Many people raise rabbit as pet; they like to breed rabbit as pets, but some people seeing it as a business opportunity. Besides livestock, rabbits may be traded business which is quite popular among other pets. You breed rabbits and sell the baby rabbits to costumers, that is a great way of business if you wouldn’t dare to choose livestock business. Furthermore, the most important thing to breed rabbit is how you take care of the pregnant mom.
Ensure the rabbit hutch or rabbit cage is comfortable enough for the mom, make sure already build the bonds with them so they could trust you, and finally, ensure the health of the mom: physically and mentally. Rabbits are delicate creatures, they were sensitive and frighten easily – and it’s not a comfortable emotional for the pregnant one. Even in healthy one, frighten be the one of rabbit’s dead caused; what do you think would happen to pregnant rabbit?
Therefore, every each of us need to know intensive care for pregnant rabbit no matter what’s your intention. Create a healthy environment around pregnant mom, so the baby would deliver safely and healthy in the future.
The Appropriate Care for Pregnant Rabbit
Intensive care for pregnant rabbit was important due the mom herself and the baby rabbit inside her belly. There are plenty lists you can do to ensure the comfort of pregnant rabbit, and now we would share to you how to give intensive care for your does in your house.
Create a Comfortable Birthing Environment for Does
First of all, preparation for birthing environment due deliver process in the future is important. Provide a place (cage or hutch) which is had enough room for the mom and babies. Keep in mind, a doe able to deliver about 14 kits on each pregnancy, therefore, she (doe) need a lot of space, my friends. The minimum size for birthing process approximately about 64 to 67 cm or about 25 to 30 inches x 38 cm or about 15 inches. With this minimum space, you’re provide mom and kits room for stretch out, move around the place, and light exercise.
Furthermore, a pregnant doe need a private and quiet with enough source of lights. Due the sensitivity of doe, ensure that the room you choose to put the cage was limited from noise, and any danger that trigger nerve-wrecking issues and distraction for the doe. Avoid a room which used by another pet – especially predators of rabbits such as dogs and cats. So, now, what we should do to the cage? Here are the steps to prepare the cage for your beloved rabbit:
After a proper size cage is ready, then it’s a time for you to fill the cage with layer. There are many layers as the option for doe cage: some people use cardboard box or small wooden crates, some others choose paper towels, newspapers, or old rags as the cage layers. This is up to you, my friends – which one is the most comfortable in your opinion. Then, put the layer covered each side corner of cage (outside cage); the layer would form as wall or curtain for rabbit.
Next, put soft grass at the bottom of the cage; smooth it out, and make it covers 3 to inches or about 7.6 to 15.2 cm. Ensure that the grass would not deter rabbit’s way to come and go. So, what’s the purpose behind the layer making? The layer making would provide a dark space for doe inside the cage: for your note, darkness would make doe feel more comfortable; and the grass is the perfect nesting material to warm the newborn.
Cleanliness is fatal due birthing my friends. Replace the nesting once every 3 to 5 days, or as many and often as you could. Then, remove all dirt and waste inside the cage – next, soap the cage! Mix the non-toxic soap (example: liquid castile soap) with mild and water, wash the cage as clean as possible. Remember, avoid the strong chemical cleaner when you wash the cage, especially when you used cardboard or wooden. The chemical could harm the doe and the babies.
- Limit Your Activities around Doe
To prevent rabbit distress level, you must limit your activities around her. Rabbit is sensitive – even more the pregnant one. She is become more sensitive than normal; when she scares or in distress, it threatens the life of litter inside of her. As much as you can, avoid loud noise activities or any kind of it that could distract peacefulness of pregnant rabbit.
How to Handling and Feeding Pregnant Rabbit
A pregnant rabbit should get double nutrition of foods: remember, she carried lives within her. Supply her need of fresh hays and grasses daily: timothy pellets are a perfect source of diet supplement for rabbit. Count perfectly her weight to ensure you didn’t overfeed her; give as much vegetation as possible in a perfect portion of it. Furthermore, give these foods as addition for your rabbit: watercress, romaine lettuce, beet greens, cilantro, bok choy, mustard, and carrot tops.
A rule of feed is simple: for every 5 pounds of bodyweight, give the rabbit about 1/4 to 1/8 cup of pellets (it’s about 16 to 32 gr). Overweight on rabbit only trigger some pregnancy and give birth issues.
- Careful to Pick Up the Doe
Do not recklessly touch your doe. There are ways for proper pick up during the pregnancy: put her gently to your arm’s crook, nestle her lower part of chest above the front legs, support her hindquarters from beneath and slowly – gently elevate her. To make her feel protected, hold her closely against your body, and allow her to burrow her head to your underarm whenever she feels scare or shy.
By letting her do that, you would make her more relax and less-scare. If, at any case, your rabbit being uncooperative when you try to pick her, cover her with a towel bath before picking her; the darkness of the towel would make her calm down a little bit. The most important thing is always support her with your hand whenever you pick her up.