View Full Version : Babies Bunnies
Ok so my husband was mowing the lawn and came across a small area of grass that just didn't look right. Well on closer inspection it is 3 small baby bunnies in a tight little hole. The hole is no more than 2 or 3 inches deep. The hole has always been there because I remember stepping into it many times..lol. Well the three of them are stuck in there breathing pretty hard. They are in direct sunlight and it is already in the 80's here. We did move the grass around them and my hubby touched eachone (kind of a tiny poke) to make sure they were all still alive. And they were...
We took our dog house apart and put it over them to block the sun and still make sure the mom can still get back in. Is there anything else we can do?
We used a water spritzer to get a tiny bit of water on and around them to cool them down.
I dont think there is much you can do other than provide shade for now. If they were abandoned then it would be different as in, you can take them inside the house, put em in a shoe box with some bedding and a small bowl of water. Do you know how old they might be?, are they pink, do they have their eyes open, fur? I would keep a close eye on them to make sure their mommy is coming back, or i would take them. You also have to be careful about predators.
Well they are pretty tiny but their eyes are open...
We are watching to make sure mom comes and nothing gets them.
APBT_MOMMA
06-13-2009, 05:26 PM
Bunnies are funny, sometimes if a mom senses her nest has been messed with she will not come back but that is not always the case either. When we used to have bunnies and if we touched them when they were to early, the mother would either abandon them or eat them. I have rescued cottontails before that were still pinkies. So IF the mother does not come back and you are worried about the babies and you are up to taking on the task in feeding them, kitten milk replacement is really good to use, you can use an eye dropper or a really really small bottle from the pet store, but do not squeeze the milk out to fast otherwise it can get into their lungs and kill them. So just do little droplets at a time. OR you can call wild animal control or someone to rescue them. :) Good luck with the babies.
APBTMOMMY
06-13-2009, 05:49 PM
Awww bunnies lol....I wish you the best with them gurl....If it where me and I didnt see the mommy come back by dark then I would bring them in and take care of them.....but thats me lol...I cant stand to see any animals go unattented and sense you have already touched the natural living arrangement and the babies like APBT MOMMA said she may not come back.
CHATNJACK
06-13-2009, 05:51 PM
RoXy, please don’t Rush to rescue the kits (baby rabbits). Many people find a nest of wild baby rabbits and the very first thing they want to do is “rescue” them. The truth is that most of the baby rabbits they find are not orphans and do not need their help. In fact, humans interfering with nature and trying to rescue them can really cause more harm than good. Mother rabbits only feed babies once a day and then for about only five minutes. They do not sit on their nest in fact they tend to stay away from it in order to not attract attention to it. Do not assume that the baby rabbits are orphaned just because you don’t see a mother rabbit nearby. Usually the mother rabbit only comes to feed her kit at dawn or during the night. If you accidentally disturb a rabbit nest try to reconstruct it the best you can. Usually the nests are hidden under leaves, twigs and debris, or located under shrubs. But sometimes you'll find a rabbit nest right out in the open. You can move a nest up to 10 feet from its original spot if that will provide more cover for the nest. Cover it over with leaves, twigs and grass clippings. Trust me, the mother rabbit will find it. It's a myth that rabbits will abandon their babies once humans have touched them. Please move you dog house as far away from the nest as possible as the mother rabbit can smell your dogs scent and may not return to her nest. Also try to keep any other pets and children away from the nest for several weeks. After a few weeks, baby rabbits are mature enough to go out on their own. Whatever you do, DO NOT try to raise wild baby rabbits by yourself. Less than 10 percent of wild baby rabbits survive with human nursing. In some state's only a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can legally try to rescue wild baby rabbits.
Good luck!
