Baby rabbit care is essential, especially when dealing with newborn rabbits. Today we will discuss about baby rabbit care and newborn rabbit care let's start. If you are a rabbit lover and have rabbits, when you suspect one of your rabbits is pregnant, you will likely have a thousand questions running through your mind. You may wonder how to care for pregnant rabbits, how to take care of the babies, where to place them, and how to ensure they are kept at the right temperature.
Today, this article on baby rabbit care was written to address all these questions. Let’s learn how to care for a newborn rabbit.
First step:
When you realise your pregnant rabbit has given birth, you should immediately remove the other rabbits from the mother rabbit, especially the father rabbit.
If the father rabbits are kept together, the father rabbit may not hurt the babies, but he can impregnate the mother rabbit again, even on the day she gives birth.
This is very painful and unhealthy for the mother rabbit. If the father rabbit does this, the mother rabbit may experience bleeding from the genital tract, which can make her sick.
So you should keep the mother rabbit and the babies away from other rabbits so that both the mother and baby rabbits can live in peace.
Ensuring proper accommodation is crucial for the well-being of newborn rabbits:
Although the mother rabbit builds the nest herself before giving birth, it must be appropriately constructed.
Now, newborn rabbits have no eyes and no hair on their skin. Due to their lack of fur, they cannot survive the cold, so keeping them in a warm place and providing plenty of cotton in their bedding is crucial.
Keep these things in mind when securing a home.
First, you must ensure the nest is in the right place, where no other insects can enter but the mother rabbit can easily access it. If insects are around the nest, you must clear them out; otherwise, they may disturb the babies.
You should also check if there is enough polymer wool or straw in the house where the babies will be very comfortable, even though the mother rabbit has made a nest with her fur before giving birth. You should give them some artificial cotton, which you can easily buy in the market, to keep the babies comfortable, so you should do these to keep them comfortable or healthy.
Ensuring food is essential for the well-being of newborn rabbits:
Hairless, blind newborn rabbits rely entirely on their mother for nourishment. They cannot fend for themselves, but the mother rabbit instinctively knows when to feed them. Typically, the mother rabbit feeds the babies 2-3 times daily.
Mother rabbits feed their babies at night, usually 1-2 times daily. Ensuring that the mother rabbit feeds the babies appropriately during these feeding sessions is essential.
When you observe a newborn rabbit, its stomach appears rounded, resembling Marvel in the morning. During nursing, the baby rabbit typically consumes milk equivalent to 20 to 30% of its body weight, a visual cue that indicates it is adequately nursing.
What to do if you don’t get the right food
When you see babies with bloated stomachs holding on for a long time and lacking features. (Ensuring food is essential for the well-being of newborn rabbits) When you realize the mother rabbit has not nursed the rabbit properly.
Usually, this will not happen to your baby rabbits, but if it does, you should do the following to wean them.
- First, hold the mother rabbit firmly (make sure the mother rabbit is not in pain).
- Now, take the mother rabbit to the kids.
- Place the mother rabbit on her side where the babies are (so they can easily nurse when they come near the mother rabbit).
- Now, release the babies one by one near the mother rabbit’s belly, and you will see the babies drinking milk.
- When you see that the babies have eaten enough, release the mother rabbit and place them in their designated places.
Watch the video to understand correctly (click here).
If the mother rabbit does not feed the babies, you can make them drink milk this way. However, during this time, the mother rabbit was fed more and more green grass. This will help the mother rabbit’s body produce enough milk.
Baby rabbit care the age is seven days :
When your rabbit is seven days old, you may need to change the bedding once by removing the fluff from the rabbit’s nest and adding new fluff.
The bedding has become wet and dirty because the baby rabbit has passed urine and faeces over the past seven days. Therefore, you should arrange a new habitat for the baby rabbit.
When they are seven days old, the babies will consume more milk. Therefore, feed the mother rabbit nutritious green grass, vegetables, and fruits.
Baby rabbit care when the rabbit is 14 days old:
At this time, the baby rabbits will have enough hair on their bodies and will slowly start to explore the world. It would help if you introduced them to some fruits and vegetables so they can begin eating them with their little teeth and their mother’s milk.
Rabbits are 20 to 25 days old:
When your newborn rabbits are 20 to 25 days old, separate them from the mother rabbits and provide them with a safe environment. Remember to feed them vegetables and fruits, and keep them away from more giant rabbits, as they are still small.
In the meantime, take care of the mother rabbit:
During this time, give the mother rabbit some space and add green grass and fruits to help her recover from any deficiencies caused by caring for the babies.
Remember, do not keep male and female rabbits together. Otherwise, the male rabbit may impregnate the female rabbit again, leading to potential infections and health complications that could result in illness or death.
Baby rabbit care at 45 days:
When your newborn rabbits reach 45 days old, they are fully grown. You can feed them green grass and other foods if desired, and they can be kept with other rabbits as they can now take care of themselves.