The first and second stages of labor in rabbits occur almost simultaneously as parturition typically lasts 30 min (7). Kits are typically born in the early morning and are considered altricial as they are usually born hairless and helpless with both their eyes and ears closed (2,4).
One of the most obvious signs before a rabbit gives birth is nesting. The mom-to-be will begin to create her roost about a week before she gives birth, which can help you set a timeline if you weren't quite sure when she conceived. Your rabbit will stack bedding into a corner or dig to make a small den.
Right before giving birth, your rabbit will start bleeding a bit. This is the sign that it's about to happen. Give your rabbit some space, and leave the room for at least a half-hour to give her time.
Nest building – does instinctively build a nest using hay or straw when they are pregnant. Fur pulling – soon-to-be mothers pull their own fur out to use as a blanket to keep the babies warm. Aggressive behaviour – your rabbit may growl defensively, or refuse to be petted or stroked.
It could be coincidence, but we typically breed our rabbits in the afternoon and almost always have babies born around dusk.
Be sure to provide a quiet area and ideally a covered box for your doe to make her nest in. Most rabbits will give birth in the early morning hours. The actual birth takes about 30 minutes in total. The doe will clean the kits, eat the placenta, and sever the umbilical cord on her own in most cases.
Rabbit nests often look just like a small patch of dead grass on your lawn. That's because the mother rabbit makes her nest by digging a small hole in the ground and then covering it with grass, leaves and other plant material to help protect the babies, Wildlife Illinois(Opens in a new window) reports.
A pregnant doe can give birth to as many as 14 kits, or baby bunnies, at one time, which means she'll be needing a good amount of room. It's recommended that you house your doe in a cage, crate, or hutch that's a minimum of 25–30 in (64–76 cm) x 15 in (38 cm).
Rabbits will pull fur from their own bodies to create a fluffy nest for their babies. Some does do this days in advance, while others choose to wait until half an hour before giving birth! I'm always so amazed at how differently each doe's nest looks.
Rabbits also have a short gestation period, between 25 and 28 days, which means they can have several litters of babies each year. Eastern cottontail rabbits can have between one and seven litters each year, and they average three or four litters annually, Animal Diversity Web reports.
The average litter size for rabbits is five, though mothers may give birth to as few as one and as many as 12! Since young rabbits grow up quite quickly, “doe” rabbits may have three or four litters in a season.
Mother rabbits don't want to attract predators to their babies, so they mostly leave them on their own, hidden and camoflaged. Mom will come back a few times a day, usually between dusk and dawn, to feed the babies.
SEPARATING THE FATHER Most male rabbits are gentle with their offspring. The main reason to separate off the male is that the female can become pregnant again WITHIN HOURS of kindling! He should be housed where he can still see and contact her as separation is stressful.
Place the mother and the babies in a small, warm, quiet room. Give the mother a litterbox, in the opposite corner of the nest, if she's placed indoors. If she is not used to being in the house, this may stress her more than being left in her outdoor cage. The only thing to do in that case is add a proper nest area.
Newborn rabbits drink only milk for the first 10 days. From 10 days small amounts of hay and veggies may be offered. By day 20 the kits should be nibbling the solid food, and by day 28 no more milk replacer should be offered.
Baby rabbits leave the nest when they're 3 weeks old and about the size of a chipmunk. If you find a chipmunk-sized but fully-furred rabbit with eyes open, ears erect and the ability to hop, they are meant to be on their own. As small and helpless as they may look, they are not an orphan and don't need your help.
You should visually check young kits in their nest every day for signs of potential problems, but handling should be avoided until the baby rabbits are at least ten days old.
Rabbits are pregnant for about thirty days. Their young are born in shallow burrows or nests lined with mama's fur and covered with brush or grass. Babies are born with their eyes closed but mature quickly and are ready to leave the nest after about two weeks.
Mother rabbits do not "sit" on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings.
Vaginal discharge includes any substance that comes from the vulvar labia, or vaginal area, including fresh blood or blood tinged fluid. Vaginal discharge is almost always considered abnormal, except in cases where the rabbit is discharging postpartum fluids -- the fluids that leave the uterus after birth.
A common reason for fur pulling is the instinct to make a nest. When a rabbit is preparing for kits, her body secretes hormones that cause the fur on her sides & belly to loosen. This makes it easier for her to pull the fur out and pile it in a nest.
The length of pregnancy in the rabbit is 31 days and the doe can produce from 1 to 12 young each time she gives birth. She can become pregnant again within a few days of giving birth. However it is not good practice to allow the doe to become pregnant straight after giving birth.