2nd litter update

The 2nd litter will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! They are sooo much bigger than the others were at this point. There is one that looks like a wild rabbit that is absolutely adorable...I fear if it is a boy he will be joining Smoky and the Bandit as permanent family members! We let them out of the cage today to play while my family was here and they hopped around and stretched like they were big, it's hilarious to watch. They are even getting interested in Oreo's food which is about a week earlier than the first litter.

More Surprises!

Yesterday morning we went out to check on the rabbits and found several clumps of hair in the cage. My first thought, again, was that someone was hurt but after doing a quick "ear" count everyone seemed fine. I went back in the house to clean the kitchen and the guys were working in the yard. Within minutes, I heard a high pitched squealing and ran out to see what was going on. Oreo had the solid white baby in her mouth and was slinging it from side to side. They were out in the part of the cage that we can't reach so I was fussing at her and hitting the side of the cage with a dishtowel, Jacob was screaming and Shannon was desperately trying to reach through the door and get the baby. She finally dropped her and came out to where I could reach her...I held her while Shannon went to get the cage that Butterscotch had been living in. I knew she was just trying to wean them but seeing her with a mouthful of the baby's hair really upset me. We decided to seperate them since the babies are eating so well on their own.

This morning, Jacob and I went out to check and see how they did on their first night alone to find Oreo with a cage full of her own hair. She had pulled out massive amounts and tucked it all in her litter box. I commented to Jacob that I didn't understand why she had pulled it out when I saw the hair moving. Shocked beyond belief I realized that there were babies in the litterbox under the hair! I gently pulled back the hair and could see 2 brand new babies. Keep in mind that Oreo and Butterscotch have not been in a cage together since the day the first litter was born on August 7th, 32 days ago. Pregnancy for a rabbit lasts roughly 30 days. I was in shock the entire day and Jacob thinks it is fantastic that we have more babies. I understand now why she was getting so rough with the litter yesterday...she was trying to prepare for a whole new litter.

Tonight when we get home we immediately go to check on everyone...after gently looking through the litterbox I find 4 babies. The best I can tell is that 2 will be spotted like Oreo and 2 are black. One of the black ones might have a white belly. Shortly after getting home the guy that we gave Butterscotch to called and asked if I was ready for him to pick up everyone else. He was shocked that we had newborns too. He came on by and Jacob said he could take all of the first litter until I had them boxed and then he started crying. I, of course, caved and we kept Smokey (solid black) and the Bandit. Here are some final pictures of the first litter and one of the new litter. Oh, and can I just say how tired I am of surprises?

Baby Rabbits, Day 25

Butterscotch went on to his new home tonight. We knew the young man would be coming soon but we weren't sure exactly when until he called around 5pm tonight. Jacob immediately got sad...I did too until I went to get Butterscotch from his cage and he fought me like a bear. Okay, maybe not a bear but he fought like a much bigger rabbit than he is. Jacob's tears dried up a little too when I walked back into the house dripping blood from both hands. You would think with this many rabbits I would have learned how to pick up the bigger rabbits by now. Butterscotch's new owner gave me a quick lesson when he showed up as I was washing my cuts out...I just can't stand the thought of picking up one of them by the scruff of the neck though. They look so pitiful hanging in midair. Butterscotch's new owner was a talker so 2 hours later when he finally leaves I look over at Jacob who is struggling not to cry. In a moment of weakness, I tell my baby that he can keep two of the bunnies instead of getting rid of everyone like I had originally said. Oh, what was I thinking??

Baby Rabbits, Day 24

All the babies are doing well and have adjusted to the hutch outside! I am so happy to have them outside and even happier that they seem content.

Baby Rabbits, Day 23

Here is a picture of Butterscotch, he is the daddy rabbit. Strange how none of the babies look like him. He is seeing the babies for the first time since they were born in this picture...wonder if he is thinking there must have been another rabbit in the hutch since they don't look like him? He is supposed to go to his new home on Monday. The others will be ready to go within 2 weeks.




Oreo trying to make a break for it.

