One of the greatest moments of my life was getting the chance to hold this little darling in my hands.
My bunny named Snow, an all too typical name for a white rabbit, was 6 months old when she was pregnant with her first litter. As her owner, it would also be my first time rearing bunnies from birth.
The experience was marked by constant fear that I would lose one, if not all, to a predator, the cold, or through negligence of either their mother or me. Luckily, none of that happened and all five kits were able to reach adulthood.
To successfully rear your kits, here are a few tips you should keep in mind:
1 . BE PREPARED
When your doe (female rabbit) is pregnant, you shouldn't waste your time waiting for her to give birth before doing anything for the kits (baby rabbits). It is best to immediately buy or build her a nesting box to allow her to get settled in before the big day! And don't forget to line it with grass or straw.
I was able to build mine with a saw, some plywood, and a few screws. I didn't bother coating the wood as rabbits have a tendency to gnaw on things, cage included, and could possibly ingest the paint/lacquer/shellac and all the harmful chemicals in it.
2 . DO YOUR RESEARCH
At this point it is best to read up on DOs and DON'Ts of handling your expecting doe that way you can optimize their prenatal development. This includes what type of diet she should be on or how to pick her up and carry her.
The ideal feed composition for a pregnant doe is:
40% protein
50% fiber
10% or less in fat
She should also be given constant access to clean water.
3 . SEPARATE HER FROM THE MALE
Males tend to be aggressive by nature and don't distinguish between young and adult rabbits so more often then not a male rabbit will harm the kits. Another concern is that the doe can be impregnated soon after giving birth. When this happens, it lessens the time she has to wean her first litter. To avoid this the male has to be separated from the pregnant doe when possible and remain so until the kits have been fully reared.
AND...
The only thing left to do is wait.
Until...
TA DA!