Pregnant rabbit - Help needed!

Hi - I've not been on in a while, but could really do with some help please!
This is what I have posted on another site ...

Last night I got a phone call from a girl I know saying she has taken a rabbit from someone she works with as it was pregnant and they didn't want it.
Last night we went and bought a hutch and the little lady will be coming over in an hour or so. Now what have I got myself in for? I have tried to search the internet but not found much info.
I understand the pregnancy can last 31 days, I don't suppose there is anyway you can tell how far gone they are?
Is there anything special I need to do? I presume extra bedding? Anything I should avoid feeding her? I feed excel to Michael and Colin at the moment and then fruit and veg in the eve, would all this be ok?
And what do I do if she builds her nest, can I still clean her out ok?
I am so nervous, as I am going away next weekend for a week, how many kitens can be expected? Have I really got myself into something?

The little lady has arrived, she has a couple of bold pathes, which look a little sore, she is also very subdued (sp) at the moment.

Any advice would be so very much appreciated.

Thank you! Sarah

hi

Oh poor little bunny - she must be very stressed by all this moving around

Sorry I know nothing about baby rabbits - suggest you do a search here on 'pregnant' ?

I know that she needs to be settled and calm or she may kill the babies anyway, or fail to feed them - it's a shame you're going away for a week - what will happen to her that week?

Well done for taking her on - you are very brave! I would contact rescues near you and ask for their advice and see if they have room for the babies too - they will vet potential new owners so that the babies don't end up as snake food or breeding machines.

You will probably get more response on Monday too - so don't despair if there's not many replies till then

hi,
a rabbit can give birth between 30-35 day usually on the 31st day.
u say its pregnate but how can u be sure :?: most r very discreat iv had a few does pull wool over my eyes iv m8ed them and they act like there pregnat but actully r not, they should be a slight change in behavour in most rabbits like agression, drinkng more water digging and nest building they usually only build nests and week or few days in advace or even a few hours, she might be bauld cause she has already been making nests if they make nest not long after the m8ing then it could be faulse.
if u want to know how long she is to go try asking the owner they should at least give ur an estimate.

Thanks for your comments. I am only aware that she is pregnant from what a friend told me, who had taken this rabbit from someone she works with. I'm going to try and see if she can get any other information for me tomorrow, on why and when she could have got pregnant.
She seemed to have setteled last night, eating the excel and wragg but not any veg. I presume it will be ok to give her the run attached to the hutch or should she be kept in. Like you say there is obviously the chance she isn't pregnant, but I don't want to take any risks until I find out more.
A friend was looking after Michael and Colin whilst we were away, I've spoken to her and explained the situation, so I'm giving her all our vets details, should there be any problems, and I will be on the phone every day! Once again thank you - Sarah

As far as I can tell from here you treat the rabbits as normal and allow them to go in a run etc. Because when they do give birth they only go back to the nest to feed once a day they like to get some exercise as long as they can pop back and check on the nest when they want i.e. an attached run.

You will need to feed her as much food as she wants if you are sure she is pregnant.

I believe previous advice has been to clean out around the nest preferably when the mother isn't in the hutch but leave the nest until the kits have left it.

It may be worth getting her checked out at the vets 1) to see if she is pregnant and 2) to check the bald patches aren't mites from stress and are just where she has been pulling fur to make a nest.

Caz

I had a bun that as soon as she gave birth she was literally banging at her hutch door to come out when I went to check on her she jumped out and carried on as normal but would keep going back to check on them. It was qute funny to watch as the babies got older as she would go in her bedroom and stamp her feet and 3 babies went in to feed and then she would stamp her feet again and the other 3 would go in. I had to let her play out as she wasn't use to being closed in all day and would have probably taook it out on her babies.

Once again thank you.
I have found out the reason for thinking she is pregnant. Apparently, the family were looking after an entire male, and one of the children, had allowed them to go in the run together. It was only last week that she had started to pull hair out. (Which just to add she has done this since being with me) So there we have it, I'm known the wiser if she is or not, just keeping her like I do the others.
Many thanks.

That is all you can do and at least she is in a calm caring enviroment thanks to you. I had a woman bring in a mother and son to me who lived seperately (so she said), I had a feeling she was pregnant as she was eating everything in sight. The following week sha gave birth to one kit but unfortunately it died 3 days later, I put it down to the mother being under stress to the change of enviroment.

I she has been with the buck a week ago then ud have at least 3 more weeks to wait, but if she has been pulling hair already the chances are she has missed and is not pregnant. To be on the safe side be carefull how u pick her up to be put in the run.Nothing needs to be done untill the last few days.Nothing extra is given there is no need unless the rabbit is underweight.Usualy in the last week u will notice her taken her hair or bedding in her mouth and nest building ,they dont normaly pull hair till the babys are due. When your doe is making a nest then give her extra hay to put in there, she should make a little hollow were the babys will be placed.Some rabbits go off there food for a while while they are pregnant, some go off it for a couple of days after they give birth. After the birth i give greens for a couple of days whitch helps the milk flow. Once the nest has been made do not clean it out untill the babys are three weeks old.Sometimes as has been said u will get a dirty doe that still uses the nest area as a toilet ,then u will have to clean round it as best u can. The doe should be removed while u do this and when u put her back give her a treat to take her mind of whot u might have done.Its best to check the babys the day they are born in case there are any that have died, these u should remove , u can do this without touching them if u are carefull.Once they are born then feed should be available at all times, and hay, this should be continued till the babys are weaned at 6 weeks.An extra bowl is often needed for the babys when they are eating. val