In a perfect world, baby bunnies would always be born in the nest box, covered with lots of warm fur.
They would flourish and grow in to adorable bouncing fur balls. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.
Fortunately, if you notice a baby out of the nest box, or an entire litter that is cold, sometimes you can resuscitate baby bunnies, even if they look cold and lifeless.
Most of the time my rabbits are good mothers. However, I had one litter when the buck spooked the doe while birthing and half her litter wasn’t in the nest with their siblings.
When I realized they were cold I knew I had to get them warmed up.
When baby bunnies get cold they kind of go into a state of hibernation and you can’t really tell if they are still breathing or not.
If you are trying to resuscitate baby bunnies and they have their heads arched back and their mouths open that’s a very late sign and you probably won’t be able to save them.
If they haven’t reached that state there are a couple ways to do it.
How To Resuscitate Baby Bunnies
The most crucial thing is keep them warm. The very first thing I do is pop any bunnies I found down my shirt so they start warming up immediately.
(I have to admit, it’s REALLY weird to have wiggly bunnies stashed in your bra. BUT wiggly is a good sign).
Once they start to wiggle you know they are warming up.
If you don’t like wandering around with bunnies down your shirt you can also try immersing them in warm water.
Obviously make sure to keep their heads above the water and dry them off really well once they are active.
Also, a hair dryer makes an excellent tool to resuscitate baby bunnies. This is what I did with my cold ones as soon as I got back into the house.
Keep An Eye On Them Once They Warm Up
After the babies are warm and active you can place them back in the nest.
Baby rabbits need litters of at least three in order to maintain their body temperature so if you only have a few it’s best to foster them into other nests of similar ages if possible.
If you need to you can also keep the nest inside for being monitored. Rabbits nurse their young twice a day, dawn and dusk.
You can carry the rabbits in to the mother and wait for her to feed them and leave the nest. Then you can carry the nest back indoors.
It’s not ideal, but works in a pinch. I was doing this for quite some time because we had rats (UUUUUGH!) who were raiding the nests.
(Such horrible nasty things. Quarter inch mesh is the only thing that keeps the villians out, but that’s another story.)
Keep Nests Covered With Plenty of Fur
Make sure they are well covered with fur. You can even save fur from other litters to add to a nest if a doe doesn’t pull enough.
Messing around with the nest will not make the doe abandon them. It’s okay to go through the nest after your doe is done kindling.
Daily check for any kits that didn’t make it and remove them.
I like to mark any cold kits with a sharpie on their back so I can go back through the nest and make sure they have a full, round tummy after being fed and that they aren’t too slow to compete for food.
Hopefully all your rabbit’s are fabulous mothers, undisturbed while birthing, and make it in the nesting box every single time. If not, good luck.
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My gosh they are tiny little things, I imagine it wouldn’t take long for the cold to get to them. Glad you found them. I haven’t tried raising rabbits but good info to know just in case.
Yes, getting chilly is easy when you’re teeny tiny!
Hi so I was wondering how they look when they are dead because my baby bunnies are like straight and they were cold
If they are stiff or if their head is back and their mouth open they are dead.
Hi , my newborn bunnies haven’t moved for a full day now and they don’t seem to have been fed by the mother and I don’t know what to do ?
Mother rabbits only feed their young twice a day, once around dawn and once around dusk. You may never see her in the nest box. Do their stomachs look hollow or rounded?
Thank you for this post. It was very timely. I had just read it a few days after our doe gave birth unexpectedly. We did lose two. But the three remaining are doing so well, now. We had to move them all into our home for now. But this will help me again in the future I am sure.
Oh bummer. Good luck with the next time!
Thanks for this one of my babies must have wiggled out of there nest and couldnt get back in I found it cold I rubbed its chest till movement of mouth put it down my clevage then put a towel doubled over a radiator to get it back warm bunny now doing okay will keep checking her
I hope she ended up being okay!
Thank you so much this saved 5 of my bunnies lives we stuck them under a heating pat also which helped😊
Oh hooray! I’m so glad. 🙂
Hi my Bunny’s are like grayish and mushy sort of what to do? Are they alive?
The color is genetic. Are they breathing?
How long do you try to bring them back?
As they warm up they should start moving around. If their bodies are warm to the touch, but there’s no signs of life, there’s not much you can do at that point.
