Whether you are just starting with rabbits or have been breeding for a time, you probably have heard or been told some things that are not really how it works with rabbits, but many of these misconceptions are believed and passed on. If you understand rabbits, you will understand some of the behaviors they have in the cage.
Rabbits, even though they have been domesticated for perhaps a few centuries, still have instincts from many centuries of surviving in the wild. Their greatest defense against predators is to hide, run, and kick, but they are a prey animal, which means that they are food for many types of predatory animals. The domestic rabbit still has those ingrained instinctive habits that we see with breeding.
I have collected a few of the most common misconceptions and myths I have heard and have listed them here, not in any particular order.
Mama rabbit may move the babies back into the nest.
This one is commonly believed by new breeders when the doe has the kits on the wire, instead of the nest and they may even be waiting on the doe to move the kits, which is a mistake because they can die of hypothermia quickly. Does NEVER pick up or move the kits. This is when a breeder must intervene by placing the kits in the nest or the whole kindle could die.
If you touch the baby rabbits, the mama may abandon or kill them.
It is a sad thing that some first timers may kill their kits for unknown reasons, however it is not because a human touched them. Even rabbits in the wild will still care for their kits if touched by human hands. Some does just are a bit clueless with their first kindle and some are just plain bad mothers, if they continually do this. Some new mothers also unintentionally kill the kits by lying in the nest on top of them, usually because they are cold or spooked. Breeders need to check the nest regularly and remove any dead kits found, because the doe will not move even a dead kit.
Mama rabbit is not caring for the kits or she is ignoring them.
Does instinctively stay away from the nest. Their only way to defend the nest from predators is to lure them away by running away from it and hiding. They even nurse the kits sitting up and staying alert for predators. Does allow the kits a few minutes to nurse and then again leave the nest.
Mama rabbits will kick sick kits out of the nest.
Again, does do not move kits. I have seen kits latched on and dragged out. I have seen a sick one work itself out of the nest because it was struggling for life. I have seen kits that are too hot or too cold fall out of the nest as they went searching for a more comfortable place. I have also seen crippled kits that cannot control their mobility well end up falling out of the nest. I have seen does accidentally catch one as she hopped out of the nest.
The most common is young blind kits may get out of the nest by staying latched on to the mother. Regardless of how the kit got out, once it is outside of the nesting box, the doe will ignore it mostly, but not because it is sick...and it could possibly become ill with hypothermia if it is not placed back into the nest. Ironically, a kit dying of hypothermia would be proof to some people that it actually was sick.
Mama rabbit is not feeding certain kits.
If a person ever watched the nursing frenzy, that person would know without a doubt that does do not select which kits get to nurse and which ones do not. The larger, stronger kits push the smaller, weaker ones out of their way. When the kindle is large, a breeder will need to intervene to save all the kits by fostering, shelving the well-fed for twelve hours, or hand feeding.
If the mama doe is out of the nest but leaves placenta and blood in it, you have to clean it up.
A breeder may have to clean the nest, but often if the doe is given another hour or so, she will finish her work.
The doe is not feeding them because the kits are looking underfed (in the first few days).
This is common because it takes a few days for the mother's milk to come in. However, this is also why it is advisable to check each kit in the nest, because when it does come in, some of the kits may not get to nurse.
Mama rabbit pulled one kit out of the nest and began to eat it.
Since does do not move kits and kits will not survive outside of the nest, it is more likely that the kit was born outside of the nest and was still born or died of hypothermia. Some does instinctively would try to dispose of the body to keep it from attracting predators.