CHATNJACK
APBTMOMMY
06-13-2009, 06:04 PM
Awesome post chatnjack...I learn something new every day ;)
RoXy, please don’t Rush to rescue the kits (baby rabbits). Many people find a nest of wild baby rabbits and the very first thing they want to do is “rescue” them. The truth is that most of the baby rabbits they find are not orphans and do not need their help. In fact, humans interfering with nature and trying to rescue them can really cause more harm than good. Mother rabbits only feed babies once a day and then for about only five minutes. They do not sit on their nest in fact they tend to stay away from it in order to not attract attention to it. Do not assume that the baby rabbits are orphaned just because you don’t see a mother rabbit nearby. Usually the mother rabbit only comes to feed her kit at dawn or during the night. If you accidentally disturb a rabbit nest try to reconstruct it the best you can. Usually the nests are hidden under leaves, twigs and debris, or located under shrubs. But sometimes you'll find a rabbit nest right out in the open. You can move a nest up to 10 feet from its original spot if that will provide more cover for the nest. Cover it over with leaves, twigs and grass clippings. Trust me, the mother rabbit will find it. It's a myth that rabbits will abandon their babies once humans have touched them. Please move you dog house as far away from the nest as possible as the mother rabbit can smell your dogs scent and may not return to her nest. Also try to keep any other pets and children away from the nest for several weeks. After a few weeks, baby rabbits are mature enough to go out on their own. Whatever you do, DO NOT try to raise wild baby rabbits by yourself. Less than 10 percent of wild baby rabbits survive with human nursing. In some state's only a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can legally try to rescue wild baby rabbits.
Good luck!
CHATNJACK
I have left them alone. We have not picked them up or anything like that. The dog house was a gift and brand new. No dog has never been inside it. She I still remove it? Believe me I do not want to take on anymore animals...LOL
CHATNJACK
06-13-2009, 08:15 PM
I have left them alone. We have not picked them up or anything like that. The dog house was a gift and brand new. No dog has never been inside it. She I still remove it? Believe me I do not want to take on anymore animals...LOL
If it was me, I would. Simply because it was not part of the original environment (nest) when built. You want the nest to appear as natural as possible so that the mother will return and raise her kits on her own. Remember, even though your intention are very admirable, the mother rabbit knows by instinct what temperature her nest should be. Most often determined by the depth or amount of foliage covering the entrance to it. We as humans should never second guess mother nature.
CHATNJACK
If it was me, I would. Simply because it was not part of the original environment (nest) when built. You want the nest to appear as natural as possible so that the mother will return and raise her kits on her own. Remember, even though your intention are very admirable, the mother rabbit knows by instinct what temperature her nest should be. Most often determined by the depth or amount of foliage covering the entrance to it. We as humans should never second guess mother nature.
CHATNJACK
Ok I took it away....Thank you!
CHATNJACK
06-13-2009, 09:19 PM
Ok I took it away....Thank you!
RoXy, Check the nest for the next 2 or 3 days. You should be able to tell if the mother has returned or not by then. After that if you're absolutely sure the kits (baby rabbits) in the nest are orphans you need to call a wildlife rehabilitator.
Good luck!
CHATNJACK
Ok.......How will I know if she has or hasn't been there?
CHATNJACK
06-13-2009, 10:55 PM
Ok.......How will I know if she has or hasn't been there?
You can check to see if a mother rabbit (doe) is coming back to her nest by crisscross it with strands of dental floss or another type of thin string. If the string is pushed back out of the way the next day then you know that mom has returned to her babies. After 24 hours if the string is still in place you need to call a wildlife rehabilitator.
Another method is to sprinkle cornstarch or flour around the nest. You will see the mother’s footprints in the powder. This lets you know that she has returned to her nest and that her babies should be left alone.
A mother rabbit (doe) will never abandon her babies (kits). Only her death or creation of an environment where she cannot get to her babies will deter her from them.
CHATNJACK
APBTMOMMY
06-14-2009, 01:11 PM
Great knowledge on rabits chatnjack...How did you learn so much about them?
You can check to see if a mother rabbit (doe) is coming back to her nest by crisscross it with strands of dental floss or another type of thin string. If the string is pushed back out of the way the next day then you know that mom has returned to her babies. After 24 hours if the string is still in place you need to call a wildlife rehabilitator.
Another method is to sprinkle cornstarch or flour around the nest. You will see the mother’s footprints in the powder. This lets you know that she has returned to her nest and that her babies should be left alone.
A mother rabbit (doe) will never abandon her babies (kits). Only her death or creation of an environment where she cannot get to her babies will deter her from them.
CHATNJACK
Ok I did as you said with the string (well I used yarn) and nothing came to the nest yet....We are keeping clear of the area but it is right next to my neighbors driveway. I have let them know about the nest and asked them to try and keep their dogs clear from it...
CHATNJACK
06-14-2009, 06:21 PM
Great knowledge on rabits chatnjack...How did you learn so much about them?