My bunny is only 6 months old and had a seizure I am freaking out because he stopped breathing…WHAT DO I DO?!?!
I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you were able to get in touch with a veterinarian.
Did he end up being okay? Cause my 6 month is having seizures and idk what to do.
Comment Text*can a female rabbit mate again if its 12day pregnant
Yes, a rabbit can mate even if she is pregnant. It’s also possible she may be experiencing a false pregnancy too, so make sure you write down the second breeding date and provide a nest box just in case.
my baby bunnys died
I’m very sorry. 🙁 Sometimes they are too far gone to save.
Today found 3 babies in three different places in the bunny area… i thought they are dead so I hurried them and went online… found online your post, got em out washed em warm and keeping on my belly for now, since can’t find my warm pad…. hoping next hour will show if they alive or get stuff… no wiggles so far, but also not feeling that dead cold either… the deep blue one turned pink again….
I hope they made it!
If baby kit are not moving much and have stuff on the butt and look lifeless what can I do
Feel them and see if they are warm to the touch and if their bellies are rounded or sunken in. Babies won’t move much when they’re very small.
Both of my female rabbits had their bunnies on the 11 feb, 3 days ago…
So far one hasn’t made it. Just went to the rabbit hutch and found 3 more freezing cold.
At the moment they are in a box onto of a hot water bottle in front of the living room fire. What can I do or am I doing all I can?
It sounds like you’re doing everything possible. Unfortunately sometimes they just don’t all make it.
hi, we are first time bunny owners and i guess our bunny was pregnant when we got her with a male. this is her first litter, but we were not expecting this, and she gave birth to them with the male still in with her. not sure, can this affect her taking care of them. 2 were dead. we removed the male right away, then now 3 days later, the remaining 4 seemed lifeless, but maybe too cold. i am trying to revive them right now, but for the future, i guess the male needs to come out so she can birth in peace??
Yes, if it’s just the two of them in the cage definitely move the male out. Sometimes first time mamas just don’t know what to do, but stress could have been a factor. Good luck.
Hope someone can help me now. Tonight, I found two cold bunnies, I have warmed them, but still no movement. They are in my cleavage with a warm towel over me. There is one wiggling alive kit in the box. There is not a lot of pulled hair, so from what I am reading, the one in the box, needs to have other kits to keep it warm. Should I bring him in and put him in my cleavage too? and what do I do to keep all three warm? I cant have them down my shirt all the time? I don’t think she pulled enough hair. would cotton towels do any good?
If you have another litter you could add the single kit into that would be ideal. You could also add a heat lamp.
For the future, you can save a little bag of fur that your does pull either for false pregnancy or if they pull too much for a litter and use it for when they don’t pull enough.
can i use cotton wool in case there is no far? the mum looks young it only gave birth to one bunny. but no far to cover it, this was its first pregnancy.
You can give it a try. If there is only one baby it probably will not make it. They depend on their litter mates to help regulate body temperature. However, perhaps the mama just isn’t finished yet.
My sweet Fern just gave birth to her first babes. Yesterday we were thinking she was not pregnant after all. And planning when to get her started again. Glanced this morning. She was in her box but perked up and I thought she was just in there ha. Go to check on her and give her veggies and see babies in the box. Two had crawled away from the middle fur pile. Brought them in and put them in warm water. No signs of life so far 🙁 Gave her veggies and fresh water. Saw that they do not stay on the babies. So I am leaving her be for a while. And will check on her. Cross your fingers we have live babies in there.
I hope everything went well with the rest of your rabbit’s birth. Sorry the two didn’t make it. 🙁
Wouldn’t it be easier to just throw them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds?
They would most likely receive life threatening burns if put in a microwave, even for the shortest amount of time.
Please do not EVER microwave a living animal.
REALLY? THAT IS SUCH A CRUEL THING TO EVEN SAY
Cry I have one right now it’s about to die my mom is mad my dad is screamimg at my mom right now I’m singing god save the baby bunny
#god save the prom queen
I’m very sorry Karla 🙁
NOOOOOOOOOO
Do not microwave bunnies, I would rather bury a dead baby than microwave them. 🤦♀️
@Beverly Jangus, you planning on your gonna have Hor D’ouerves bunnies
Found a wild rabbit nest in backyard. Mower went over it, . Put a couple of twigs over the nest to see if the doe was coming back and they were moved so the nest is not abandoned. One kit appears dead will the mother remove it or should I? Or just leave it? The other kits seem to be doing well
Thank you
Give mom a chance to move the nest or push the dead one out. If she doesn’t after a day or so it probably won’t hurt to pull it out.
