Mother rabbits get ready to kindle or give birth by pulling out their fur from their stomach. The mother uses this fur to line their nesting box that you’ve placed inside her cage. Her fur will keep the naked, hairless babies warm and hidden. This is instinctive. When she starts lining the nest with her fur, don’t change it. The Doe needs to make the nest the way it likes it. If you interfere, it can be stressful for the female rabbit. Some mothers don’t create a nest until a few days before giving birth, some wait until the day of birthing. One way to decide if your female will be a good mother is to watch her nesting habits. Is she’s not pulling her fur out to line the nest, that could be a sign she’s immature. You might need to remove the babies and allow another mother rabbit to nurse them.
Sometimes inexperienced mother rabbits step on their babies. It doesn’t hurt them as long as her nails are trimmed. Usually, the litters do fine with their mother walking on them, but you might want to keep an eye on them. Be sure they don’t get covered up by the straw when she steps on them. Also, check to see they’re getting well-fed and not being overlooked by the mother rabbit.
Some rabbit farmers say that during the birthing of a baby rabbit, the mother accidentally bit off some of the baby’s ear. Others said that their mother rabbit bit the babies while nursing. This is a symptom of mastitis or swollen or infected mammary glands. She’s biting the babies because it hurts when they nurse. Call your veterinarian to see what she can prescribe for the mother to help with the pain and infection.
Sometimes, if there’s a lot of Litters in the cage at once, it’s not the mother biting the babies ears, but the babies are biting one another, especially older baby rabbits. If this happens, it’s probably time to wean them from their mother. Baby rabbits can be weaned between 6 to 8 weeks. Many people suggest waiting until 8 weeks is best for the baby’s health.
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