# Help! Our two "male" rabbits just had babies



## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

So now what? We where told they where both male, apparently not. There are now 4 baby bunnies in the cage. Any help would be really appreciated!


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## Pipp (Mar 3, 2010)

First off, take the boy out ASAP. (Do you know which one is the boy?) 

Other than that, take a deep breath and go find a shoe box or something like it. You need something about two to four-inches high (at least on one side), maybe a foot square and put the babies and all the nesting material inside. 

Did she build a nest? 


sas :?


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Mar 3, 2010)

Separate them NOW. The female can get pregnant right away and is probably pregnant again now. You should be able to see the testicles on the male. 
Make sure all the kits are in a nest of some sort. The mother (doe) should have made a nest, but she might not have. If she did, you can put it in a shoe box and add some bedding on the bottom. If she hasn't, you should make one using shaving, hay and fur from the doe. They need to be in a nest to keep warm, a nest box helps keep them contained in the nest. 

Young rabbits can be difficult to sex properly, even for experienced people. 

Someone with more experience should come along soon to help with the actual raising of the kits.


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## Happi Bun (Mar 3, 2010)

I would separate the male from mom and babies immediately. There is the possibility of them both being females and one was pregnant before being in your care (depending when you got them). Either way they need to be separated for the babies safety. Do you know which bunny is the mother?


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

They took a pillow we put into the cage and ripped all the stuffing out of it on the bottom level of the cage and made a nest. I'll try and figure out who the male is now.


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

We've had them for over a year, which is why this is so surprising.


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

Kuroi Usagi is apparently the father. Fortunately we have an extra cage so we've put him into that one.


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## Pipp (Mar 3, 2010)

Can you put your location in your profile? Thanks! 

How are the babies?

What breed are they? How old are they? Are they related? 


sas :bunnydance:


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

They look fine, stomachs are full and they look plump. If I had to guess from the info I've gotten off the internet they look around a week old, they've been hidden in the bottom of the cage under all the fluff. They have fur and their eyes look like they are starting to open. We keep the rabbits in the living room with us in a large cage with a high sided bottom. 
Small mixed breed (3-5 pounds) Mom is cream brown, and kuroi usagi is black (hence his name which means black bunny in Japanese, original I know) normal fur, up ears.


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## Pipp (Mar 3, 2010)

If the stuffing is foam or something else synthetic, I'd replace it with paper towels, bits of hay and fur. Don't think its a good idea to have it there when they get much older. 

The boy has been in with the girl for a week? :shock: You'll quite possibly have another litter within 30 days. I'm going to move this to the 'Rabbitry' so the breeders can comment on that. Some seasons are more 'prolific' than others. 

In one respect it's a good thing they weren't both males, they could have done serious damage or even killed each other if both were intact. Intact males usually will start fighting at some point. 


sas :clover:


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 3, 2010)

Well I read about that, and was watching them for fighting with an extra cage on hand in case, but when they never did and looked like they bonded I figured that we just lucked out. 
The stuffing is cotton, is that okay? 
Also we've had them for over a year and they where adults when we rescued them. Could he have slow swimmers? Or we've just been lucky?


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## mistyjr (Mar 3, 2010)

Congrats mommy! Pictures soon if you can


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

Some does take longer to mature, you're girl may not have been "ready" until now. If their eyes are opening, the babiesare about 10-12 days old. And yes, there is a very big chance she is pregnant again. TheDoesare most fertile immediately after kindling (giving birth). 

If the babies are 10 days old, you could have another litter in 3 weeks. 

The babies will start eating the same food as momma after their eyes are open, but will continue to nurse off momma, usually twice a day. Normally, you should leave the babies with the mother for 6 weeks, but if shehas another litter you will need to wean the older litter immediately and remove them from the cage. (You may need another cage soon, to hold the babies!)

My suggestion would be to get the buck neutered, if you want him to live with her again. After neutering, he has to remain seperate from her (and any other does!) for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, (assuming all the babies are grown up and out of the cage), you can put him back with her.

