Pregnancy in Rabbits: A Guide to Rabbit Gestation

Fact checked by Emily EstepReviewed by Natasha Diehl

A rabbit's gestation period is typically between 28 and 30 days, but this can vary depending on the breed. Your rabbit might be pregnant if you recently acquired her from an environment where she was housed with a male rabbit or if you have a male and female rabbit who spend time together. Here's what you need to know about rabbit gestation and caring for pregnant rabbits.

How Much Does a Pet Rabbit Cost to Care For?

When Can Rabbits Get Pregnant?

Rabbits who have not been spayed or neutered are referred to as being intact and once sexually mature, can produce offspring. For smaller breeds, sexual maturity occurs as young as 12 to 15 weeks of age. If your intact female rabbit was with an intact male rabbit and they are both over the age of 3 months, you'll want to monitor your rabbit for signs of pregnancy.

Signs of Pregnancy in Rabbits

Like most mammals, a pregnant rabbit's belly will get larger as her babies grow. Pregnant rabbits will begin to eat more and may seem cranky or moody. About 10 to 12 days after mating, you'll be able to feel the baby bunnies. They'll feel like multiple marble-sized bumps inside the rabbit's belly.

A pregnant rabbit will exhibit nesting behavior about a week before giving birth. The most obvious sign of nesting is when she starts piling up bedding or digging into a corner of the enclosure. Usually, a rabbit will take hay or items she can carry in her mouth, or push blankets or loose bedding together to make a comfortable space to give birth. A nesting rabbit may also pull her fur out to line the nest.

A nesting rabbit will most likely give birth within a week, and if your rabbit begins to pull out her fur, anticipate that the babies will be born within the next day or two. Most rabbits give birth at night, so be prepared to wake up to a litter of rabbits.

When to Call a Vet

If a pregnant rabbit has reached 30 days after breeding and still has not given birth, your rabbit will need a veterinarian examination. This is to determine if the pregnant female is okay or if she needs an induction of labor or a C-section surgery to remove the babies. The longer the pregnancy goes, especially after 32 days, the higher the risk of the babies not being alive.

How to Care for a Pregnant Rabbit

A pregnant rabbit does not need a lot of special care beyond the usual rabbit needs. However, you'll want to be sure to provide suitable housing and feed her appropriately to support her pregnancy.

Housing a Pregnant Rabbit

In addition to the usual food and water bowls, a pregnant rabbit will need space for her nest and enough room to accommodate all her babies. Rabbits can have up to 15 babies in a litter, so be prepared to house a lot of bunnies, especially if you don't have homes lined up for them to go to once they are weaned.

An easy-to-clean nest box option is a cat litter pan filled with hay or bedding. This can be cleaned as needed if your rabbit uses it as a bathroom before the babies are born and also after the babies leave the nest. Some people use plastic containers with a side cut out of them, so the rabbit can quickly get in and out. You can also make a wooden box, but this is not as easy to clean.

The nest box should be placed within the rabbit's enclosure. A large cage or exercise pen is a good option for housing a pregnant rabbit. This will ensure that the pregnant rabbit uses the nesting box and will make it easier for you to monitor the babies once born.

Feeding a Pregnant Rabbit

Pregnant and nursing rabbits will consume more food since they are feeding both themselves and their growing babies. Because of this, the number of fresh vegetables that are offered should be increased, and alfalfa hay should be provided at all times.

Make a gradual switch from the grass hays that an adult rabbit usually eats to the alfalfa to avoid any soft stools. You can do this by gradually mixing the two hays until you've completely switched over. Freshwater, ideally in a bowl, should also be offered as usual.

How to Care for Baby Rabbits

Most baby rabbits will require no assistance from a human. Baby bunnies will nurse from their mothers once or twice a day until they are weaned around 4 to 5 weeks of age. It's okay to handle newborn baby bunnies if you're concerned about their care. Baby bunnies should gain about 1/4 ounce per day if they are being fed appropriately. A round belly is evidence of a meal if you check on them early in the morning.

In the unlikely event that you need to intervene and help a domestic baby rabbit, a special formula should be purchased to use for bottle feeding. You should attempt to reintroduce the baby to the mother after a few days of bottle feeding since some new mothers do not have adequate milk production until a few days after giving birth.

You should attempt to reintroduce the baby (monitor this interaction; she may not accept them back) to the mother after a few days of bottle feeding, since some new mothers do not have adequate milk production until a few days after giving birth.

False Pregnancy in Rabbits

Some rabbits experience a false pregnancy where their body thinks it's pregnant, despite that not being the case. False pregnancy will cause a rabbit to exhibit nesting behavior and act moody. False pregnancy behaviors usually only last about two to three weeks.

How to Prevent Rabbit Pregnancy

Aside from keeping an intact female rabbit completely separate from an intact male rabbit at all times, spaying is the best way to prevent a rabbit from becoming pregnant. Spaying a rabbit will remove the uterus and ovaries that a rabbit needs to have babies, as well as eliminate or decrease the chances of it developing several types of cancers later in life. Surgery to spay a rabbit does not happen without risks of course, but you should discuss this with your veterinarian.

Read the original article on The Spruce Pets.