Thank you for your advice. My Doe had the first litter / Kit (new at this) and all 8 babies died of the cold. I promised myself the next round I’ll bring in Mommy & babies (7 this time) and all went well. Until they started dying due to the cold. I made a so called nest for them & Mommy took it for herself & tipped the babies out. So I thought right.. last baby day 5… we have to try harder.. by this I lost all hope.. I saw a clip on YouTube to use a warm hot water bottle then put this strong little guy on it. Phew worked!!! Feeding time is still a challenge as we give love to Mommy & hold her while we help this little cutie grt to a teat. I am feeding Mommy with all I can & spoil her… I pray that she doesn’t run out of milk before this toughy gets old enough not to rely on her.
Hold thumbs as I don’t think I could handle another death. My heart is broken as I couldn’t save the other angels🐰
Sigh .. Update on silly baby buns… it decided to climb inside the hot water bottle cover & actual bottle. Luckily my daughter checked on it… silly boo.
Aw, that’s pretty cute. Sorry you lost so many already.
I only have one kit that made it out of six. The mother didn’t form a nest and I don’t think she is feeding. Should I try to supplement so the kit grows?
You could try, but its chances of survival will be better if you can add it to another litter of similarly aged kits.
I came home to find my bunny like this its a new born only two days, and it seemed dead, it was stiff and cold so we thought it passed away then dad burried it in the garden and I just read your post. I figured it wasnt actuallt dead so the guilt I have now is unreal. The Doe only had one baby as well. I went back out to see if theres a chanve but it started to rain so the bit of earth on top obviouslt got heavier and you know….. Cant stop crying
Baby bunnies rely on littermates to maintain their body temperature, so unfortunately even if you had revived it, it still most likely would not have survived.
If it hadn’t already passed away it was in state of hibernation and unaware of its surroundings. Please don’t beat yourself up.
Oh okay at least it felt no pain, It was just hear breaking seeing the mother search for the baby.. She is really aggresive towards the male bunny and he runs away from her when ever she comes near and she attacks him so i dont think therell be more bunnies.. Usually the first time round the doe has only one baby I read
Yes, it is very sad. 🙁 If it is just one female and one male you may want to get another female (or have him neutered if they are pets), as the male will be very frustrated when she isn’t interested. Also, make sure they have enough space and hidey holes so she can get away from him if they are kept together.
This is me today. I’m Absolutely Heartbroken. 💔
Well my bunny have 10 babies the first one she rejected and i was hand feeding her but she died last night and when i just went back in the nest at birth she had ten 3 died plus the one last nigjt other ate well fed but i am missing one i have searched high and low can find it
Oh no! Is it possible rats got into the nest?
Day four and only one kit left. Should I bring it and mother inside or use heat lamp. Thinking the cold got it and mom ate it… 🙁
One kit most likely won’t make it. I’d try leaving it with it’s mother and adding a heat lamp.
My doe is outside she is due this week . I’m sacred about losing the babies. Should move them inside with Momma? She’s nesting pretty hard. Today’s day 27 and this is both of the buck and Does first litter aswell as mine. I am still kinda of Clueless on this I just know the basics could I get some help?
I hope all went well! Rabbits don’t generally need much help, as long as they pull enough fur for the nest.
My rabbit had an unexpected litter last night and this morning we went out to give her water and we found 3 kits 8n the fur she had pulled and 1 kit on the other side of her pen and they were all very cold so we brought them inside and used a hair dryer to thaw them out and we have been waiting all day but they seem lifeless and are not moving but we do not know wether to bury them or not what should we do with the kits
If they don’t start to reanimate and move after being warmed up you should go ahead and bury them.
