oh yes! there they are! This was the nest at three days old. What a clever mummy she was looking after this little lot. Here's a more close up pic of a little bubba also 3 days old.
At 6 days old their fur had started to come through and they look a bit more bunny like! This is a pic of the nest at 6 days and another close up.
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I read in various places that mummy buns only feed their babies once every 24 hours and mostly at night. So one day after I'd put TamLin back in her hutch (she came out a few hours every day to munch grass and have some "me" time!) I was amazed that she hopped into the nest box and started to feed them. The pic isnt brilliant as I didn't want to risk disturbing and upsetting her. She was a very chilled mum though and we handled the babes from day one checking them both morning and evening. (mostly checking for any dead as she'd had such a big litter (10) and only 8 teats to go round we thought some might not make it) I took care not to wear any perfume etc and gave Tam a good stroke before I popped her in her run for each inspection. ( I wouldn't have dared do it with her home)
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You can see a little bald patch behind Tam's front leg where she pulled fur a bit enthusiaticly while nest building. Oh and a big-baby-bunny-bum view! I read babies feed from Mum on their back, I think this kinda shows that!
After making it to two weeks old there was an obvious runt in the litter as well as another couple of small buns, so we decided to help the tinies along a bit by feeding them replacement kitten milk with some probiotic powder sprinkled in that my vet gave me.
This is the nest at two weeks and four days. We used to bring them all in in the box and syringe feed the smallest who were finding it hard to fight for their share.
They were very curious and cute minnie buns by now and we very curious to see what Daddy looked like!
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It wasn't long before they were all able to hop out of the nest and join mum for dinner. Some books & sites I read said that babes shouldn't have veg etc until they were much older but another suggested that so long as mum had regularly had access to veg since having them it would kinda be in her milk anyway so we erred on that side and just let them tuck in with her. They never ate very much, I'm not sure they got much chance as TamLin was ravenous after feeding 10 kids day in day out!
In no time at all time flew by and the kids were able to go out with mum into the run, though she did get time out there alone too. I think she needed the break! Here they are at 6 weeks.
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So now they are 16 weeks and looking for homes as unfortunately being such a large litter we can't possibly keep them all. 3 black bucks (neutered) and 2 black does and 1 brown are on the RR site. However I'm thrilled that the 2 brown bucks, Sharpe and Harper, went home with their new bunny parents today (I was sad
but its best for them) And I'm pleased that their new parents are reading up everywhere on bunny parenting and are as neurotic as me! So i know they'll be well looked after.
I hope you enjoyed the piccies, (soz for the monster long post!) and please spare a thought for wonderful bunny mum Tamlin who's now sat here feeling blue
Hopefully she'll start to feel better 2moz.
