Is it Safe to Touch a Baby Rabbit

Ever hear it said that you should NEVER touch a baby rabbit. The tales of penalty for the violators range from, the mom will eat the babies, to the babies will be left to fend for themselves. The human scent will magically rub off and the mom will thing they are human babies!

Wild Rabbit

Well nothing could be further from the truth. There are two separate cases that could be discussed here. The first is wild rabbits. It is best for wild rabbits that indeed you do not touch them. First, although their nest may appear to be unattended by the doe, the truth is she may only return once a day to feed the kits, and it would probably be at night. They probably haven’t been abandoned.

Their interaction with humans should be at a minimum. As they become adults, they will need their natural instincts to survive. Its not natural for them to interact with humans. If you should need to move the kit, they will not be rejected by the mom.

Domestic Rabbits

The second situation is a domestic rabbit. With domestic rabbits you should touch, handle, carry and every other thing you can think of to get the baby used to being handled by people. We start the very day the rabbit is born. By the way, they are a lot of fun to hold in your hand. In all of our years we have not had a single kit rejected by the doe. As the bunny grows you will want it to be used to human interaction. It will make for a better pet, a better rabbit on the show table, and typically a better disposition when breeding.

Try to avoid handling wild rabbits, but don’t stop handling domestic rabbits. One word of warning, domestic kits like to urinate!

The First Month for Your New Kit

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The first month of a new kits life is very exciting. The eyes open, the kits get fur, and many other fascinating things. Check out this article to help prepare you for all the changes.

Day 1

Does can kindle at any time during the night or day. Typically the doe will enter the nestbox facing the rear of the box. She will stay for several minutes and then exit the box. Upon inspection of the box, you may notice little kits moving around underneath the hay. Newborn kits look rather strange and somewhat comical. They are born without hair, and their eyes are closed.

Kits should be inspected as soon as the doe leaves the nestbox. They can be handled, but keep in mind that they are very wiggly and need lots of warmth.

The doe will feed the kits once or twice a day. The doe will enter the nestbox, typically face outward. Whe will only be in the box for a few minutes. Kits that are well fed will have a nice plump belly, and on close inspection you will actually see a white tint to their belly. During the first 24 hours the doe may not feed the kits.

One Week Old

Kits begin to get hair after just a couple of days, and by 1 week old, their color should be much more obvious. Their eyes will remain closed. The kits will probably double from their birth weight in the first week. Kits will begin to move around more during this time, and may on occassion leave the nestbox. It is important to place them back in the nestbox should they leave during the first week.

Babies at 2 weeks

This is an exciting week. At 10-12 days the babies eyes will open. Should they not open by day 12, you can use a damp cloth on the eye lid and gently open the eye. Now that the kit can see, they will move in and out of the nestbox. The babies will begin to munch on hay, and may occassionally nibble on pellets. If you give mom treats like bananas, make sure your kits do not get them.

The does who had gotten into the nestbox to nurse the kits, will now be pursued by the kits. Often she will jump on top of the nestbox to avoid their constant desire to nurse. The kits may begin to drink out of a water bottle. To avoid the possibility of a kit accidentally drownding we do not use crocks with our new litters.

The kits will still spend a great deal of time sleeping. However, when they are awake they will become much more playful. At first they will just drag their hind legs. Once they know how to use those legs they will be hopping everywhere. Their ears which were should now start to stand, although lopped eared rabbits will not yet be lopped.

Babies at 3 weeks

The kits will primarily be out of the nestbox. We leave the nestbox in the cage but turn it on its side. This gives mom a chance to jump on the nestbox to escape the kits as she desires. The kits may still sleep in the box, nestled in the hay.

Kits should be drinking out of the water bottle now. They should also be eating pellets. Do not feed the treats to young kits just yet. Oats can be fed in small portions, but do keep an eye on the kits as they eat the oats. Some kits may struggle swallowing the oats, and those that do should not be fed oats. The kits should be relying on mom less for their nurishment and more on the pellets. Hay should continue to be given to the kits.

Lop earred rabbits may begin to show signs of their ears lopping. For a couple of days prior to the ears falling, it may look like your kit is imitating an airplane. They look alot like a fur ball at this point. The kit's fur will have gotten much long, and will probably be standing straight up all over their bodys. This is a very cute stage.

Babies at 4 weeks

    

The kits are nearly one month old. Most likely they will be completly on pellets and not nursing with mom any more. If the nestbox hasnt been removed it should be removed. It is likely that the kits could be removed from the does cage, but we like to leave them there until week 6.