My baby was cold is getting warm. But it has cried and did some deep breathing where I think it stopped breathing. It’s not moving to much at first it was wiggling but now it’s only moving a little. Is it to late
If it did a big breath and arched the head back, it won’t come back. Sometimes we just can’t save them. I’m very sorry. 🙁
My Californian doe just had a litter of two. They were born on the wire (she’s a first time mom so I guess she was pretty confused about where to have them..) and they both looked pretty dead. I stuck them up under my shirt though and one started wiggling just moments after. The Other little kit was definitely for sure dead though. Once I got the one that survived warmed back up I put it back into the nest box but I put a rice filled sock that I had warmed up with it in there. Is that okay or will the doe not enter the best box and feed it because of the rice sock? It’s freezing outside and even though I have a heat lamp on out there, I’m scared that it’s gonna get cold again. She didn’t pull much fur either so I can’t really rely on that. Also I’m worried about the fact that she IS a first time mom and I know it seems pretty silly but will she actually go into the nest box and try and nurse that one kit? I’m not sure if she’ll even realize or remember that it’s in there….
Oh, forgot to ask one more thing! I’m not sure how long it’s been since she had the two but it was probably only a couple of hours ago… is there any chance that she could have any more? Or are they all usually born at the same time?
Hello so I have 2 babies 2 days old and today I’ve noticed that they are very wrinkly and purplish. I put them on a heating pad for a while and they are warmed up I also made sure that they were fed some milk it just really concerns me and if you can help in any way shape or form that would be very appreciated.
Thank you
The color has more to do with the pigmentation. If they are warm to the touch and moving they will be fine.
One kit will have a very hard time regulating it’s temperature and most likely will not make it. 🙁
So after you warm up a baby is it safe to return them to the nest? Or do you think the mom will reject them again? The pup is 3 days old and removed from the nest she placed him by the water bowl, as if for me to see when I went to check in her this morning. I rubbed him and he Bagan to move and once warm he’s seems fine.
Yes, once it’s warmed up it’s best returned to mom.
How long before i stop trying?
If they are warm to the touch and still completely unresponsive they won’t come back.
Hi there, My female bunny Isabella has had a litter of baby bunnies today and when I got home they were cold and there was no signs of movement. I used my blow dryer to warm them up and they are currently warm and pink but no movement still. I’m very confused tho because Isabella has been quickly running across the cage and putting her head in front of my hand when I try and touch the kits. She has also been moving around the hay and fur in the nest box. Is this a good sign they might be alive? How do I tell if the kits are alive or not? And also what does it mean and what should I do if my bunny doesn’t pull any fur at all?
They won’t move a ton. If you look closely can you see them breathing?
I had a kit on the wire couple days old must have come out of nest when mother left. Was cold and lifeless. I didn’t know what to do so put it down my shirt. After 3 hours I felt movement. Returned to nest and it was fine. Happened many years ago.
Nice.
Hello I have bunnies that are 2 weeks old but are dying, they don’t have a mother and are being fed goat milk and the temperature should be between 60 and 80 degrees what do I do?
Unfortunately orphaned rabbits don’t have a very good chance of surviving. If you can put them in with another litter of rabbits they will have a better chance.
@Kathryn, this happened to me. When I put the 2 surviving rabbits with a different doe she ATTACKED them
Yikes! That’s really unfortunate. Not every rabbit will do that.
My rabbit had an unexpected birth and she did not pull enough fur the kit is was cold and not inside the box so i tried this and within a few minutes it warmed up thenextmorning i placed it back in the cage but tonight exactly the same happened only this time i could not save it it was warm for a while but then became cold again there was no movement and it’s legs are crossed I hand raised the mother when she was thrown out of the nest and know I think she did the same to the little one there were 9 but now there are 8 I am beyond heartbroken
I’m sorry 🙁 Sometimes they just don’t make it despite our best efforts.
I found a young wild bunny and I don’t know what to do because I can’t go to the vet without my parents and they don’t care
I’m starting to freak out because it’s neck is punctured and it keeps gasping
It sounds like taking it to the vet will not help at this point. Sometimes mother nature just takes its course.
I was so worried about my baby bunnies being warm enough but I think they got too hot and 4/5 of them just died today at 6 days old 😭 I brought the last one inside but feel awful that I didn’t bring the others inside from the beginning. I didn’t know!! Will the 5th one be okay? It had some blood on it near the genitals. I dont know where it is from. I called the vet but I felt judged after I told her they were outside so she wasn’t much help.
