Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE Expecting Rabbit

Viewing 15 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • CocoaButter
      Participant
      27 posts Send Private Message

        Hi.. i just registered to Binky Bunny literally 3 minutes ago.. i registered because this was the most reliable looking forum site for bunnies.. and im a new bunny owner. I used to own a Guinea Pig about 2 years ago for about 7 years, my younger brother won a rabbit from the carnival a few weeks ago and when i saw his face and the rabbit i couldnt say no take him back. i assumed rabbits would be the exact same as guinea pigs to take care of, but boy was i wrong. My friend who raises rabbits told me that mine was a female mini rex and that she could be pregnant. about a week later i saw her personality change dramatically. Who once was a sweet cuddly rabbit is now a vicious biting machine. I need help! my friend and i guess she has about a week left. I need help on caring for a preg rabbit. anything i can do to calm her down? what about the babies? how should i care for them? i asked my friend, if she could take care of her .. but she said she already has to many bunnies to care for.. help and advice would much be appreciated.

         

         

        BTW.. We call her Cocoa, because of her chocolate coat coloring.. my friend thinks shes about 4-5 months old.


      • (dig)x(me)x(now)
        Participant
        2517 posts Send Private Message

          Wow, they were giving out rabbits as prizes at a carnival? That’s terrible!

          There are all kinds of websites about this subject, just do a search on google or something. Be sure to find out what kind of dietary needs the expectant mother needs, too! I have never dealt with this myself, but I know you will need to set up a nesting box for her for birthing – you will find tips about this on several websites (if she has been pulling fur out of her chest, this is her collecting for the nest). Since her attitude has changed, there is a good chance that she is already near the end of the pregnancy.

          Here are just a few websites which I came across doing a quick search:

          http://www.kindplanet.org/rabbitbabies.html

          http://www.double-d-ranch.org/articles/pregnant-doe.php

          Caring for a pregnant rabbit

          Caring for baby rabbits

           

          Good luck, and please keep us up to date!


        • MooBunnay
          Participant
          3087 posts Send Private Message

            Eek! Rabbits as prizes is awful – I didn’t know they did that anymore…

            Anyways, your bunny is probably getting cage protective because of the nesting. Right away check out the “diet” portion of this website – you want your bunny to be as healthy as possible when she gives birth. Also – make sure to get some alfalfa hay, the Mom will need to build up some calories once the babies are born since she will be feeding them, and the babies will be needing alfalfa hay until they are 6 months old.

            Here is the link to the diet area and you can also just click at the top (under “Bunny Info”):
            https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=60

            Also – ask your friend about a nearby rabbit vet – it will be great to have the number and location of a vet on hand in case you need anything.

            How long have you had your bunny? The reason is that a bunny’s gestation period is only 31 days – so if you’ve had her longer than that she may not be pregnant after all – and instead going through her bunny “teens” in this case, getting her to the vet to be spayed would be a good idea.


          • Scarlet_Rose
            Participant
            4293 posts Send Private Message

              What a sweet name for a bunny! Welcome to Binkybunny forum too! You’ll love everyone here, they’re all great!

              I have the same question as MooBunnay: How certain are you that she is pregnant? Have you been or are you able to take her to a vet to find out for sure? Sometimes the nesting instinct kicks in or it could be hormones, whether from growing up or her new environment and she feels threatened to many other possibilities.

              Where do you keep her, how often do you let her out and who handles her and how? I am wondering because it may help in discovering why she is so angry.  Most of the time it is because they are being territorial. How old is your brother? How long does he intend to keep the rabbit? This will help guide you and us to help you with the long-term care of the bunny. 

              Now, as for the litter, if there is one, you’ve been given some great sites to explore and keep an eye on her after you’ve made her comfortable in her environment to see if she starts nesting, or pulling fur out of her and collecting "nesting material."  There is another thread here about this so you may want to check it out too. Here is a reliable site from the House Rabbit Society:

              http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html

              Caring for the young bunnies is not an easy task, and I’m glad that you have come here for advice! Before long you’ll have more posts regarding this issue.  I personally have not dealt with this topic and will bow out to others who have gleaned more experince from this.   

               


            • CocoaButter
              Participant
              27 posts Send Private Message

                My brother is 13, but he has a broken arm and can’t really hold or clean her cage.. so i’ve been taking care of her until he gets his cast off. We’ve had cocoa for exactly 16 days. when we first got her i couldn’t tell what she was because her little female parts were so small and pale, and one of the sites i found said that was a common sign of early pregnancy.. is that true? last week I went to pick her up and I felt a lump right below her belly.. I was scared and wasn’t sure what to expect, so I called my friend, and she came over and checked and she feels positive that she’s pregnant. I also contacted a local vet that I take my 2 dogs to, but they have no experiance with rabbits. So I called this wildlife vet  who lives down the street from me and Just My Luck! she happens to raise mini rex rabbits. She said if i had any questions or was unsure about anything to call her anytime 24hrs, i have her house phone.

