Oh no! Woke up to baby bunnies. . .

[InAGaddaDaVida]

This morning I woke up to find two baby bunnies on the floor with my little netherland dwarf girl. I adopted a male over a month ago and had him neutered and they now live together but she escaped her NIC cage and had them out on the carpet. One was a stillborn and the other alive. She ran off as soon as I approached. I took away the newborn and left in hopes that she would go back to the baby. About 15 minutes later I went to check and she had found her way back into their NIC cage.

I have a small crate and I put her in it with the surviving baby. I have check most of my room to see if I could find anymore babies, do you think she could have gone elsewhere to have the rest? I’m in the process of moving so there is alot of stuff piled up around the room, but I checked under the bed where she first ran to and found nothing. I’m going to continue looking. But she is much smaller than my male, whom I guess got to her at some point with out me knowing. So I am thinking two would be the max she would probably carry. I’m just afraid she had another one in an obscure place.

Now what should I do with her and the baby? Would my male hurt the baby? Do you think there may be more babies elsewhere?

[longhairmike]

separate the male,,, then i would systematically go thru every section of the house CAREFULLY listing up areas where additional babies could be stashed. do it this morning.

[Beka27]

Excuse the copy/paste of links… I am in no way an expert on baby bunnies! This info can also be found on Binkybunny under the “links” tab.

Pregnancy/Babies – Uh Oh, Surprise Litter?:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html
http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
http://www.rabbit.org/care/newborn.html
http://www.mybunny.org/info/newborn.htm

I would remove the male. Males can have viable sperm up to a month (some suggest longer!) after the neuter. Females are induced ovulators (the act of mating results in ovulation) so they can get pregnant immediately after giving birth.

Can you leave her loose for a few days to make sure there are no other babies? If there are, she will go to where they are to feed. She does not need to be confined with the baby, just make sure the baby is accessible and there is some kind of soft material for the baby to keep warm. The mother will only go to the baby when it’s time to feed.

[Brittany-and-Freddie]

Okay so I used to raise baby bunnies and have fostered…Netherlands could have just 2 babies but it wouldn’t be unheard of for her to have more.
Keep the female in a one level cage/crate/x-pen without the male and just the baby. Get a cat litter box (as big and deep as you can find) and line it with Carefresh and a towel that will not lose thread and has no holes as babies can get tangled up. Do not force her to feed the baby as this will make her less likely to do it. Babies will need to be nursed exclusively from their mother until four weeks when you can introduce solids.
Also if the baby is alone ensure the area is warm for it as they cannot maintain body heat. A water bottle filled with warm water under a towel beside it will be sufficient.
I wish you the best but if this is her first litter she may not feed the baby. It is near impossible to raise bunnies from newborns as stores do not make a real replacement for rabbit milk. All you can do is wait. I have lost a whole litter of 6 due to the mother not having any interest, she didn’t build a nest either. It is very sad but you can only do your best.
If she nurses the baby, ensure she has lots of leafy greens, hay and water to keep her energy up!
Best of luck!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Check EVERYWHERE. Babies can crawl away and do so when they are cold. If you find a cold baby you can warm him up with water, inside a plastic bag (to keep him from getting wet)-ensure the water is warm like you would bathe in, and no hotter. Use the bag as a barrier to keep him dry.
I repeat to check everywhere. REmove the male. You can rebond later, but if mom is stressed she may leave or destroy the baby(ies).

Ensure mom has unlmited and fresh water, unlimited and fresh hay, fresh veggies. You can feed her alfalfa at this time too as she’ll need roughly 2-3 time her normal food and water depending on baby load and her size and age.

You can wipe her bottom with tissue, ensure her discharge is either non existent or red/brown. Any green/yellow or other odd colors and she may have a trapped baby and need to see the vet. It would be a good idea if she can see the vet within the first week-but you need to be the judge of that given her personality, how well she is doing and how she is feeling, acting and eating.

Mom’s only nurse twice a day so you will not see her as dogs often are-with puppies attached to teet. She will look uninterested and will not spend much time at all with the babies. This is normal. You can ensure they are ok by checking to see if he/they are warm and have a big belly.

It’s a myth (this is confirmed online, through my vet and and also through our wildlife society) that animals reject babies because a human has touched them. Certainly do not be inviting the neighborhood over to see them, throwing parties or having a dance in your hosue But stick your hand in her nest and check the babies 1-2 times a day.

Keep us posted! Also just a friendly reminder, due to rules here, we do ask that you do not post ‘cute’ baby pictures but only post pictures if you have a directly related health issue. Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

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