If your female rabbit is pregnant, you will need to provide extra care to ensure her health is maintained. This article will teach you how to care for a female rabbit during and after pregnancy.
Step
Step 1. Check if your rabbit is pregnant
Medium-sized rabbits are usually sexually mature at 4-4.5 months, while large breed rabbits are mature at 6-9 months. If the female rabbit has entered adulthood and seems to have been breeding, pay attention to the following things. Pregnancy can be detected between 10-14 days (optimally 12 days) from breeding. At this time, the fetus will develop rapidly so that it can be felt by touch (about the size of a grape). Gently touch the rabbit's belly! Also be aware of false pregnancies that are common in rabbits. This is why even if you find signs of pregnancy in your rabbit, you should still check with your vet. There are several signs that indicate a rabbit pregnancy:
- By the third week, the rabbit's stomach may appear enlarged. You can also see some movement.
- Rabbits begin to experience a lot of mood swings and get irritated easily. Rabbits may not want to be held or petted. Rabbits may growl or behave differently towards you. In addition, the rabbit also lies down on its side to overcome the discomfort in its stomach.
- When the rabbit's gestation period is 2-3 days, the rabbit begins to build a nest. Usually, this is done by plucking the hairs
- Know that all the signs above are not enough to diagnose pregnancy. Rabbits commonly experience false pregnancies due to hormonal changes. Rabbit weight gain and appetite can also be caused by other reasons. In contrast, many pregnancies are asymptomatic until a few minutes before birth.
Step 2. Expect the rabbit's pregnancy to last for 31-33 days
It is possible that rabbits carrying a few babies (eg four or less) will have a longer gestation period than rabbits carrying more than four babies. Primarily, you need to know the beginning of the rabbit's gestation period (you may need the help of a veterinarian) because the rabbit's gestation period should not exceed 32 days. If so, the rabbit needs to be taken to the vet. If it is not born on the 32nd day, the rabbit may die on the 34th day.
Step 3. Provide the rabbit with proper and sufficient nutrition during its gestation period
Pregnant rabbits need dietary changes to ensure they are getting adequate nutrition. Pregnant rabbits that do not get enough nutrition can have an abortion or reabsorb the fetus. Because the weight that the rabbit bears increases, the nutrients needed are also increasing. Provide high-quality food along with plenty of pure drinking water.
- Change your rabbit's diet slowly (you'll need to gradually change your rabbit's diet) and include foods such as: carrots, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, grain feed, haystack, tomatoes, parsley. Replace grass hay with alfalfa and feed more grains than usual. Make sure your rabbit can drink clean water at all times.
- When pregnant, the rabbit's body needs also increase. Mix the various vegetables above into a salad with a bowl of water.
- Reduce food intake two days before birth, but do not reduce drinking water intake. Thus, the rabbit's chances of experiencing medical disorders such as mastitis and ketosis will be reduced. Reduce diet to half the normal amount on the two days before the day of birth.
- If so, gradually return to their normal diet and your rabbit will be back to normal within 1-2 weeks of birth.
Step 4. Prepare a nest box for the pregnant rabbit
The nest box will be where the rabbit gives birth and takes care of the chicks. This nest box is important because baby rabbits are born naked, blind and deaf, and are unable to regulate their body temperature until they are 7 days old. Nest boxes can be purchased from pet stores, and are at least 10 cm longer and wider than the mother rabbit. Rabbits should be put in the nest box 26 days before their gestation period.
- Your rabbit will pluck its fur (on its neck, belly and thighs) for its nest box, but you can help it by putting hay and paper into the nest box.
- Use clean wood if you decide to build your own nest box, but never use plywood or sawdust as they contain high concentrations of formaldehyde, which is toxic and can cause drying of the respiratory epithelium and permanent respiratory and nerve damage.
Step 5. Be aware of the possible disturbances associated with rabbit pregnancy
Prevention is better than cure and you can prevent the disorder from appearing if you know what problems can come. Some of the following problems can arise in pregnant rabbits:
- mastitis. This disorder is an inflammation of the udder glands in the rabbit's stomach. When it's time to give birth, the rabbit's udder will fill with milk to feed the baby rabbit. Mastitis occurs when bacteria enter the milk ducts and reach the udder. This disease can occur as a result of poorly formed glands (ask your vet to check your rabbit's glands after birth) or the rabbit is often in an unhygienic environment (make sure bedding, nests, etc. are clean and not abrasive/abrasive). The worst case scenario occurs when the affected glands are not healed and pass the bacteria through milk to their offspring and die. Check your rabbit every day after birth for any signs of swelling or redness that may indicate mastitis; If the udder is blue, it means that the infection is quite severe. Other signs are when the rabbit refuses to eat and drink, has a fever, and looks depressed. Take your rabbit to the vet immediately because your animal needs antibiotics.
- Pregnancy toxemia. This disorder occurs in rabbits who do not get adequate nutritional intake during pregnancy (and false pregnancies) so that rabbits must get a high-energy diet for late pregnancy, so as not to fast, and not become obese. This disease can occur in the later stages of pregnancy or after birth in most Dutch, Polish and English breed rabbits. Symptoms include being depressed, feeling weak, lack of coordination, and convulsions. If left unchecked, rabbits can die in a matter of hours. Therefore, immediately take him to the vet to be treated with IV (intravenous) drip and dextrose.
- Kill the bunny. Some rabbits will kill and eat their young. The reasons for this behavior vary and you should avoid a variety of potential causes: keep the nest area warm, remove baby rabbits that cannot nurse, keep the nest clean, and prevent other animals (especially dogs) from approaching the rabbit nest to reduce anxiety. Do not use rabbits for breeding if they kill two babies in a row.