I have a friend who works in wildlife management.
Ok I did as you said with the string (well I used yarn) and nothing came to the nest yet....We are keeping clear of the area but it is right next to my neighbors driveway. I have let them know about the nest and asked them to try and keep their dogs clear from it...
Did you sprinkle any cornstarch or flour around the nest? You should know either way by tomorrow morning if they’re truly orphaned or not.
Good luck!
CHATNJACK
APBTMOMMY
06-14-2009, 06:26 PM
Awesome...its always nice to know people in those kind of areas. Thanks for spreading the knowledge on to us ;)
Phedra
06-15-2009, 11:03 AM
bump...update?
Did the cornstarch lastnight and nothing this morning. I am going to call the wildlife rehabbers in our city and see what they want me to do today after work.
FloorCandy
06-15-2009, 05:40 PM
If you can't get help, and are willing and able to care for them, I know someone who rehabs all sorts of animals for re release, and also does guinea pig rescue, and he would probably be able to tell you how to care for them until they can be freed.
APBTMOMMY
06-15-2009, 06:42 PM
Awww ...yeah let us know what happens .....
The wildlife rehab center told me to give it a few more days. She said to just keep looking in on them to make sure no one looks skinny or stressed....So that's what I have been doing. Their still looking good. But the rehabber I was talking to said the mom would have moved the babies by now because of all the human smells around the nest...
Dansgrizz
06-16-2009, 08:51 AM
:( I hope they are ok!!!! Poor babies.
kumhomomma
06-16-2009, 10:12 AM
wouldnt this be like day 3 or 4 that the mom hasnt been there?How long will they live without mom?
CHATNJACK
06-17-2009, 10:38 AM
What's the latest update RoXy ?
Good news I hope.
CHATNJACK
Well it seems that mom is sneaky sneaky. Even though I set up ways of seeing if she had been there I had seen nothing but I saw her lastnight. So she must have been coming everynight. The rehabber told me to put that top half to the doghouse back over the babies for the rain and stuff. So lastnight I saw momma laying have in and half out of the doghouse opening...lol. The babies have gotten so big in just a few days......
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e42/Roxy_Nie/DSCN1648.jpg
Phedra
06-17-2009, 11:45 AM
That is great Roxy nice job!!
CHATNJACK
06-17-2009, 12:42 PM
Well it seems that mom is sneaky sneaky. Even though I set up ways of seeing if she had been there I had seen nothing but I saw her lastnight. So she must have been coming everynight. The rehabber told me to put that top half to the doghouse back over the babies for the rain and stuff. So lastnight I saw momma laying have in and half out of the doghouse opening...lol. The babies have gotten so big in just a few days......
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e42/Roxy_Nie/DSCN1648.jpg
Fat and healthy little buggers aren't they! Can you still see the white blaze on their foreheads RoXy? Once they don't have the blaze on their foreheads they're old enough to be on their own. I can't really tell in the picture but I think they still have it, or do they? Anyways... good job on looking out for them.
CHATNJACK
George Bailey
06-17-2009, 12:46 PM
Great job and photos, Roxy!
Kayce does a one day a year training day for bunnies in the Netherlands, bunny training is big there! I believe they even have bunny agility courses.
Julie K
Fat and healthy little buggers aren't they! Can you still see the white blaze on their foreheads RoXy? Once they don't have the blaze on their foreheads they're old enough to be on their own. I can't really tell in the picture but I think they still have it, or do they? Anyways... good job on looking out for them.
CHATNJACK
Two of them still have the blaze and the nasty tempered one does not. He will scream when I come to check on them....LMAO.
I look in on them everyday now. I've been leaving veggis for mom and they are always gone. We never leave to much just a piece or two...
Great to know they are doing ok, and good on you to check up on them.
FloorCandy
06-17-2009, 02:47 PM
I'm so glad they are doing ok! I'm glad she didn't put em where the dogs can get em, Lady loves rabbits, ignores all other small animals but always chases rabbits.
Zoe does not like small animals. If she would have put them inside the fence they would not have lasted long. She knows they are there though. Their nest is pretty close to the fence and every so often Zoe goes over there and barks and then tries to jump the fence....
APBTMOMMY
06-17-2009, 05:51 PM
Well Roxy ...you did an awesome job at helping those babies out. I am happy to see that everyone is doing well. I love happy ending's......
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