The babies are eating rabbit food, hay and drinking from the water bottle. They are also escaping on a regular basis from the makeshift home in my dining room. We were sitting in the living room early this morning and kept hearing something moving around. I thought it was Abby, our dog, doing something outside until a little rabbit came hopping out of my son's TV stand! As I mentioned before, I am VERY tired of cleaning up after them twice a day so we decided to move them outside to the rabbit hutch today. I truly hate to put them outside but it is time. We usually have the hutch at the far back corner of the yard but we have decided to temporarily move it down to the back porch. Butterscotch has been living in the hutch so we moved him to a smaller cage and moved Oreo and babies to the bigger hutch. All but one of the bunnies seem very happy to be outside and have the space. One of the Oreo lookalikes is the one that doesn't like being in there and is staying huddled in the corner...I worry she won't make it through the move. I have added pictures of the babies in their new home.

Baby Rabbits, Days 12 - 18

The babies are hopping around and acting like they are big stuff. I have even caught them sneaking Oreo's food out of the bowl and eating her hay! The little white one with the black stripe and one of the ones that looks like Oreo have discovered how to squeeze through the cage and escape also. We are having to keep a very close eye on them so they don't disappear. They are playing a lot but they still sleep the majority of the day. They are so cute to watch...I truly hate to see them find other homes but I am tired of cleaning up after them all.

Pictures of the babies Day 7 - 12

Today, I just want to show you a few pictures I've taken across the last 2 weeks. You will be amazed at how far the babies have come!

Baby Rabbits, Days 9 - 12

The remaining 5 bunnies are growing strong and getting so big! They are moving around and have even jumped out of the box they have been living in since birth. They move around the cage some which freaked Oreo out a little at first but she seems to be adjusting now. All of their eyes are open and they have lots of hair. They even are displaying little personalities...the white one with black eyes and the black stripe is definitely lazier than the rest while one of the spotted ones is extremely active. It's so funny to watch them scratch their ears with their back feet and to try and clean themselves. They just seem too little to be doing these things!

Baby Rabbits, Day 8

The babies' eyes are starting to open! It is absolutely amazing to me how quickly they are growing. They look just like rabbits now (opposed to the mouse-like appearance they had before) only very small versions!

Baby Rabbits, Day 5 - 7

Things are going great! The babies are growing and getting furry. They are absolutely adorable!! They are strong and so healthy looking that I am finally started to think that everything is going to be okay. It's going to be so hard to let them go to new homes.

Oreo is doing well but she seems a little stir crazy in the cage and tends to shred the newspaper in the bottom almost obsessively. She is getting cuddly with me when I clean her cage and doesn't mind me checking on the babies.

Baby Rabbits, Day 4

Morning of Day 4 I go downstairs to check on the babies, terrified as usual that all will be dead. I'm excited and relieved to find everyone still moving but on closer inspection another of the small black ones is cold to the touch and sluggish. I pick him up and try to warm him but after my recent experience with "Peanut" I know it's just a matter of time. I put him back with his litter mates in hopes that he will have a miraculous turn around but not expecting it. The other 6 are plump and starting to get fur...they are just adorable.

By mid-morning, the little black runt has died and we give him a burial next to "Peanut" behind the garden. I'm really having a hard time with the deaths...I just can't stand to see animals die.

At this point though everyone else seems to be doing well so we will cross our fingers and hope for the best. Below is a picture on Day 4...the black rabbit to the left of the picture is the one that passed away.

Baby Rabbits, Day 3

Well, I wake this morning feeling very depressed over my little peanut. I am, once again, terrified to walk downstairs and check on the rest of the litter. So many people have warned me in emails that the mother could just decide to mutilate and kill the rest of the litter. I am still worried that she isn't nursing them although I have read online that they only nurse the babies one time a day and that is generally at night when you don't see it.

I go downstairs and thank goodness the six remaining babies are still alive. One more little black one is starting to look a little wrinkled but the rest look good at this point. The emails are still pouring in with advice, good wishes and offers of homes for the babies should any of them survive.

My son is also very sad over peanut and still just devastated that I have said any survivors must find a new home. He doesn't seem to understand the exponential way that rabbits multiply, but he is only seven.

I find myself getting more and more invested in this last six...I call them my babies. "Has anyone checked on my babies lately?" and "How's Momma's babies doing?" (insert silly baby talk here) when I check on them myself. My husband is getting very nervous and has visions of a yard full of rabbit hutches.