Start looking for good homes for the babies! Don't promise any of them to anyone, until they are weaned. (I'm hoping that they all make it, but just in case, don't promise them to anyone just yet.)

It would be lovely if you could post photo's! We all love baby pictures!


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 4, 2010)

We will have to wait on getting him neutered as we are moving in July so finances are a bit tight, but it will be on the top of the list after we are settled in our new jobs. (This surprise couldn't have come at a worse time, our male cat just needed surgery that cost us 800$ and our big move is coming up, ah well such is life, doesn't wait to be convenient) So he'll have to stay in the other cage for the time being. 

Yes I did not plan to adopt them out until 8 weeks of age. I was thinking of including a carrying cage, and a bag of food, what would an appropriate adoption fee be? Since I wouldn't want to have them end up as snake food! Also any advice on screening people would be appreciated. 

I feel so horrible about all this, All our other pets are neutered, spayed and micro chipped, I just didn't think with two males it would ever be a problem. I planned to get them neutered anyway, because of the health reasons but then when they never fought I just figured we lucked out, stupid I know, should have gotten it done there isn't any excuse. Then not even noticing the babies until yesterday, I feed and change their water every day I can't believe I didn't notice it at all. 






Here's one of the babys, we have two mixed orangish brown and blackish, one white and grayish one and a dark grey one.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

Awwww... pretty baby! I'd guess it's about 7-8 days old. Eyes will open soon. Don't be surprised if you get some "up" ears and some "down" ears! And you may get a "helicopter ears"... kind of hovering in the middle!

Perfect! You shouldn't adopt them out until they are 8 weeks of age. And yes, you should ask for an adoption fee so they don't wind up being "used" for the wrong things. I always give a 5 lbs. bag of food with any rabbit that leaves here. I tell people to keep them on my food for two to threedays, and if they are going to switch to a different food, to gradually start mixing the new food with my food, to switch them slowly. It is better for their digestive system.

If they don't have greens as babies, I tell people to avoid fresh fruits and vege;s until they are4 months old. And then gradually introduce them (like you would introduce new food to a baby).

Yeah, stuff seems to happen when we least expect it... or can afford it. As long as you keep them separate for now, it'll be good. And if she doesn't deliver another litter within 33 days AFTER you separated them, she didn't get pregnant again!

Keep in mind, the babies can and will be able to start breeding (even back to Mom!!!!) around 16-18 weeks... (4 to 4 1/2 months of age!). So get them in new homes or learn to sex them and separate them.


Edited to add: There are links here to help you learn to sex the babies... But make sure you double check them as they mature... some young bucks will "present" as a doe when they are very young... and we all make mistakes. (We call it getting "Whacked by the Gender Fairy".... LOL!) I had "3" does together at8 weeks, suddenly at 12 weeks when I went to send one to a new home, it was a boy! :embarrassed:OOPS! Always double check. :shock2:


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 4, 2010)

Thank you for your help, I checked bunsky again and she is indeed the mom, though I was pretty sure since both my boyfriend and I have seen kuroi usagis male genital. Though it is a bit surprising as she is a bit larger then him, and I've read that in rabbits generally the male is bigger? 

Now I just have to make sure my boyfriend doesn't get too attached to any of them ^^() or all of them. We live comfortably but not comfortably enough to afford 6 rabbits! (especially on top of the 4 cats we already have -.- he had two and I had two it was like the Brady bunch haha) All I can see in my head is vet bills and other costs that most people tend to "forget"


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

Generally, the Does are larger than the Bucks in Rabbits... so that's about right size wise! 

Yeah, a lot of people want to keep a lot of animals (They are such good Companions!) but forget the cost of individual care. (LOL! "LOVE" gets expensive!) :inlove:


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 4, 2010)

Oh and I've looked around a bit for this answer but what should I look for in a rabbit food? I know exactly what to look for in cat foods (lots of meat, no byproducts, no corn, etc) but I'm totally lost when it comes to rabbit foods. Is there anything specifically I should look out for?