Oh no! I’m sorry. Temperatures above 80 can be dangerous for all rabbits. Blood is not normal though, so it could be something else besides temperature.
I have a way to revive them and it works wonders also on baby birds. Blow hot air from your mouth in your hands to warm them up. Hold the little one in your hands and try to enclose their whole body leaving just a small opening. Then start blowing hot hair very slowly out of your mouth with your mouth wide open. This way in instead of just air they receive heat with some moisture, which would also help their lungs expand. I have literally resuscitated besides bunnies little birds like doves, quails and finches that were no longer moving and cold. The secret is also to say a heart felt prayer for them. When you blow the air from your mouth into them you are repeating what God did when he created us. Have faith in your act and they will live.
Fascinating. I’d never heard of reviving birds before. Thanks for sharing.
Hi my bunny Look skinny n head keep arching back, the make noises before that. Now it seem to keep biting. What should I do?
If a newborn rabbit is arching it’s head back, it may not survive. If you have an older rabbit I recommend seeing a vet.
should we try cpr
I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about cpr for rabbits. Baby rabbits can go into a state like hibernation when they get chilled and if you warm them up in time they can recover.
@Kathryn,
We found 5 baby bunnies in the yard, in their nest. they were wiggling and had fur, one was out eating grass. others sleeping. it started to pour cold rain yesterday, I ran out and covered them with a chair to protect from rain and pos. drowning. I put the one bunny back in his nest who was wandering. I woke today and they looked stiff. Brought them in and warmed them with hair dryer carefully, put them in a small cozy box with soft faux fur. They seemed to relax their bodies. them seemed more limp but still mouths closed eyes closed. I put the nest box back where mommy bunny had them so she would pos nurse them this eve. but they have not awaken.
** Should I bring them inside tonight, in the warm temp. then bring them back out in the morning for mother bunny to possibly nurse them ?
It is almost midnight Now, the temperature is about 50 degrees F. ( i’m in VA) but the temp will go down to 39 F .
If they are hopping around and have fur, the mother may have weaned them. Sounds like the flooding was the most dangerous to them. If they are dry now, they should be fine with the cold all piled together.
Hello, one of our bunnies gave birth to 7 healthy babies on the first, but today we found 11 more outside, we picked them up and some moved, some were stiff. I read an article a that said we could use cpr, can I?
My bunny gave birth to 8 little bunnies. 2 died, though, and I feel horrible. I never thought that that could impact me and shake me up this much. I wish I was able to help them more, somehow, and I wish I was able to save them…
It’s so hard when we lose them. That’s the hardest part of raising animals. Unfortunately sometimes it just happens and there’s nothing we can do.
I have a single wild cottontail 2.5 weeks old. Was great! Starting eating a little Timothy hay and clovers from the yard, plus the bottle.
Came home from dinner and she was on her side, limp and gasping for air.
She was in a tall box with half on heat pad, half off, quit dark. I’m trying everything, cpr, stroking, on my chest.
She is gasping for air and I can’t help her.
I’m so sorry. There isn’t really much you can do for a singleton that young.
We found baby wild rabbits there were 6 of them but one was dead. We warmed them with a hair dryer and they are pretty active now. They were wet and cold as we had rain last night and a low temperature of 38 degrees. They were stiff like they were dead. Even when we picked them up they were stiff. I thought they were all dead. Does that mean the mother has deserted them or should we put them back in the nest and leave them alone? The nest is wet. Please help as soon as you can so know what to do for them.
Rabbits only go to their nest at dawn and dusk. I would try putting them in the nest and peeking in to see how they’re doing. If the nest is wet the mother may move it.
My mamma Holland just had a litter of 6 (a large amount for her breed) and I keep finding one of the baby bunnies outside the nest. Do you what this is due to? I’m hoping it was just a baby hanging on from nursing but scared she may be throwing it out.
If you have another doe with a litter you can try moving that one to the other mama.
I have 4 wild bunnies since 4 days. Cat brought them, luckily i saw it on time. They are eating and fine, but this morning one of them didn’t want to eat and has the back arched backwards…but still alive, breathing. Should i separate her from the others or leave her with? They are all around 100g and furry.
Baby rabbits rely on each other for warmth, so she’s probably better off with litter mates.
