How to Change the Bedding After a Rabbit Gives Birth

A rabbit can give birth to up to 15 babies -- or kits, as they're called -- and that means a lot of cleanup for the owner. After they're born, the owner should monitor the state of the kits and ensure the doe is entering the nest box to feed them each day. The nest box is placed in the doe's cage, and it's where the kits are be born and remain for at least 7 days. You should only have to change the bedding once -- immediately after the birth -- and then do some routine cleanup in the following weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • Latex gloves
  • Old towel
  • 2 rags
  • Pine shavings
  • Straw
  • Field hay
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the nest box from the cage, and place it on a flat surface. Touch the doe with your bare hands, so her smell is on you and will be transferred to the kits.

    • 2

      Reach into the nest box very carefully, and search for any dead kits or placenta. If any is found, put on latex gloves and remove it from the nest right away. Inspect the doe's cage area in the same way.

    • 3

      Remove the latex gloves. Rub the doe again with your bare hands. Put an old towel down just outside of the nest box, then take some straw from the doe's cage and sprinkle it over the towel. Very carefully pull each kit out of the nest box, and give them a quick inspection to make sure they seem healthy.

    • 4

      Put latex gloves back on, and quickly remove all bedding from the nest box and the doe's cage. Use a slightly damp rag to wipe down the inside of both areas. Dry them off with a dry rag.

    • 5

      Take off the gloves, and touch the doe again. Replace the bedding in the nest box, by placing 1 to 2 inches of pine shavings at the bottom, adding loose straw on top and finishing with a handful of field hay. Pat the bedding down in the center with your fists, to simulate a burrow inside the nest box. Replace the bedding inside the doe's cage by laying down 1 inch of pine shavings and then a layer of straw.

    • 6

      Rub the doe once more. With bare hands, put each kit carefully back into the nest box. Then put the nest box back into the doe's cage.