The Rabbits – Day 9

Originally published December 22, 2017

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On my last day working on a dairy farm for experience, the lady who showed me everything about the farm told me how her rabbits had just given birth… Her lone female rabbit. She suspects the kids of mischief, and is now getting her completely separated boy neutered, since apparently no distance can keep these two bunnies apart.

Unfortunately, she’s going over east (east as in the complete other side of the country) for a wedding in January, and has a holiday planned late December, and these little bunnies were NOT part of her timeline.

So, I offered to take them on. Meeka is happy with the decision. On the 29th of this Month, I’ll go back to the dairy to pick them up. Then the work begins. I’m going to post an EOI on Gumtree and update it as I go, perhaps people will be interested in baby rabbits, and seeing them grow into new pets. I don’t know how many there are, and I haven’t sexed them yet, but it’s a start.

I have the formula left over from the baby mice I raised, which is an expense saver. Syringes are easy to come by, I should have one at least hidden somewhere. I’ll turn the rat cage into a small pen, and depending how small they are they can stay in the critter bucket I made (I might put up a description of how to make one, as they are very handy for things and an easy project to do). The critter bucket is a bit more den-like and easier to keep warm.

Anyway, I believe they were born Friday 15th of December 2017. Which means that’s Day 0… I’ll get them on Day 14 at a mere two weeks old. I wish I could keep them on the mum longer, but circumstances don’t allow it. Rabbits are difficult to raise, I believe, due to the bacteria’s in their gut that is passed down from their parents, and no formula milks seem to have the right ingredients for rabbit babies. Oh well.

By Day 35, a Mamma Rabbit can get pregnant again, so this is usually when wild rabbits wean their babies ready for the next litter. Of course, I’m going to keep these guys a little longer and make sure they’re growing on their own terms, with their delicate little digestive systems.

By Day 56 they’ll be 8 weeks of age and ready for their new homes. We only have to deal with them for 6 weeks… now it’s up to us not to fall in love with them all, and to get them through this difficult period of their life.

Wish me luck, and if you’re looking for a baby rabbit to join your family, get in touch!