Many lop earred rabbits will have their ears down, or at least show signs that they are coming down. Many experienced breeders will be able to sex their kits prior to this, however this is when we make our official declaration of which are does and which are bucks.

Now is the time to start making plans on where you will be housing the bunnies. They should be removed from the doe in about 2-3 weeks. Make sure you have cages, crocks, and water bottles as you will not want to continue housing them together.

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What to Expect When Your Doe is Expecting

Rabbit Care & Training Secrets

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Breeding bunnies is very exciting. However, it brings with it a lot of responsibility. Many of us read the books "What to Expect..." when we had children of our own, and this article is along those same lines.

Palpitating

The first thing to get is a confirmation of the doe's pregnancy. This should be done between 10-12 days after breeding. There are several methods of accomplishing this task, none of which involve going to the local pharmacy and getting an EPT test.

One option is to take your bunny to the vet. If you only plan on breeding once or twice the cost of the visit may be worth it. If you plan on breeding your bunnies often, then it would be more time saving and cost efficient for you to learn to determine if your doe is pregnant.

The best method we've found is to palpitate the doe. This method takes some practice, and should be taught to you by an experienced breeder. Once you have mastered this method, you will have no need for any other method. Pick up the doe and place her on a solid surface in front of you. A grooming table is perfect place to perform the palpitation. Have the does head nearest you, and her hindquarters away from you. Firmly hold the doe near the base of the ears with your left hand. Place your right hand palm up under the doe near the pelvic away. The goal is to feel for the marble sized kits between your thumb and forefinger. Slide your fingers along the pelvic area starting near the back and working your way towards the front of the doe. Be careful not to apply too much pressure or the kits may be injured. Palpitation should not be done after the 14th day from breeding. If no kits are found during the palpitation the doe should be rebred immediately.

Week Three

After the second week you may notice the doe getting a little uncomfortable. She will typically spend more time resting on her side. After all she has some babies moving around on her underside. The doe should be gaining a small amount weight. Her feed should continue to be regular amounts, and water should be checked frequently.

Week Four

After the third week, its time for you to start making some preparations. The doe will need a nest box. Nest boxes can be made or purchased. If your bunny is housed outside and it is extremely cold you may consider moving her inside to help keep babies warm. The gestation period for rabbits ranges from 28 days for smaller breeds to 32 days for larger breeds. During this time your doe may get a little moody, and grunt at you.

The nestbox should be placed in with the doe at day 27. Place some absorbent materials such as wood shavings in the bottom of the nestbox. Place several handfuls of good clean straw in the cage and nestbox. At some point before her delivery the doe will begin to build a nest with the straw. Typically she will stuff the nestbox with straw and hollow out a sport for the kits.

A couple of day to just hours before kindling, the doe will begin to remove fur from her back and underside. This is normal activity. Each doe is different. Some will pull small amounts of fur for a week, and others will frantically pull large amounts of fur just minutes or hours before kindling. The kits are born without fur and this will be needed to keep them warm. The doe will line the nestbox with the fur, and when she kindles will cover the kits with the fur. Sometimes the doe will not pull her own fur. There are products that you can substitute for the mother's fur. Litter Saver from KW Cages works well. Once kits have been removed from the nestbox, the fur can be saved for future litters of that same doe.

During this time pay close attention to where the doe is placing pulled fur. Some does will try to build a nest outside the nestbox. You want to discourage this by placing the nesting materials in the nestbox. You don't want the doe to kindle the litter on the bottom of the wire cage. If she insists on building her nest in the wrong place, put down some wood or cardboard on the area where she is building the nest.

Generally, the doe's trips into the nestbox will be very brief. When she kindles, she could be in the box from five minutes to half an hour. Do not disturb the doe during this time. Starting on day 28, check the nestbox first thing in the morning to see if she has kindled. Check periodically throughout the day. Once she has kindled, remove the nestbox and count and check the kits. Any stillborn kits should be removed. Cold kits can be revived. The kits will not look all cute like a bunny, but will have no hair and their eyes will not be open. They can and should be handled. Now there are kits. What happens next? We hope to have an article soon called, What to Expect the First Month!

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Breeding Rabbits

Breeding rabbits is very exciting for both young and old alike. Proper planning will provide greater chances of success, and less chance of disappointment. This article does not consider every possibility, but we hope it will be a help to you.

