QA

Quick Answer: What To Feed A Pregnant Rabbit

During pregnancy, the mother rabbit will need lots of clean water and nutritious food, including dark leafy greens, alfalfa hay and rabbit pellets.

Do pregnant rabbits need special food?

Throughout the pregnancy, slowly change your rabbit’s diet so it includes more celery, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, rabbit pellets, and alfalfa hay. Then, at around day 30 of the pregnancy, cut your rabbit’s food in half to prevent issues while giving birth.

Can pregnant rabbits eat fruit?

Only give small amounts of fruit 2 or 3 days a week because the natural sugar in fruits can make bunnies fat and cause their teeth to rot.

Should I separate my pregnant rabbit?

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.

What do you feed a rabbit after giving birth?

Feed mama unlimited pellets, leafy green vegetables and grass hay, and be sure she always has a plentiful supply of clean, fresh water. The babies will begin to nibble at solid food as early as two weeks of age. However, they must not be weaned for a FULL EIGHT WEEKS AFTER BIRTH!.

What should I do when my rabbit gives birth?

Giving birth and care of the young rabbit The doe needs a nest in which to give birth. She will line the nest with her fur. Do not check the young until the day after birth and do not touch them with your hand. Use a stick to gently touch them when checking and remove any that are dead.

How quickly can a rabbit get pregnant after giving birth?

The doe can become pregnant again 24 hours after giving birth. Most people raising rabbits for show or as pets rebreed does 35 to 42 days after the birth of a litter. Most medium- to large-sized female rabbits have 8 to 10 nipples, and many give birth to 12 or more young.

How long is a rabbit in labor?

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).

What vegetables are good for pregnant rabbits?

Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, celery, endive, beet/carrot tops, brussels sprouts, spinach leaves, bok choy & other Asian greens, dark leafed lettuce (not iceberg), chicory, kale, mustard greens. Herbs: Parsley, dandelion, coriander, basil, dill, mint, etc. Rabbit pellets can be offered in small quantities.

What do baby rabbits eat at 3 weeks?

When the bunnies are 2-3 weeks old, you can start to introduce rolled oats, and at 30 days, you can start them on commercial pellets. It is important to slowly switch rabbits to oats and pellets or you can cause enterotoxemia, a type of intestinal infection with a high mortality rate.

What is the best vegetable for rabbits?

Particularly good vegetables include the dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, bok choy, mustard greens, carrot tops, cilantro, watercress, basil, kohlrabi, beet greens, broccoli greens, and cilantro.

Can 2 female rabbits have babies together?

Nope. Two female rabbits cannot have kits together. However, regardless of inability to reproduce together, they can still hump the living daylights out of each other.

Can two pregnant rabbits live together?

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.

Can you touch newborn rabbits?

Newborn rabbits are fragile, and can’t cope with too much human contact. If you can check on the kits without picking them up, you should do so. Once the babies are three weeks old, you can begin to interact with them a bit more. You can pet them, allow them to hop into your lap and pick them up occasionally.

Why did my rabbit only have one baby?

Rabbits are instinctively driven to continue their species. If a rabbit feels that she can only keep so many babies alive, she’ll prioritize those that are most likely to survive. Stronger young have a better chance of surviving and eventually breeding themselves. She may separate her babies into two groups.

How do I know if my mother rabbit has milk?

Their stomachs should be larger than their heads and they should feel warm to the touch when you pick them up. If you turn the babies over, you should be able to see the white milk in their stomachs through their translucent skin. Babies should be squirmy and active when you pick them up.

How do I know when my rabbit is done giving birth?

When you know the last date your doe came in contact with a male, count forward; if it’s been more than 40 days, your rabbit likely isn’t pregnant. If about a month has passed and you notice the doe making a nest of straw, paper or chest fur, she might be getting ready to push out some baby bunnies.