If you have a group of rabbits being housed together, it is important to separate any does that you think might be pregnant.
To prevent your rabbit from getting pregnant again, separate the male and female immediately after the female's given birth, but make sure they can still see and smell each other to help maintain their bond. Read our blog: Cat reproduction - 7 facts you probably don't know!
Babies can be removed from their mother at 8 weeks. The babies should not be weaned earlier because they need to receive necessary gut flora and antibodies from their mother. At 8 weeks, you should also separate the male and female offspring, so they do not breed.
Mice, Guinea Pigs, and Rabbits.
Be careful not to touch these animals, their urine, saliva, blood, faeces or cage/nesting materials as these can be infected with LCMV. Ask someone else to clean cages in a well-ventilated area as LCMV can be passed via droplets or dust.
Traditionally people keep all their rabbits together. However it is advisable to keep the buck separate from the does and do not keep bucks together as they will fight. The doe must be taken to the buck for mating and then returned to her place. A buck can be used until he is 7 years old.
It's possible to keep two pregnant rabbits together, as long as you have enough space. However, mothers should bond with one another before they become pregnant.
If your rabbit is actually pregnant, but you rebreed her thinking she is having a false pregnancy, she might get pregnant again. Rabbits have the strange ability to carry two litters at once, which is why it's crucial to not let your does live with bucks.
Sheep, cattle and goats are the most frequent source of human infection, although pets such as dogs and cats may also be a source. Q fever acquired during pregnancy is usually asymptomatic in the mother, although chronic infections may subsequently become apparent.
If you think your rabbit might be pregnant, we recommend taking them to the vet, who will be able to confirm or deny any suspicions.
Two weeks after mating you can feel the young through the side of the doe's belly. Traditionally people keep all their rabbits together. However it is advisable to keep the buck separate from the does and do not keep bucks together as they will fight.
Rabbits should never be split up once bonded. They should always travel in the same carrier. If one rabbit needs to go to the vet, talk to your vet about this and make sure that the other one can accompany them.
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. Feeding may only take 2-3 minutes, so unless you're watching 24/7 you will probably miss it!
Any combination of rabbits can live together, whether they are both males, both females, or female and male. Male with female coupling is the most natural because this is how they typically form in the wild.
A pregnant rabbit will exhibit nesting behavior about a week before giving birth. The most obvious sign that a rabbit is beginning to nest is if she's piling up bedding or digging into a corner of the enclosure.
Rabbits can live happily in male/female, female/female, male/male pairings and larger mixed groups. However, the most natural and therefore easiest pairing is male/female. In the wild, rabbits tend to live in male/female pairs and will sometimes remain partnered for life.
After your rabbit gives birth, you will need to make sure the kits are warm and tuck them into a nest with appropriate nesting materials. As the kits grow it is important to check on them daily, making sure they are all accounted for and fed.
Rodents and Rabbits
If you can, have someone else clean the cage and care for your pet. Wear gloves if you have to clean it yourself. Avoid cleaning the cage in the kitchen. If it's possible, wash the cage outside.
Animals can pass on infections that may affect your unborn baby. One infection you'll need to guard against is toxoplasmosis. It's relatively rare, affecting approximately one in 500 pregnancies, but it could result in eye problems and brain abnormalities in your unborn baby and even cause miscarriage.
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.
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).
Each litter can contain between one and 12 babies, with the average being five. And female rabbits can get pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth. When you consider that the babies of each litter can begin reproducing so soon after they are born, the math can quickly become overwhelming.