Pregnant rabbits – what you need to do

What age can rabbits breed?

Rabbits are able to breed from a young age. Males should be neutered by a vet when they’re around three to four months old, when their testicles have descended, and shouldn’t be living with an unneutered female after this. Females can be neutered from four to six months, depending on their size and weight.

 

How long are rabbits pregnant for?

The average gestation period for rabbits, regardless of their breed, is around a month or 31 days, give or take a few days either side.

 

How can I tell if my rabbit is pregnant?

With most rabbits, you can’t tell if they’re pregnant just by looking at them. Many won’t have the large, pregnant belly you’ll usually see in other species. Most people are often unaware their rabbit is pregnant until they find a litter of kittens (baby rabbits).

But you may notice your rabbit is acting strangely in the days leading up to the birth as they prepare to nest. Signs of nesting include:

• Your rabbit going around collecting bunches of hay in her mouth, which she’ll then use to start building a nest.
• Plucking her own fur to line the nest in order to keep the kits warm once they’re born.

Sometimes unneutered female rabbits can also display this nesting behaviour, even if they’re not pregnant (also known as a false pregnancy).

If she’s not given birth after around a month or so – and you’re certain she’s not been near another rabbit in the last five weeks – speak to your rabbit-friendly vet about getting her neutered as soon as possible.

 

How many babies can rabbits have?

Rabbits commonly have around six kittens per litter, but some can have much larger or smaller litters. As females can get pregnant again within 24 hours of giving birth, it’s important to move any male rabbits immediately – otherwise, you could find that two rabbits quickly become double figures in a short period of time!

 

How will I know when my rabbit is in labour?

Your female rabbit’s behaviour may change leading up to the birth, when she begins nesting, and for a few weeks afterwards. She could become more territorial and temperamental than usual.

Being a prey species, most rabbits will give birth when it’s quiet, usually in the early hours of the morning, when they feel safest and less threatened. Mum will give birth to her litter quite quickly, so you’ll likely notice the whole litter when you come across them for the first time in the nest.

 

What do I need to do if I find my rabbit has given birth?

The best thing you can do is to leave the new mum to do her job!

Baby rabbits are born blind and deaf and will only have a very fine amount of hair on them for the first few days. As soon as they’re born their mum will keep her distance, only visiting to feed them a few times a day and night for very short periods.

This is often mistaken as the mum abandoning her babies. But it’s perfectly normal and is her way of keeping them safe from potential predators by not drawing much attention to the nesting area. Give her plenty of space to move away from the nest. If she’s mostly in a hutch or an indoor cage, a run or secure pen should be attached with some toys and hiding places inside, so she feels settled.

Make sure to add plenty of extra hay and freshly-picked grass into her enclosure, as she’ll likely be hungry!

The mum’s milk might not come in for several hours after giving birth – so don’t worry if it feels like she has no milk in her mammaries (teats). The easiest thing is to carry out a daily observation of her size and activity. If you need to check the nest, use a stick that’s been rubbed in the bedding from within the enclosure to gently part the nest and ensure the babies are well.

When you look in on the kittens for the first time, avoid touching them unless absolutely necessary. The babies should be completely dry and clean – and their mum clean, too. If you notice any discharge or blood and you suspect the birth happened at least an hour ago, you’ll need to seek veterinary advice. If you have to transport the babies for some reason, ideally scoop the whole nest into a carrier so that you don’t disturb the shape and smell.

Babies found outside the nest when they still have their eyes and ears closed are likely to have a medical issue. Alternatively, the mum could feel threatened so she’s chosen to pull the babies out of the nest for predators to take. While this can be very upsetting to see and attempts can be made to hand rear, most unfortunately don’t survive.

Inbred rabbits and those under stress may deliver stillborn babies, or may even attempt to kill them.

Finally, for reasons already mentioned earlier, it’s extremely important that entire male rabbits (males that haven’t been neutered) are removed as soon as an unexpected litter is discovered.

 

Feeding the rabbits

The kittens will start to appear out of the nest at around three weeks old. They’ll have been practising eating hay from around two weeks, though. Once out, you can provide them with junior nuggets, as these are smaller and easier for them to manage.

Make sure to introduce any fresh forage and veg slowly, as too much too quickly will result in bloat or other stomach complaints, which can prove fatal. The best way to do this is to sprinkle freshly-picked grass among lots of hay.

When they’re around five to six weeks old, they’ll generally be fine with a good mix of fresh daily greens.

By around eight weeks old, they should be fully weaned and can be separated from their mum.

Offer water in a shallow bowl for them to drink from. Make sure the water is changed a couple of times a day and that the bowl is cleaned regularly, to reduce any risk of disease.

 

When do the young male and female rabbits need separating?

If you get young rabbits neutered at the right time, you won’t need to separate the males and females! Take a look at the section below to find out when.

A whole litter of young rabbits may only be able to live together as a group for a few months. This is because, depending on the space you have available, they could start to fight as they reach maturity. So, it’s important you’re prepared with additional accommodation. If you notice any signs of fighting, you’ll need to split the litter, ideally into mixed sexed pairs or groups. Keep a close eye on them to make sure the pairs or groups you’ve chosen are getting along well.

 

When should the young rabbits be neutered?

Neutering the youngsters not only helps avoid more unexpected litters, it can also prevent life-threatening health issues, and lets your rabbits live a fulfilled life with a companion. It also makes it easier to house or rehome your rabbits.

Young rabbits need to be fully weaned, separated from their mum, and be old enough for neutering. For males, this is when they’re around three to four months old, or as soon as their testicles have descended. It’s important that a male isn’t living with his mum, or any other unneutered adult female rabbit, after this point if he hasn’t yet been castrated.

Females can be neutered from four to six months depending on their size and weight. Talk to your rabbit-friendly vet who’ll be able to advise you on the right time to neuter. They may want to wait until your female rabbit is a little bit older and bigger before doing the operation.