# Babies, babies, EVERYWHERE



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

OK I won't post every time I get a litter, but I had to express my joy!


I currently keep my rabbits in a colony set up. I personally feel it is best for the rabbits. However, it is not best for me, I never really know if someone is pregnant by keeping does with a buck. Some people only keep females in colonies to avoid this but I am short on space so until I fix this, I have a buck with my does. A couple of days before both of my females had their babies, I started suspected they might be pregnant because they started to look fuller in the abdomen. 

This morning I saw my second suspected pregnant female do this:



Breeders call it hay stashing. Yep, she was making a nest. 

CAUGHT! I see what you did there, girlie!



I figured I COULD watch her and see if she delivers but I was tired and sometimes they make a nest a day or two before they give birth. So I went and took a nap. When I woke up and started my chores, I went to check and sure enough, just like her mama, she popped right away! Having done some research, colonies are actually great for babies (males and other females do NOT eat the babies, or so I am told). My last litter I was overly worried and brought the mama and babies inside. This litter I am going to allow to stay where it is and see the difference. (I did move this nest a little because mama picked a spot too close to the water bottle and I didn't want the nest to get wet. 

Here is the daddy rabbit checking out his new babies. 



I put them in my shirt to get a better picture (hard to see in the nest). 6 healthy babies! Not bad for a first time mom. That means I currently have 14 babies...LOL Now where to put them all???



There was 3 black and 3 tort. 2 of the black ones had stripes on their face. 




Having babies around is such a good time


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Can the males be housed together? Or do they fight? I'm just thinking if you had a female colony, the male would have to live alone correct?


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

In my situation, the males would kill each other. I plan to remove the tort male (the one that has been getting busy with my females) and putting up a divider in the shed. Then I will have 3 sections in the shed. I think when the babies are all a little bigger I will put them all together with the females. If it gets too crazy, I might modify a pvc tractor I have and grow them out in that. Will have to see how it goes. 

I was told females will help each other raise the babies so I would love to have multiple nests going to see how that goes. This is all a learning experience for me (with the rabbit's best interest in mind)


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I only ask because I know rabbits can be super territorial and some are just simply aggressive. I figured the males probably wouldn't get along while the females might.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

Oh cute baby bunnies...

Reminds me of my guinea pigs that gave birth when I was in high school. I took a quick shower and came out 15 minutes later to two baby guinea pigs lol. But guinea pigs are born with fur and eyes open....they just look like tiny miniature versions of adults lol.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

Yes I bred guinea pigs briefly several years ago. You would think since they are in the rodent family, that they would be born pink, blind, and helpless. But nope. They are born ready to rock! And adorable as all get out! 

These rabbits are growing so quickly, it is amazing to see. Or maybe I am just amused by the simple things?


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