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

What are you feeding now? 

I prefer a plain alfalfa basedpellet, with 16% protein for the babies. A timothy based pellet is great for the mature bunnies. I'd try to avoid a pellet that is high in Corn. 


Edited to add: Feeding is a very individual thing. What works for me and my bunnies, may not work for you and yours. Check out the Forum Library and other posts in Nutrition and Behavior...


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 4, 2010)

Fiesta max I believe, but as I don't really trust pet store brands ever since I found out how bad most of them are for cats, I've always felt uneasy giving it to them. Out of all of the brands I looked at in the store it seemed to have the best ingredients, but as in cat food looks can be deceiving. I just couldn't find as much information on rabbit food as I have cat food.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm not fond of the Kaytee brands of food. The Fiesta mix has a lot of "puffs" and "seeds" that are high in sugar. (Sugar is not good for a healthy rabbits digestive processes.) Pet Store foods tend to sit in plastic bags on warehouse shelves for many months before being delivered to stores where they sit under florescent lighting. They are not always fresh and may not have much nutritinal value by the time you feed it to your rabbits.

Are there any Feed stores or Farm stores near you?I prefer a plain alfalfa pellet, from a distributor thatkeeps his stock fresh. Feed should come in a solid, light proof bag. There are SO many feeds available... Blue Seal, Nutrena, Purina, Heinold, Nature Wise, etc.... 

Or you can feed Oxbow, they have a timothy based pellet (15% protein) that is very well balanced. (Also available through mail order, but shipping can get expensive).

You have to see what works for you and your bunnies. And what they are willing to eat. And with the number of bunnies youare going to be feeding over the next couple months, you might be better off buying a 25 or 50 lb bag of feed... it would be a LOT cheaper than buying the 5 and 10 lb bags you get now.

Before you buy a big bag, ask if they have samples you can try out. Mix it with what you usually feed and see if they will accept it. (Although, with the Kaytee Fiesta, it may be hard weaning them over... it's very sweet.) 

Do you feed hay? That is really very good for their digestion, even the babies can nibble on it! (Again, Feed stores have fresher hay than the stuff you get in plastic bags in the store.)


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 4, 2010)

I'll have to look around, I'm sure there is something in the orlando area like that. 
Yes I do feed them hay, Timothy hay usually, though alfalfa as a treat on occasion (as I read somewhere it was high in something that wasn't good to give them a lot of.)
Fresh vegetables as well, we tend to have a lot on hand since we are both vegetarians. I always check online to make sure the vegetables are okay to feed them, and since I dont buy iceberg for myself don't worry they get none of that awful nutrition-less stuff.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 4, 2010)

Timothy hay is excellent for them. Alfalfa can be high in protein and too much is not good. And the fresh vege's and fruit is good for diversity... sounds like they are doing fine. :bunnydance:


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 5, 2010)

Everybody looks like they are doing well today. If I take them out they'll bounce around my lap and then curl up and go to sleep. The cats have been a little interested in them, especially our youngest mayfly, but I keep a hold on them if they come over, so far its only be harmless sniffing, and as they hang out with the mama and papa just fine and have never done anything but groom them I'm hoping nothing disastrous happens. Still keeping a close eye on them just in case. 
Already have had a few friends who want one, told them to do some research first, and really think about it over the next 8 weeks or so until they are ready to find new homes.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 5, 2010)

So happy they are doing well! Yeah, it's best to keep an eye (or hand!) on the cats, although most cats adapt to mature rabbits very well...at this stage, they might mistake them for a small rodent!)

Glad to hear you may have responsible homes for them. It's good that they have time to think about it.


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## whaleyk98 (Mar 5, 2010)

AWWWWW! What a gorgeous baby. Congrats! Im glad that they are doing well!


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## Elf Mommy (Mar 5, 2010)

You sound like a wonderful pet owner! Though you found Rabbits Online out of necessity, I hope you continue to frequent it and be a part of our community!


