What's In the Nest Box? Caring For Your Litters

​Throughout my many years off and on of raising rabbits, I have heard that old wives tale over and over again. "Don't touch the babies, Mama will reject them." Many newcomers to the hobby, as well as a few seasoned breeders have asked me if this was true, and how I care for my newborn kits.


Well, it is just that, an old wives tale. Your mama does are not going to reject or refuse to care for their young because you touched them.


From the very begining, sometimes as soon as they are cleaned off I pick up and inspect each baby. When looking through the nest for the first time I am looking for immediate culls. These would be babies that are malformed, runts, peanuts, or those that have been severely injured during birth. None of which is very common in Mini Lop litters, but I check none the less. I am also doing a complete head count of live births for my own personal record keeping. As well as number of brokens vs. solids. At this time I pull out any that are dead.


From this point, I check my boxes twice a day, morning and night. I count each baby to ensure none fell out of the box, remove any that have perished, and most importantly to ensure that each is getting fed properly.


As a rule, I generally breed all my does at the same time. This way I have foster moms available should I need any. The first 24 hours, your kits can go without nursing, but it is not reccomended. Kits should look plump around their abdomen, but not too plump. Kits should not look thin. If you are not sure if your kits have eaten, gently pull up the skin along their back. If the skin does not qucikly snap back to the body, then your kit could be dehydrated, and it would be best to look for a foster mom. Kits will begin to dehydrate after 48 hours of not nursing.


Rabbits are prey animals, and as their instincts will show, they have been known to stomp and/or eat their entire litter if they feel threatened. With that said, this does not mean that you putting your hands in the nest box is going to be seen as a threat. However, inviting new people into your barn could be. As well as having any type of animal inside your barn, such as a dog, cat, or any other animal your rabbits are not used to, could be considered a threat. Loud noises that are not common, such as fireworks, could also be a threat.


Also, leaving your nest box alone, and not removing any deceased kits, especially during the warmer months, could cause your does to "thump" the entire litter should the smell of death and decay become too strong for them. Remember, rabbits have a great sense of smell. You may not smell it, but they can. If you can smell it, they can smell it ten times stronger. To them, having one dead kit in the box decaying will attract a scavaging predator, and threaten her safety as well as the rest of the litter.


I strongly support the choice for anyone to check their boxes, at least daily from the time of birth and on. You will have stronger and healthier litters!