Step 6. Know what to expect at birth
You should already know the rabbit's birth period well through pregnancy timings and consultation with a veterinarian. Some things to watch out for when rabbits give birth to their children are:
- Birth usually occurs in the morning.
- Most rabbit births occur quickly, with the head or legs coming out first. However, some births may take 1-2 days before all the baby rabbits have been born.
- Dystocia, or labor disorders, is common in rabbits so you may not need to help your rabbit give birth. Just make sure the delivery area is quiet and free from things that can make your rabbit nervous, such as sounds, other animals, strange lights, excessive heat or cold, and so on. Anything that causes a rabbit to be overly excited or threatened can harm the unborn babies.
Step 7. Make sure all the baby rabbits are okay after birth
Make sure all baby rabbits are healthy, breathing, and drinking milk from their mother. Rabbit uterus can accommodate up to 12 babies. Once born, the mother rabbit will take care of her chicks, but not forever. Continue to provide fresh drinking water to the mother rabbit because it is important in caring for the rabbit.
- Getting new little bunnies is fun, but don't disturb the mother and baby bunnies so they don't cause stress and fear.
- Wait two hours, then offer him a favorite rabbit treat to distract him while you check on the baby bunnies. When it's done, cover everything with a cage and let it rest.
- If it turns out that the number of baby rabbits is more than the number of nipples of the mother (8-10 nipples), some of the baby rabbits can be raised for the first three days with a female rabbit with fewer babies. Just make sure you cover it with the fur from the new doe to get it accepted, and try moving the baby bunny bigger and stronger to increase the success of this transfer. Unfortunately, the infant rabbit mortality rate due to hand lifting tends to be high.
- The female rabbit will only feed the baby rabbit 1-2 times a day, with each baby rabbit getting 3 minutes.
Step 8. Take care of the baby and mother rabbit together
Baby rabbits will last up to 4-5 weeks because the nipple that feeds the baby rabbit will reduce its milk production. Keep a close eye on the health of the mother rabbit and how the rabbit interacts with her kittens. If there is aggressive behavior, address it as needed or discuss it with your veterinarian. Here are some things to note about baby rabbits:
- Baby rabbits with sunken stomachs are not getting enough milk. A healthy baby rabbit will have a full stomach.
- Some people advise against touching baby rabbits as they will get used to the human smell and the mother rabbit will eat them out of fear or denial. This is just a myth! Pet rabbits are used to the smell and presence of humans. More importantly, you must hold the baby rabbit if it falls out of the nest because it cannot return to the nest itself.
- After 10 days, the baby rabbits can open their eyes. Check the baby rabbit's sticky eyes closed to prevent infection.
- Continue to feed baby rabbits with grain feed until they are 8 months old.
- Leave the baby rabbit with its mother until it is 6-7 weeks old. At this point, if the puppies are large, you can take 2-3 baby rabbits and put them in their cage. Thus the smallest baby can breastfeed a week longer and catch up with the weight of his siblings.
- All baby rabbits should be separated from their mother after 8 weeks because the female rabbit may try to bite and chase them away. It also allows the young rabbits to explore their new environment.
Step 9. Find a suitable house for the baby rabbit
Even if rabbit breeding is not planned, baby rabbits still need to find a good home. If your rabbit's pregnancy is accidental, take steps to prevent the female from becoming pregnant again. Rabbits are animals that breed in large numbers, and the rabbit population is very large without the need for human intervention. Consider neutering female rabbits and neutering male rabbits to prevent unwanted pregnancies. If you're breeding for contests, petting, or other reasons, it's best to wait 35-42 days after your initial birth, so your rabbit can recuperate and care for her current babies..
Beware! Breeding can happen again anytime starting from 72 hours postpartum! This means that you will have to separate the mother rabbit from the male rabbit after giving birth.
Tips
- Most births occur in the middle of the night or early morning. Labor can last up to two days.
- Problems giving birth are rare in rabbits.
- When the time is almost up, don't disturb your pet rabbit. Mother rabbits need a peaceful environment during childbirth.
- The average rabbit can give birth to 7-8 babies, but the range starts from 1 to 22 babies.
- Separate pregnant rabbits from other rabbits, especially male rabbits.
- Record the date you last bred rabbits so you're not surprised when the rabbits give birth again.
- There is a lot involved in raising a baby rabbit, especially if you choose to raise one yourself. Do thorough research so you know everything from food to handling baby rabbits.
- Beware of predators. Install a wire fence or cage around the garden to keep predators out.
- Usually, rabbits make their nests in tight spaces, such as behind large objects such as rocks.
- Baby rabbits are also referred to as kits.
- Remember, being a mother is very hard. Make room for the mother bunny!
- If you deliberately breed rabbits, the female rabbit should only be left with the male rabbit for 30 minutes, and always keep the female rabbit in the male rabbit's cage.
Warning
- Do not check until all the baby rabbits have been delivered safely, and the mother rabbit has recovered from labor.
- If the mother rabbit has health problems, immediately contact the veterinarian.
- The breeding of any animal should not be taken lightly; the responsibility of caring for the mother animal and its young is immense. Do not apply breeding if you do not have the knowledge and good reason to increase the number of rabbits into the world. Rabbits are capable of reproducing without human intervention, and human involvement often weakens the lineage by retaining weaker animals, interbreeding with closely related rabbits, and overbreeding so often that it puts a heavy burden on the mother rabbit.
- Rapid changes in a rabbit's diet can be dangerous because it can change the digestive environment and the microorganisms that used to help rabbits digest their food are now toxic to rabbits.