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## slavetoabunny (Mar 5, 2010)

Aria:

If you can travel to the Daytona Beach area when the buns are old enough to be spayed/neutered, we have a low cost program here. You can get either a spay or neuter for $65.


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## DeniseJP (Mar 5, 2010)

My neighbor had the same thing happen - she had two definitely female rabbits (one was one of my Hollands, the other was a friend's Mini Rex) and her son's girlfriend had a Rex "female" rabbit she needed to find a home for. That rabbit was put in with the other does and I only got the panicked phone call "we have babies and three females... could a wild bunny have gotten in to the enclosure?"

I sexed the newcomer and she was a boy. He also came to live with me until he passed away at the age of eight.

The baby bunny is cute!

I feed Blue Seal Bunny 16 to my herd and they are doing well on it. Being on a farm they also get timothy hay and veggies during the growing season although mine have been enjoying carrots and parsley from the store...

Welcome!

Denise


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## Sweetie (Mar 5, 2010)

Yeah most people have problems sexing rabbits. I know I did when I did it the first time. 

Now it will be easy to sex the babies. Look at mommy and daddy. The babies with the same plumbing as mommy are girls and the babies with the same plumbing as daddy are boys.


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## tonyshuman (Mar 5, 2010)

It will probably take a few weeks before you can tell the difference between the boy and girl babies.


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 8, 2010)

Thank you everyone for your good ideas and support!
Everyone is still looking healthy and good. I got a couple more pictures, their eyes are all open now.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 8, 2010)

OH! They are just SO sweet looking!:inlove: Congratulations, they are precious. Looks like Momma did a great job.

Eyes are open! Now the fun begins! They'll be running all over the cage, momma won't get a moments peace! (She may enjoy some time away from the "kids", especially since they are going to be searching her out all the time now. A little time out of the cage, away from them might be appreciated, especially as they mature.)


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## bearbop (Mar 8, 2010)

Very cute bunnies are u going to sell them? i want one? lol


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 8, 2010)

Fortunately for momma the cage is 3 levels and the baby's can't get up to the top level >.>. she goes down to the bottom on occasion and then they chase her around, she gets annoyed and jumps back up to the top level. 

I'll be adopting them out to people after they are 8 weeks old.


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## Fancy77 (Mar 8, 2010)

Just lovely!!!!


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 10, 2010)

Gave momma her hay and dry food for the morning and the baby bunnys all hopped up onto the second level and started eating it! A couple of them also tried to wiggle under momma but she would have none of it and jumped up to the top level which they still can't get to (except for my favorite, the white one, she can hop up the cage bars somehow and get to the top level... it was like watching a magic trick haha) Everyone still looks healthy, and they are getting more and more energetic by the day.


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 10, 2010)

Here's a friend of mine who came by to see the bunnies, they really liked him and where crawling all over him, they seemed to really like his arms haha. 
He's interested in taking one home, I told him to really think about it over the next 7 or so weeks, and do some research and if he still wants one then he can have one.


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## BlueGiants (Mar 10, 2010)

The babies can start having pellets now. Leave a dish for them on the first level. I make sure my babies have food and hay in front of them all the time. They might Momma some peace if they have their own dish and hay.


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## bengal77 (Mar 10, 2010)

Oh my gosh. You live 40 minutes from me. Must...resist...the temptation.


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## crystal (Mar 10, 2010)

They are super cute babies! It sounds like you are doing a great job, as is the mummy rabbit.

I hope you find great new homes for them all. that guy seems to like them, but you are being very smart by telling people to think it over for a few weeks and do research... well done. as I said, you are doing great.

more pics please


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## mistyjr (Mar 10, 2010)

Cute babies!!! How many babies are there??


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## AriaDragonfly (Mar 10, 2010)

4 little munchkins, dark grey, brownish orange, white and gray, and Squirrel colored >.> lol seriously the bunny has the grey speckled fur like a squirrel its so cute.


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## mistyjr (Mar 10, 2010)

ahhh,, cute


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