Baby Rabbit Care

Accidental litters are common for families who have found a stray female or who have 2 or more, unfixed male and female rabbits living in the same household. Though precautions are taken, accidents can happen and a new litter of baby rabbits are born. It is important to know what to expect and how to best care for your accidental litter in order to help the rabbits grow, find new homes, and thrive!

Background on Rabbit Reproduction

As prey animals, rabbits produce more offspring than predators. This is a biological necessity in order to carry on their genes. Despite being domesticated, this trait continues on in pet rabbits today. Rabbits are induced ovulators, meaning that every time an intact female is in the proximity of an intact male, she releases eggs for fertilization from her ovaries. This results in near 100% pregnancy each time she is mounted by a male and is not already pregnant.

Female rabbits can have litters of 1 to 12 ‘kits’ every 30 days. Because of this, rabbit litters can grow exponentially and get out of hand for the humans taking care of them. Rabbits frequently have “back to back” litters and can get pregnant again within minutes of given birth and in some instances, even before! If you have a female who just gave birth and she has been with a male up until that time, it is likely she is pregnant again.

The number one priority for when taking care of the kits is making sure that the mother rabbit is happy and healthy. A stressed, sick, or underweight mother rabbit will not be able to sustain healthy kits and will lead to the litter passing away. Kit mortality rate is high and is one of the contributing factors in rabbits evolving to have such large and frequent litters.

Indicators of an Expectant Mother

It can be difficult to determine if a rabbit is pregnant due to their prey instincts. Rabbits rarely have a “baby bump” and typically have no physical indicators of pregnancy. There are few nuanced signs that can indicate you have an expectant mother:

  • Has been around an intact male rabbit for any length of time

  • Increased territorial behavior such as grunting, scratching, and biting

  • Swollen mammary glands (typically one week before delivery)

  • Pulling of fur and nest creation (1 to 2 days before delivery)

3 day old kits are hairless and their eyes are closed.

8 week old kits are able to be weened from mother.

3 month old males are ready for neuter. 5 month old females are ready for spay.

Setting Up the Space

Nursing mothers and litters need specialized setups in order to keep everyone safe, contained, and low stress.

Location: A dark, quiet area away from other rabbits or pets.

Set up: Bucket bottom cage or an x-pen lined with plastic or cardboard panels.*

Nesting box: A box lined with a soft blanket and the mother’s downy fur. This is best located under a hiding structure so the mom feels safe and protected while nursing.

Litter box: A litter box for the mother to eat fresh alfalfa hay from as well as leave her fecal droppings away from the kits.

* Kits slip through opening easily so blocking all openings is crucial.

Cleaning

Special care should be given when cleaning the mother and kit’s living space. In general, leave the nesting box alone, it does not need to be cleaned. The mother’s litter box should be dumped and refilled at least every other day. For general urine clean up around the living space, use a mix of 1:1 water to vinegar solution. Do not use any household cleaners and chemicals near the living space.

Diet

The general diet for the mother during the 1 to 2 month nursing period should consist of unlimited access to Alfalfa hay, alfalfa based food pellets (such as Oxbow Young Rabbit Pellets), a solid bottom water dish with high enough sides for the babies to not fall into. Alfalfa hay is high in calcium and calories and helps aid the mother in milk production and regaining weight. Daily mixed greens can be given, though take care to not allow the kits access to the greens until the 12 week mark.

The general diet for the kits will change as they develop and age. Here is a general timeline of the diet as the kits age:

  • New Born (0 - 3 weeks): Mother’s milk

  • Baby (3 weeks to 12 weeks): Unlimited alfalfa hay, unlimited alfalfa based pellets, and occasional mother milk per day

  • Teenager (12 weeks to 7 months): Unlimited alfalfa hay, unlimited alfalfa (young) based pellets, and 1⁄2 oz new greens** per day

  • Young Adult ( 7 months to 1 year): Unlimited orchard/timothy hay, 1⁄2 cup timothy (adult) pellets, 1-2 cups of mixed greens, and

    1 oz healthy treat per day

    ** Introduce each new green individually to be sure that GI upset and diarrhea don’t occur

What Is Next?

Spaying the mother – The mother can safely be spayed once the kits are between 1 to 2 months of age.

Vaccination – Vaccination with the Medgene RHDV vaccine can occur at 7 weeks of age.

Accessing sexes – The male kit’s testicles will descend at 10 weeks of age, making differentiating between males and females easier. Once the testicles descend, the male rabbits can be neutered.