Raising Baby Rabbits - First
Thing to Be Done to Raise Healthy Rabbits
Raising
baby rabbits are not just like taking care of kittens or
puppies because their mothers have a different way of nursing
their young. Mother rabbits are very central to the lives of
their babies or kits because they don't stop taking care of
them until they are strong enough to fend for themselves.
Thus, in raising baby rabbits, one must also give equal care
to the doe in order to properly support the young. The first
thing that needs to be done in raising baby rabbits is setting
up a comfortable nest for the doe days before it is about to
give birth. Common nests used are the wooden nest box or even
an ordinary litter box. The nest should first be lined with a
bunny litter material that will help absorb urine or birth
fluids to make the mother rabbit comfortable. Afterwards, the
nest should be topped with hay, dried grasses, or even saw
dust to help make the space warmer.
In most cases, the doe is the one who really feeds her young
so there should be no problem when it comes to this part. The
owner's only concern would be to provide the mother with the
appropriate foods to make sure that she generates good milk
for her babies. In raising baby rabbits, some people think
that the mothers don't feed their young because they rarely
see the doe doing it. This is a misconception, however,
because unlike other animals, baby rabbits are only fed once a
day and within 12 midnight to 5 am in the morning only.
Also, in
keeping baby rabbits, it is important to assess the
attitude of the mother with regards to her babies. If the doe
appears nervous and agitated in her cage days after she has
given birth, this is the time when the owner has to directly
monitor the babies to see if they are warm enough. If the kits
look shriveled with baggy skin and sunken tummies then they
have to be fed with other food instead. Monitoring the
temperature is also important in raising kits. The babies
should be kept from losing too much of their body heat because
the more they use it, the higher their chances of eating more.
This may be a problem given that they are only fed once a day.
In rare situations when the mother is not up to nurse her
babies, a heating pad must be placed on the nest to keep the
babies warm during their first week.