Hi, Just had baby rabbits born yesterday… and today i moved some of the fur off the top of the nest to check on them and count how many there are, none dead as yet. Was it wrong to move the fur?
Nope! Just make sure to put it back.
my bunny unexpectedly had 5 bunnies. I have been taking care of them all day but there is sadly only one left. The one that is left was moving around all day until suddenly its heart-rate dropped. Is there anything i can do to help
I’m so sorry, baby rabbits are so fragile, and there’s not much you can do for a singleton rabbit, especially if it is experience heart rate problems.
My bunny had 9 kits four days ago. Last one just died this morning. I am beyond heartbroken. Now I know what to do in the future.
My bunny keep hurting them and ignoring them. 4 died from injuries and the rest from cold. This last one was so healthy 3hours ago. I am so sad and the mom is not even caring for them
I’m so sorry. 🙁 Some bunny moms just don’t get it. She might figure it out the next time around.
We have 2 rabbits, over a year older and the other one is 11 months, we thought they are both female until one of the rabbit gave birth last Saturday July 11, she gave birth with 4 babies, we had to separate the male after we found out, then we didn’t know a thing about kits, my kids & I relied on what we read on google or YouTube, they were healthy, the next morning they were moving around until one just laying straight on its back and lifeless, not breathing at all, the mom/doe was doing nothing, the other one I believed the mom laid on it when I noticed I had distract the mom to move, then it was gasping for air. We never made a nest, we just put them on a cloth, today the remaining two died too. My son and I made sure the remaining two were fed, I had to hold the mom and my son had to hold the baby for the baby to get milk -We saw it on YouTube.
But still they didn’t make it😔
I’m keeping both of our rabbits apart which is hard because they’ve been together since we got them. And I don’t know what to do next. Most of what I read here didn’t survived, and I don’t want my kids and I to go through this again!
I’m so sorry to hear about the little ones you lost! I’m guessing that mama rabbit didn’t have access to a nesting box, since it was a surprise. Rabbits do much better when they have a nesting box that they can pull fur into and keep the babies together in. If you’re thinking about putting the male and female together again, I would check out farmingmybackyard.com/rabbits, and particularly How To Care For Baby Bunnies https://farmingmybackyard.com/baby-bunnies/
If you only want to have pet rabbits, you could have them spayed and neutered so that they can live together without babies.
My rabbits had 6 kits last night there is one that is way smaller than the rest and seems to be the runt. It was very cold but once I placed it on my chest it started moving around and warmed up quickly. What can do I do this baby doesn’t die? It’s healthy just not getting heat from the rest. All the other 5 are huddled together. He is very active right now but I’m scared if I will have to go through this all over when I return it to the nest.
It should burrow down into the pile and be able to stay warm.
Hi Kathryn
My rabbit had 5 kits. 2 died. They all looked healthy with round tummies. The first 2 were born in the nest relatively quickly and for the final 3 she came out the nest and didn’t appear bothered. 1 more was born and we had to lift it into the nest. The final 2 came with more of an interval and were still born. Just wondered what you think went wrong. There appeared to be 2 placentas and quite a bit of blood. Mum doing well now and eating and drinking. The 3 kits are warm and moving about.
Thank you
It may be that nothing went wrong. Sometimes one or two just don’t make it. If she’s a new mama she may have more live next time.
We didn’t realise our doe was pregnant, put her in the garden run this morning and when we went to put her away noticed she had birthed 3 babies. They were lifeless. We separated the buck now but wondered if she is likely to have any more. Do they have abreak in between giving birth or do they all come at the same time ?
Rabbits have two “horns” to their uterus that can be independent of each other, but it is most likely that there is just one litter.
I have two Californian and New Zealand White Cross. They have just had their first litter of kits. Five were born. One died within a few days. Yesterday I went out to check on them (They live in an outdoor enclosure – the doe dug a burrow – didn’t want the nesting box – and had her kits in there). I found one of her babies lying outside the burrow (it has full fur and eyes are almost completely open). It was cold and stiff but still alive. I tried all the online advice on warming the kit up but sadly it died within a few hours…maybe i did it wrong? This morning i went out to check on them again…and found another one outside the burrow….same thing…it is cold and stiff, head tilted back and gasping. I’ve had it in a box next to a warming pad for an hour but it’s condition isn’t improving.
