Bunny Den - What now?
I don't know anything about rabbits, so I thought I'd come to the experts. So the hole has been dug for weeks. I kept kicking dirt back in with the hopes they wouldn't come back. Maybe she already had her babies weeks ago. Well, now we've noticed bunny fur (or sheepdog fur  ) covering the hole.
This morning Annie totally poked her head down in the hole so I went to investigate. I pulled away the fur from the opening and there were little bunny ears sticking up and the bunny squeaked a bit. What do I do now??? Of course now I'm completely interested and talking to the bunny. Foz comes over to investigate and slipped with his foot right into the hole. Oh no! But see the fur moving and the bunny making little noises again. Do we just leave them there and keep the dogs away or do I need to put some sort of crate over the top? Is the Momma in there as well or does she leave during the day and come back at night? How many babies should we expect in there? HELP! |
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| Rabbits pull fur to line their nests and to make it easier for the kits to reach the nipples. If I were you I would put a box over the hole with an opening big enough for mama to get out. Thet might keep your guys away from it.
Mom will typically leave them alone a lot, and come back to nurse. They are hairless and blind at birth. Their eyes open around 10 days. If a dog got one now...it would die. They are probably around 3 inches long at birth. By the time you do see them out much, they will be 2 to 3 weeks of age. I hope that helps and that they stay in the nest until the right time. |
| Oh, I forgot this one. They usually pull the fur within a day of giving birth. Hope that helps. If you hear squeaking...it is the kits. |
| Thanks, Wendy! We're off to find a box. Do you know how many babies they usually have? |
| They can average between 4-8. I would guess a wild bunny would be 4-6 though. We have ours in cages, and have some larger, and some dwarfs.
I would imagine you will see when they come out. It may even be more. I usually see a dozen or so at the end of the block in Spring/early Summer...then they dwindle back down. Nature's food supply. Good luck! |
| How exciting, Stacy! You'll have to get photos!!!! |
| oooh I'd love pictures, too. That is exciting!! Good luck! |
| Well, I've been peeking at the bunnies quite frequently today. We did put a box over the den, but I'm concerned that the Mommy rabbit doesn't know how to get back in or won't because we've disturbed the den. The box has one big hole in the front and a little one in the back. Should I make more holes? There was a huge rain storm the other night and the box blew off of them, but it has dried out.
We checked and there are 5 living bunnies. One was dead at the opening so Steve pulled him out tonight. How do I know if the Mom comes back? And if she doesn't, should I feel the bunnies? What do I feed them? I haven't heard Foz making much of a fuss at the door lately which he usually does when he's on bunny or sqiurrel alert so I'm concerned she's won't be back. We took the box off the den for the night and hope nothing gets to them and they're okay in the morning. I did take a picture which I'll try to post this weekend as the situation progresses. |
| It is notoriously difficult to keep wild bunnies alive without mom. I'd take the box away and give the mother access to the hole otherwise they'll almost definitely die because they really need her. I found baby bunnies last year that mom abandoned and after several calls to wildlife rescue and my vet, they both told me the same thing.
Both suggested getting kitten formula to bottle feed them so I got a very tiny bottle and tried to get them to feed. It was hard to get them to take the bottle and they just couldn't get enough nourishment despite my best efforts. I kept the hole covered and it was in warm weather but it just wasn't enough. I lost them at a rate of one every other day for a week. I hope that the mom comes back for your bunnies. I was really bummed out when I couldn't save ours. |
Thanks, Jill. Poor bunnies  |
| Hi,
Just remember with wild life, some folks mean well and think babies have been abandoned when in reality Mama is still around. Bunnies only nurse for minutes then leave the kits for some time making people believe they have been abandoned. Their best chance of survival is to let them be. Here's a very informative site which will help. Best of luck to you. http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html Marianne |
Stacy wrote: Thanks, Jill. Poor bunnies
If you do get them to nurse though, it's about the cutest thing that you'll ever see in your life! |
| Thanks for everyone's assistance. Well, they're gone from the den. I don't see any remains around yet so I'm being optimistic that they left on their own accord or Mom came to pick them up. It was fun checking on them for the week. |
| If they were big enough that their eyes were open and they were venturing out of the nest, then there is a good chance that they survived and are living under bushes or in a new hole. Mom rabbits can't move the bunnies. It is physically impossible with the type of teeth they have. Hope they made it safely. |
| One thing I have found with bunnies...if you mess with the nest enough, mama will move them.
In our old house, we had the dumbest bunnies around. They kept setting up the nursery in our yard. We had a Siberian Husky who found them and killed them. If a nest is found before there are bunnies it it, fill the hole with dirt. If its too late for that, do mess with the nest. I've had plenty of mom's move the babies because of this. DO keep the dogs away from the nest and don't put anything over the top as mom may abanden the nest. |
| Maybe wild rabbits "can" move their babies. Domestic rabbits on the other hand, will only succeed in biting the babies if they try to move them. A wild rabbit may move the nest when the babies are big enough to follow mom.
We have had may babies at birth without limbs because mom tried to assist with the delivery. They don't eat them, they are just incapable of carrying them back to the next. If they are born on the cage wire instead of the nest, they die unless a human moves them back in time. It is the fault of the big inscisors...too sharp to lift a small kit. My husband has been raising rabbits for 30 years...they just aren't like cats and dogs. I always hope they survive...I love to see them out in the wild...too cute. |
| Hope the wee bunnies are all safe and sound and what a great experience for you |
| We did have sightings of two bunnies and Mom last night. The bunnies were adorable with their little cotton tails. It seemed like Mom was rounding one of them up to get back into the den. The little guy headed back into the den, went in and then poked his head out again. I saw this happen twice that he would run off after the Mom, she would meet him half way, nuzzle him as if telling him to stay there. It worked for a second and then off again. I haven't seem them this evening. Last night's events, did provide optimistim that some may make if after all |
| So cool Stacy,
They do get picked off...only the real smart ones make it. I guess that is why they are prey animals. We have some near us here...the numbers dwindle and come back up...they are so much fun to watch. I go out of my way to catch a glimpse. It is so neat to see them wild. I am glad you still have some babies to watch. Nothing cuter than bunnies...except sheepie babies. |
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