                 

                I’m purchasing a 40 inch cage tomorrow (she currently lives in a 32 inch) and a play pen. She eats fiesta bunny food ( it has seeds and such) I thought it looked more healthfull than just a bag of pellets that all looked the same. I also purchased bermuda grass which she absolutly loves, would this be fine instead of alfalfa? or is it nessicary? I also to could not believe they just gave away rabbits at the carnival.. they were also using fancy white rats shaking them up in a cup then placing them on a spinning table to see which hole they would go in. I like to think of it as, Rescuing a bunny from a carnival

                 

                I assumed that Cocoa also never had a veggie before, the night we got her home I placed her in her little house and gave her a carrot to comfort her. She would not touch the carrot for 5 days I felt so sorry for her. Then on the 5th day in the morning I went to check on her and it was gone! now when I give her a carrot it’ll most likely be gone in 5 minutes! She also loves a small sliver of an apple (bc of the sugar) califlower, and raw green beans. I have been doing alot of research on what to and what not to feed rabbits. Although some sites I found listed some veggies that other sites didn’t. So if anyone could get me chart that you guys rely on or think is good or something I would appreciate it

                No, she has not been pulling fur out yet.  I placed a cardboard box with bedding in her cage and shes been cuddling and sleeping in it alot. Is there a specific box i need to get?  or will this work?

                A few days ago i felt her little belly which appears to be slightly swollen then when we first got her and i felt lumps with a heartbeat in them!

                 

                scarlet_rose: If my brother somehow deceided that he didn’t want Cocoa anymore I would want to keep and take care of her. I just simply adore her.

                My friend, Melissa, was there at the carnival to and "rescued" a bunny as well.. hers is much bigger than ours and is gray and they believe there’s is a female as well, but she has not been showing signs of pregnancy. she already has been asking me to give her one. If there is 4 or less I will probably give 1 or 2 to melissa and give another one to her neighbor that loves rabbits and keep the rest. So I’m not worried about  what will happen to them, because I love and trust these people and know there complete backround and I know they’ll be given a lovely home.

                 

                I would love to post pictures of my Bunny, Cocoa, if you all would like.. and if you want  I would love to post pictures and videos of my litter progressing birth and growing up. But you have to say you want me to, because I won’t post it, if no one would want to look at them! i’m sure your all bunny crazy and would love to, just speak up.. i’d be happy to!  

                btw, my name is Paige and i’m so happy I joined Binky Bunny you all replied so fast and with such helpful advice! keep up the good work


              • Scarlet_Rose
                Participant
                4293 posts Send Private Message

                  Awe, I definately want to see pictures and am glad you joined BinkyBunny too! I am sorry to hear that your brother has a broken arm. What luck.  Well it sounds like she could be pregnant with babies and am glad that you found someone that you can speak to in person.

                  I am so glad that you gave her some veggies, I bet she just loved you for that and I am also very glad that if your brother decides that he does not want her, that you will keep her.   I do have a word of caution though, the Fiesta mix, while it looks more appetizing is actually not good for a rabbit.  The seeds and such can cause an impaction in their stomach and there is a lot of sugar in it (not good) and the plain old stuff, no frills is actually best for them and is best, especially the kind made from timothy hay.  So maybe if it is possible you can buy some of the plain stuff for her?

                  Overall it sounds like you are doing a super job and even getting her a bigger cage wow! What are you using for bedding? Do you/your brother plan on litter training her too?

                  The alfalfa is normally for very young bunnies and could be OK if she doesn’t gain too much weight from it.  What you got I think is OK, we’ll see what one of the other ladies (moderators) has to say.


                • CocoaButter
                  Participant
                  27 posts Send Private Message

                    oh ok then i’ll be sure to get her some plain feed mix thank you! she is currently using carefresh. I’m in the process of litter training but shes impossible.. maybe i should wait till she has her babies. everytime i see her get ready to go potty out of the litter box i try to say no and put her in but she bites hard and jumps out.. i’ll use alfalfa to be on the safe side thank you very much! i’ll keep you updated on changes or updates

                     

                    https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&view=topic&postid=9776

                     

                    there’s pictures!! <3


                  • BinkyBunny
                    Moderator
                    8776 posts Send Private Message

                      well, since i have already gabbed with you in the chatroom, i’ll just say WELCOME!!


                    • Gravehearted
                      Participant
                      2428 posts Send Private Message

                        the internet just ate my whole long response 🙁 here’s the short version!