Any advice? The weather here is comfortable at the moment…not too hot or cold. Any ideas on why this is happening to the babies. The other two that are left in the burrow seem healthy…will they survive the night with only the two of them to keep each other warm? Would appreciate any advice.
Could rats be getting to them and dragging the babies out of the nest?
I doubt it. The enclosure is quiet secure. We don’t get such big rats here anyway (South Africa). I did give the buck and doe a bit of cabbage with the rest of their weeds and veg the day before this started…maybe the kits ate some? Or passed to them in the mothers milk? Can that be the cause?
PS: All the kits have died now…all with the same symptoms.
Is it just one doe and one buck? The buck could be disturbing the nest by trying to get to the doe.
I got baby rabbits not long ago. I was told that both were females by the people who sold them to me only to be shocked last night with a surprised litter.
I got them at 3 months of age and are now 6 months and the mother never gave any signs that she was expecting.
I seperated the momma and babies from the dad. In total she had 5 babies but by morning today there’s only 1 left. The mom often cuddles over her only baby left but she won’t pull out any fur. I do know that she feeds her baby.
I didn’t have much but I used cardboard to line the inside of a wooden box and piled hay to create a nest but I needed fur and only could find fur by brushing my long haired cat. Momma likes it but I’m afraid for the baby. It’s all alone, no siblings and wonder what else I can do to make sure baby does not get cold. Momma loves her only baby left.
It sounds like you’re doing everything you can to give it it’s best chance.
Hi,
So I made a post here last on the 2nd December 2020 about all the kits dying…Its been almost two months since that happened and my doe still hasn’t had another litter. Isn’t that strange? Shouldn’t she have had more kits by now?
Thanks,
Tray
Sometimes they don’t breed as much when there are short daylight hours. If you don’t have a litter by spring maybe try her with a different buck.
Hi! We have had a terrible conundrum, we got bunnies from someone, and we thought the girl was the boy, and the boy was the girl! And then one snuck into the other’s cage, and one month later, we have baby bunnies!!!!! There are six, but the mom was getting nervous because she was young, and so she ate legs off two of them! 😭 they are actually getting around fine, until 15 minutes ago, one of the missing leg ones got really slow! I fed him five syringes of milk and some electrolyte powder with water, which isn’t what the lady recommended, and he got really slow and tired, i have been trying to keep him really warm, but I can’t tell if he is still alive! Any tips? I really love him he is my favorite!
Oh yikes! Rabbits only feed their young twice a day, and they keep each other warm. If you do have to supplement, try kitten formula. Also, sometimes mama rabbits eat the young if they don’t have enough protein and some rabbit keepers will offer them a hot dog right after giving birth.
I just found three kits, well my dog did. at first I thought they were dead until I read these posts. they weren’t stiff so I put them back. I’m hoping the mother will hurry and get them warm. but we just had a week of snowy storms. will the kits make it with the snowy surrounding and no mother until feeding time? there’s no snow near the hole but all around…
Yup, the best thing to do is to put them back! Rabbits babies keep themselves warm by piling all together. Mama will come feed them a couple times a day.
What are some signs that the baby bunny isn’t going to make it? I’m 16 and my bunny gave birth and it’s been 3 days and I warmed it back up but I don’t know if it’s going to make it. It look like it has hiccups but I know that means it can’t breathe, I’ve been researching everything about it and I found your page and was able to warm it back up but I don’t know if it’s going to make it please contact me on my email “jojoboyce2@gmail.com” and if you want my phone number just ask that on my email please.
I found a nest of wild new born bunnies covered in ants I washed them off but they are eatin up pretty bad I’m trying now to warm them up they are all 5 still breathing barely I can’t put them back I put them in a box with a towel now what??
Unfortunately, rabbits really don’t survive well on supplemental milk. 🙁
Hi, my rabbit gave birth a few days ago when we got her we had no idea she was pregnant but in the last few days all 7 of her kits died beyond resuscitation she is heartbroken and I have no idea what to do. thank you
I’m so sorry to hear that. 🙁 If she is a pet rabbit, you may want to consider getting her spayed in the long run as that will help her avoid health problems. If she is livestock, you can offer her the chance to re-breed, as she may be interested. Either way, plenty of affection and some favorite treats will likely help her right now.