Baby Rabbits, Day 2

The next morning, August 8th, I was afraid to get up and go check on the bunnies. I was terrified that they would be dead. I was so happy to find that all 7 were still alive! I still hadn't seen Oreo take care of them and was starting to worry that maybe I should be trying to feed them myself. My son and I went to town and bought a baby bottle and kitten replacement milk, which is what I read online that baby bunnies could eat, and hurried home with it. I watched Oreo all day to see if she ever went in and feed them but never saw her do it.

I got on a local yahoo group, freecycle and cheapcycle, to ask for help. I asked for help from anyone that knew anything about bunnies. The response was overwhelming! I had numerous emails within just a few hours from people offering advice. The most common piece of advice was to leave momma and babies alone and let what happens happen. I was stressed to the max because I couldn't just sit back and watch them die. I noticed one little black one in particular. He was so much smaller than the rest and just didn't seem to stay as warm as the others. Everything I read said if they started to get wrinkled then they were in danger of dehydrating. He was getting very wrinkled. I had also read about Peanuts...they call really little bunnies this when there is no chance of them living. He had all the characteristics of a peanut but I just couldn't give up on him. So, on Friday night my mom and I started to bottlefeed him. He was so wrinkled and cold and I was very worried about him. I slipped him in my shirt pocket to keep him warm and he ate greedily from the bottle I gave him. He started to move more and seemed to be improving. I stayed up with him until well after midnight. My husband came home from work around 3am though and he had passed away. My heart was breaking a little more each day.

I was very stressed and depressed that the other 6 would not survive.

Here is a picture of my peanut:

Babies Everywhere! Day 1

Okay, so I'm going to skip ahead a few boring months until August 7th. We had been at school for training and running errands. When we got home I was heading up to get the mower and my husband and son were going to work in the garden. As I walked up to the building next to the rabbit hutch I noticed ALOT of rabbit fur on the ground. My first thought was that something had broke the cage and killed one of the rabbits because something had gotten my Mom's duck a few weeks earlier. As I got closer I could see something wiggling in the grass...I screamed but then realized it wasn't a snake or rat but a newborn rabbit! As I got closer there were several more in the cage and on the ground. Oreo, mommy rabbit, was laying down and panting. I called for my husband and son to come over and we started getting the ones off the ground and putting them back in the cage with momma. There were 9 babies altogether but unfortunately, 2 were already dead.

I hurried down to the house to get a box and something to cushion the babies. I knew we would have to separate the babies from the daddy so I grabbed an older cage that we used for Oreo and Butterscotch when we first got them. I was a nervous wreck because I hadn't known that Oreo was pregnant and definitely wasn't expecting to find babies on the ground.

I also knew we shouldn't be touching the babies but since we had to get them off the ground anyway we just went ahead and put them in a box filled with wood shavings and put them in the smaller cage with Oreo. It was very hot so we took them down to the house and put them in the laundry room where is was quiet. Oreo was very nervous and kept stepping on the babies...I fear she won't be a good mother.

Oreo was very cramped in the small cage so I drug a big dog kennel out of the building later that night and lined it with newspaper and put in her litter box then transferred her and the box of babies to it. I draped it with towels for privacy and put them all in my dining room. I was terrified I would get up in the morning and all the babies would be dead...either from Oreo hurting them or just not caring for them. Needless to say, it was a long night and I didn't sleep much.

The Beginning

It was a cool March day and my son had machine pitch practice. I dropped him and my husband off at the baseball field and decided to run some errands. I seldom miss any of his practices but the next day was Easter and I needed to do some shopping without him. I don't know what came over me but I decided to stop at Tractor supply and see if they had any bunnies. They did...I firmly believe every living thing needs a friend so not only did I buy 1 baby bunny...I bought 2.

My parents took them home so they would be a suprise and the first thing my Dad said was "I sure hope you don't have a male and a female." I got to thinking that I sure hoped I didn't either!! They were adorable and my son was ecstatic! He named them Butterscotch and Oreo. It wasn't until around May that we realized that Butterscotch had boy thoughts on his mind and that there was a very real chance of having babies soon! The summer went on uneventfully until August 7th.