                        make sure to pick a cage that does not have wire on the bottom. wire bottom can cause sore hocks

                        pellets – good to switch her to plain pellets, but you’ll need to slowly transition her from the fiesta to the other pellets. i am guessing she’s under 8 months, so should be on an alfalfa based pellet. i recommend oxbow, since they are very healthy, their website can tell you if any stores in your area sell it: http://www.oxbowhay.com/index.sp

                        also she needs unlimited alfalfa hay, this should be the biggest part of her diet.

                        carrots are a treat food and should be very limited. I would recommend slowly adding greens, one at a time – things like flat leaf parsley, carrot tops, turnip greens, dandelion greens, dill, basil


                      • CocoaButter
                        Participant
                        27 posts Send Private Message

                          i was sure not to get her a wire bottom, because i didn’t want her babies to fall through or get stuck. thanks for your help and i’ll be on the lookout for oxbow


                        • Gravehearted
                          Participant
                          2428 posts Send Private Message

                            oo glad to hear on the cage. oxbow’s site has a handy feature if you put in your zip code they can tell you what stores near you sell their products. keep us updated on how Cocoa is doing


                          • CocoaButter
                            Participant
                            27 posts Send Private Message

                              Today she felt heavier than she did a few days ago, but i still haven’t made the trip of taking her upstairs to my bathroom and setting her on the scale yet. She’s way to nippy and squirmy to carry up two flights of steps. I’m holding her right, i just think shes uncomfortable with the babies and all. She’s also been going crazy over food.. i’ve been making sure s he has alot of hay in her cage, for when she decides to start nesting. No nesting or fur pulling noted or seen yet. okay, i’m sure your all tired of my questions.. but its just one this time lol.. i was wondering if it would be better to keep her outside where its about 90 but where she is under my deck its about 10-15 degrees cooler ( because of the brick patio, shade, and i have fans going) or should i bring her inside to about 73 degrees? ok i lied i have another one too, haha.. what about after she has thhe babies? any helpful information would muchly be appreciated

                              <3paige 'N' Cocoa<33


                            • CocoaButter
                              Participant
                              27 posts Send Private Message

                                P.S. I hope you don’t ban me for double-posting.. I’m sorry i didn’t get the chance to upload pictures of her bunny “cottage” ( the enclosed room under my deck) I was sick for a couple days with a virus so i’m sorry, i also didn’t get her new home yet, but im gonna the make the trip out there on monday. I’ll be uploading the pics asap


                              • Hedi
                                Participant
                                969 posts Send Private Message

                                  Congrats on a pretty bun!

                                  You dont want to take her outside. 90 degrees is way too hot for a bun. They prefer temps in the 70’s-remember they are wearing a fur coat. lol One way to tell if she gets too hot is to hold her ears, if you feel heat coming from them then she is too hot.

                                  Have you put a nesting box inside her cage yet? She will use it to birth her babies and keep them all together. Box should have a top and bottom to it with an entrance big enough for mom but it needs to be packed with fresh hay and then the bottom needs to have like a 1" lip so the babies cant get out before they are supposed to. Once she had the babies you can clean the dirty hay out from around the buns and replace them. This site has a description of a nesting box-have no idea what this site is for but it does give a nice description on why a box is needed. http://islandgems.net/nestbox2.html

                                  Another good quality pellet you can buy that is usually cheap is Purina Rabbit Chow. I know all the animal shelters around here as well as the local House Rabbit Society use and suggest their food. This is timothy based so you its for adult buns only. Their dealer locator website is:

                                  http://www.rabbitnutrition.com/rabbit/index_rabbit.html

                                  Make sure to let us know when Cocoa gives birth-pictures are required! lol


                                • Scarlet_Rose
                                  Participant
                                  4293 posts Send Private Message

                                    Ooo I second the pictures required!

                                    Cocoa, don’t worry about the questions, ask all you like honey! So what if you double-post? I know that I would rather have you double-post and ask away to your hearts content, that’s what this forum is for! ; )


                                  • CocoaButter
                                    Participant
                                    27 posts Send Private Message

                                      aww thanks scarlet rose.. okay so im sure you all you people who live in the US heard about the Minnesota bridge.. this is nothing bunny related i just wanted to tell you all that my mother went to minneapolis for a business convention on the night that it happened and she wasnt even there for 30 minutes and it collapsed.. lucky we got in contact with her and my mom was in the hotel when it happened, but please keep the families that are still looking for there parents and families in your thoughts and prayers.. i’m very family strong and family means everything to me.. i don’t know how many times i told my mom i love you after it happened and i talked to her, probably more than i ever did before.. okay well.. thanks for taking a little bit of your time out to read this and think about it, you all can go back to your bunny talk now, haha.. i love you all <3 paige 'n' cocoa

                                  Viewing 15 reply threads
                                  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                  Forum DIET & CARE Expecting Rabbit