What to Expect When Your Rabbit is Expecting

Caring for a Pregnant Rabbit

Congratulations your little bun is pregnant! Do you know how to provide the proper rabbit care for her or feel prepared to have new babies?

There are some things that you should know about pregnant rabbits and the process of what will happen. This will ensure that the pregnancy and delivery of the babies is successful. Keep reading to learn what to expect when your rabbit is expecting.

What Should I Do With The Male Rabbit After Conception?

First take the male out of the cage once you know that the female rabbit is pregnant. According to the House Rabbit Society, this is a great time to get your male rabbit neutered. You'll want to remove the him as soon as you know because the male rabbit can get the female pregnant again (they can actually carry two litters at once!).

Once you female has given birth she can become pregnant again just after a few days, so don't place him back in right after the birth. Female rabbits can reach sexual maturity as young as 3 1/2 months of age, once they hit this marker the male rabbit try and impregnate them as well.

How Long Does The Pregnancy Last?

Pregnancies can last up to 31-33 days, which is why it is important to know how far along the rabbit is. The babies could die if still in the womb past 33 days.

Have the question of how to know how far along a rabbit is? Call your vet for help deciding how long your rabbit has been pregnant (if you don’t know or if it wasn’t a planned pregnancy) or if the pregnancy has lasted long than 31 days.

What Should My Rabbit Eat While Pregnant?

Make sure that your pregnant rabbit is eating enough food and water is basic rabbit care essentials. Because she is carrying more weight and will need to feed her babies this means a change to her diet.

You'll want to give her more vegetables than normal and begin to transition her to a diet that consists mostly of Alfalfa Hay instead of the grass hay you give her. The extra protein in Alfalfa Hay will help to give her the nutrients she needs to grow healthy babies.

A few days before she is expected to deliver, cut back on the amount of food that is given to her by 50% but keep giving her unlimited water unlimited. This will decrease the possibility of her experiencing medical problems. About two weeks after she gives birth, gradually switchher back to her normal diet.

Where Should The Babies Be Born?

You'll want to house your momma in a nest. The nest can easily be purchased at your local pet store or build your own. Nest boxes are where the birth of the babies will happen and where she will take care of her babies. Provide plenty of hay so she can use that and her fur to keep her babies warm and safe. They will be born blind, naked and deaf so they need to nest.

What Assistance Will The Rabbit Need?

When your rabbit begins giving birth, she should be able to do it without any assistance from you. Just make sure that the room is quiet, the lighting is normal, there are no other pets around, or other factors that could make your rabbit nervous. The babies will most likely be born in the morning and will enter the world head or feet first.

Once the babies are born make sure that they are all healthy and most importantly alive. Remove any dead babies to prevent infection being spread to the other babies. It is also important to know that the mother will eat her dead babies to keep the nest clean. It is recommended that you give the momma bunny her favorite treat to distract her while you are tending to the nest.

A rabbit’s litter can be up to 14 kits, which is a lot of responsibility! This is why it's important that you understand what to expect when your bunny is expecting. To ensure that all of the babies are being fed, check to see if they are warm and if their stomachs are bulged. A momma rabbit will only feed her babies once or twice a day because her milk is so rich with nutrients. This feeding will normally happen early in the morning.

Now that you have the basic rabbit care knowledge for your pregnant rabbit, you can enjoy the wonderful joy of bunny birth! We hope this was helpful in learning what to expect when your rabbit is expecting and how to know how far along a rabbit is.

You can purchase all the necessary hay you need to place within your momma's nest and the Alfalfa Hay she needs right on our hay and it will be delivered right to your front door! We pride ourselves on supporting a community of small pet owners who care deeply about providing happy and healthy lifestyles for their pets.