@Kathryn, Thank you so much, I am planning on getting her spayed in the future I really appreciate all your help.
Yes, she will be lots happier and healthier once you do!
My rabbit had gave birth but the baby was way too big , I’ve seen that it’s normal for single baby rabbits to be big ,as i got there the baby was dead .we tried saving it , but we hadn’t seen this post until 4hours after the kit is now in the back yard rapped in tissue ,we’ll burry it soon
I’m sorry to hear that. Single kits don’t have a good survival rate.
i know this is an old post but im hoping i can get a response and if so… in time….
i found a bunny earlier (kit) i looked around for newt and dont see one anywhere but he doesnt look old enough to be out by himself/herself i left it alone to see if it would go on its way during the day and i just came out and it is barely breathing its like gasping for air, im trying my best to keep it warm but i have no idea what to do… help please 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I’m so sorry, once they start gasping like that they often are too far gone to be saved. 🙁
Hi I don’t know if you’ll see this but i hope you do….so i came back from school yesterday and found that my rabbit gave birth (to 3 kits) i found them all on the floor (we didn’t know she was pregnant) and i picked them up and made a ne sting box an left the mother in there but when i went to check on them this morning i found two of them dead (i think the mother sat on one of them) i took the one that is still alive to my room and covered it with cotton for warmth please tell me what to do is our first baby rabbit 🙏
I just checked it and i found green “pee or poop” should I be worried
Unfortunately baby rabbits are very fragile and often don’t make it. It sounds like you did everything you could.
I have a bunny who’s probably a month old or something by now but today I found it what seemed to be dead but it was still twitching and it’s nails still had blood in them. Right now I’m trying to warm it up in my bra and I washed it in warm water but idk if I’m doing it right or if there’s anything else I can do.
At a month old it sounds like perhaps it was injured instead of cold?
My dad found a baby rabbit so we took it 8n it had no mother no siblings and it was cold but it didn’t make it the first 2 nights and I have been grieving bumpers death and I have sat here it’s cold dead body laying on my chest and me feeling guilty for the whole day watching it knowing its not waking up but I don’t know what I did wrong please give some tips incase I might have done something wrong
I’m very sorry. Baby rabbits are incredibly fragile and sometimes there’s just nothing we can do despite our best efforts.
My rabbit isn’t feeding her babies and I think she’s not producing milk. All but one bunny died even though I was stringe feeding raw goat milk. The one left is 11 days old but is no bigger (besides growing fur) than it was at birth. What should I do?
You may not see your rabbit feeding her babies. They generally only feed them twice a day at dawn and dusk. If there is only one baby left, it is likely it will not make it as it cannot regulate it’s body temperature without siblings.
im not sure if my doe gave birth yesterday or before that, but since tehn they havent moved at all. ones neck di arch back, but the others havent. i put them inside and warmed them up with a towel because they are cold to the touch. theyre bellies are hollow and wrinkly. what should i do
They will need to be with the doe to eat. She will feed them twice a day, and they should be together in the nest that she made to keep themselves warm once they get warmed back up.
Hi there, my dog found some baby bunnies in our backyard last week and we have been checking on them every day but today our dog got into the nest and picked them up and placed them around the backyard, she wasn’t aggressive but 3 out of 5 went into shock and died. Out of the two that are left, one wasn’t touched but the other is slightly injured. We put the two live babies back into the nest with a towel to try to keep them warm but we haven’t seen the mom all day. Is there anything we should do, they just opened their eyes yesterday so they are very young still and it’s raining outside.
Rabbit mothers will only be in the nest long enough to nurse the babies for a few minutes at dawn and a few minutes at dusk. You probably will not see the mother. If you peek at the babies and they seem warm, together, and don’t have sunken bellies they are fine!
What do you do when there’s no mother rabbit around? I’ve checked the nest for several days and one by one they’ve all died except this one who is barely living and I’ve brought it into the house. I know she’s not there because I put a string across the nest and the string didn’t move this morning.
I’ve wrapped it up and rubbed the tummy and tried to put a bit of honey barely in its mouth
Unfortunately, single kits are very difficult to save. They do best when there is another litter of rabbits they can join.