Breeding baby rabbits is very rewarding but can be quite nerve-wracking, especially if it’s your first time! Some interesting facts… rabbits are usually pregnant for around 4-5 weeks with an average litter size of around 6. But they can have as many as 12 baby rabbits.

A female rabbit is called a doe and when a doe gives birth it’s called kindling. And baby bunnies are called kittens or kits. Rabbit kittens go through various stages of growth throughout their lives, so it's good to understand your baby rabbit's development so you can support their growth and health.

The first weeks 1-8 are important for their nurture and development. In these weeks, the baby rabbit is with their mother and siblings, developing, and growing into perfectly formed little bundles of fluff, ready to go on to live with their new human families.

Rabbit Development: Weeks 1-2

A lot happens in the first two weeks of a rabbit's life. When they’re born, they’re very vulnerable so rely on their mum to protect and care for them - rabbits are born deaf, blind and without fur! You’ll hear them wriggling around in their nest box making cute noises.

When it comes to rabbits raised in captivity, rabbit parenting becomes a collaborative effort. While the mother rabbit will take on a good amount of the nurturing, breeders play a crucial role in ensuring the kits are well cared for and secure. Remember, raising rabbits is a significant commitment, so it's important to fully understand what this responsibility requires!

Full grown small rabbit breeds are tiny with breeds like the Netherland dwarf and Lionhead weighing as little as 25 grams when they’re born. Even when rabbits reach adulthood, they’ll still only weigh just over a kilo or so! Average breed rabbit kittens will weigh a bit more, and Giant breed like the English Giant will weigh in at around 60 grams, so still not very much. For comparison, that’s the weight of an average egg!

During the first couple of weeks of their lives, kits spend all their time in the nest with their siblings, drinking their mother’s milk. This is high in fat and protein and contains all the antibodies they need to build up a healthy immune system to protect them from illness.

You’ll probably notice that mummy bunny will leave her kits in the nest on their own a lot of the time. This is completely normal. She’ll only go back to feed them once or twice a day. Rabbits only feed for short periods because their mother’s milk is so rich.

Rabbit kits also start to eat their mother’s caecal droppings (caecotrophs) to boost their immune and digestive systems. Without these essential antibodies and nutrients, it’s unlikely a kit would survive. When the kits start producing their own caecotrophs they’ll eat their own instead. A rabbit’s digestive system is quite complicated, so its important rabbits eat their caecotrophs even as adults, as they’re high in nutrients and energy.

By the fifth day, they'll be able to hear and will start opening their eyes when they’re around 10 days old. They’ll start gaining weight and strength, and after their eyes have opened, will start crawling out of their nest to investigate their surroundings. This will be an exciting time for you and your kits. Make the most of it because rabbits grow quickly from here on in!

At two weeks of age, the kits will have grown a little bit of fur, albeit very light and fuzzy! They’ll look very cute, and it might be tempting to handle them, but it’s best to avoid handling them until they’re around 10 days old. If you intervene unnecessarily, it could cause the mother to reject her babies. Although this is rare, especially if the doe is already used to you and knows your smell.

If you need to pick a kit up if it falls out of the nest or you think one of the kits is poorly, it’s worth handling the doe first, so you hide your scent a bit and transfer her scent to the kit. This should reduce the risk of rejection.

Rabbit Development: Weeks 3-4

Now the bunnies are a bit older, the mother rabbit won’t mind you handling her babies. Handling them regularly at this stage means they’ll soon learn being picked up and stroked is a good thing. And they’ll be less likely to be scared of being held as adults.

Don’t handle baby rabbits for too long initially as they may find the experience a bit stressful to start off with. At this age they’re still very small and will be quite skittish when it comes to new experiences, so handling kits should be done by an experienced handler to avoid any accidents.

By the end of this first month the baby rabbits will have a nice thick coat over their entire body. They’ll be much more independent and have much more energy too. This means they’ll start to play with their littermates and generally be more active.

Over the last couple of weeks, you might have seen the kits nibbling on bits of hay around their nest. Weaning is just around the corner....

Rabbit Development: Weeks 5-7

You’ll notice the rabbits are becoming even stronger now and won’t be feeding as often from their mother, this is the start of their road to weaning. You can start introducing alfalfa hay to the kits. Once they’re well established on hay, you can start introducing pellets. Allowing your baby rabbit to eat some solid food is good for their teeth, as well as their digestive system.

Unlike other animals, rabbits are born with teeth. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and must be constantly worn down to prevent dental problems. So, they’ll have no problem gnawing on some hay and pellets. It also means mum gets a bit of a break!

Now the kits are a bit older you should be thinking about their vaccinations. Kits can have their first vaccinations during this 5–7-week period. The most important diseases rabbits need to be vaccinated against are myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Your vet will be able to help you decide when’s the best time to vaccinate your litter of baby rabbits.

Rabbit Development: Week 8

Rabbits are often fully weaned by 8 weeks, but it can take longer depending on the size of breed. Smaller breeds can wean earlier, whilst larger or giant breeds start to wean a bit later. Rabbit kittens shouldn’t be fully weaned too early though, otherwise they won’t have developed a strong immune system and would be susceptible to disease.

During the first 8 weeks of life, it’s important to keep an eye out for any potential health problems, especially diarrhoea. Diarrhoea can kill a baby rabbit very quickly so the litter should be checked regularly to make sure they’re well fed, are kept warm and are all nicely active.

If the time is right, the kits can now leave their mother. Separating them too early can be risky and even fatal, especially if the kits haven’t developed healthy immune and digestive systems. But, leaving it too long can also be tricky.

Male rabbits become sexually mature at around 8 weeks and will start mating with their mother if they’re not separated in time. Mum will be glad to have her enclosure back to herself and the kits will be ready to go off and make new friends, both the human and bunny-kind!

The first two months of rabbit growth can be a lot! They grow from bare little bunnies that can’t see or hear, to fully developed, independent young rabbits. These first few weeks are incredibly important when it comes to their development, health, and social interactions.

If you’re a first-time breeder, there’s a lot to think about, but your vet will always be on hand to help you when you’re unsure of anything. It’s a very rewarding experience, but make the most of it as those teeny, little bare-skinned kits soon grow up and head off onto their next adventures very quickly!

Everypaw Rabbit Insurance

Here at Everypaw, we want to help you keep your bunny healthy and in tip top shape. Rabbit policies are available from 8 weeks of age, so, when it comes to your young rabbit’s care, Everypaw’s Rabbit Insurance could be just the cover to look after your little thumper.

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