are doing well. She's very settled and we have seen the babies in the nest - there are 6 of them, little pink squiggles.

I am already panicking about finding homes for them though, makes me so worried and so sad.

She's a lucky girl to have had her little family in safety, thanks to you. Well done for all the effort you put into catching her.

I hope mum and babies continue to do well. Fingers crossed that you will be able to find wonderful homes for them, when the time comes.

Glad they're doing well.

(And you could always pop one in a package and send it to me... :lol

Oh gosh, what a wonderful rescue story, good on you and your family ! 25 house buns - wow is all I can say ! You sound a very caring family, good luck with finding homes for the little ones, nose rub for mammy bun xx

Looking forward to seeing pics of the babies. It would also be nice to see pics of your 25