Which Rabbits to Breed

Choosing the right rabbits is one of the keys to a good breeding program. Although this may be obvious to most breeders to new breeders the next statement may not be quite as obvious: always breed rabbits of the same breed. Mixed bunnies have little value, and they deplete the stock of quality rabbits. A couple of our first few rabbits were very poor in quality and probably not pure bred Holland Lops.

When establishing a breeding program, only look to correct or improve upon one trait at a time. For example, if you have a nice Holland Lop that is a little narrow in the shoulders, and a little weak in the crown, look to fix one of those weaknesses at a time. If you decide to breed for better shoulders, find a rabbit with good shoulders to breed to your existing stock. Once you have offsprings with good shoulders, then move on to the crown.

Make sure you are familiar with color genetics. Not, only can you breed to obtain specific colors, but knowing color genetics can also help you reduce the likelihood of obtaining kits that have faults in color. As an example, in Holland Lops, two brokens can be bred, but a high percentage of the kits will be "charlies" which are a color fault. Once you understand the genetics, select rabbits that will help you obtain the colors and patterns you desire. Having a pedigree of each rabbit will assist you in this process.

Inbreeding of rabbits is an acceptable practice. A father can be bred to a daughter, a mother can be bred to a son, two cousins can be bred together, etc. Breeding a bother to a sister should not done. Although the inbreeding can be done, doesnt necessarily mean that it will work with your pair. Understanding the genetics of inbreeding will assist you in making that decision.

Only use healthy rabbits. Check rabbits for vent disease prior to breeding. Make sure the overall condition of the rabbits is good. Check for loose droppings near the rabbits cages. If you suspect any illness in either rabbit, wait until they are healthy. Aviod using rabbits with genetic defects. Such rabbits will often pass those defects to their offsprings.

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When to Breed Rabbits

The age at which a rabbit can be bred depends on the size of the breed and the sex of the rabbit. In small breed rabbits the doe is normally ready to mate when she is 5 months old, and a buck is ready at 6 months. In medium breed rabbits the doe is ready to breed when she is 6 months old and the buck at 7 months. In large breed rabbits the doe is ready at 8 months and the buck is ready at 9 months.

Rabbits do not ovulate on a regular cycle, as a result they do not actually go into heat. The mating of the rabbit will cause the doe to produce the eggs necessary for fertilization, usually 10-13 hours after breeding has occurred. Although the does has no actual heat cycle, she will only accept the buck in about 12 out of every 14 days . When she is ready to breed her vent area will be a dark pink, red or purple.

How To Breed Rabbits For Meat, Profit And Fun.

The Act of Breeding Rabbits

Now that you've decided which rabbits to breed, and you have determined them both to be healthy, its time to actually breed them. There are several ways to do this, but we prefer the method we're about to describe for several reasons.

When breeding, always take the doe to the males cage. Males placed in the females cage tend to be to inquisitive about their surroundings to notice the female. Once in the cage observe the rabbits until mating has occurred. It is not unusual for the excited buck (male) to mount the doe (female) at the wrong end, or even for the doe to mount the buck. When the doe is willing to accept the buck she will lift her hind end. The buck may have to mount the doe several times before she accepts. They may even spend some time chasing each other around the cage.

When a successful connection happens, the buck will literally fall to its side, and will usually let out a grunt. At this point the doe can be returned to its cage. Since ovulation wont actualy occur for several more hours, we rebreed the doe to the same buck about eight hours later to insure that a successful breeding has occurred and to maximize the litter size.

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Is My Doe Pregnant?

The best way to determine if the doe is pregnent is to palpatate the doe. Some breeders will try to rebreed the doe at 14 days. This practice is dangerous. Generally a pregnent doe will refuse a buck, but this is not always the case. A doe has two uterine horns, and can become pregnent in each horn from seperate breedings. This can cause several problems during the pregnancy and during the delivery. Kits from the second breeding can be born premature, and kits from both pregnancies could be still born.

Palpating the doe correctly to determine pregnancy takes practice. Its best to have an experienced breeder show you how to properly complete this task. Place the doe on a solid surface facing you. Hold her near the base of the ears with your left hand. Gently place your right hand under the rabbit, palm up near the back of the cervical area. Gently push up with your right thumb and index finger and slowly rub the doe from back to front. If the doe is pregnant you will feel the grape sized kits between the thumb and finger. Palpitating should be done on the 12th day. Doing so later than the 12th day can cause damage to the kits.

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