How Long Does It Take for a Newborn Bunny to Grow Hair?

Like a lot of mammals, baby rabbits -- called "kittens" -- are born hairless. Fur is one of the first things to develop on newborn rabbits, who start to grow new coats before their eyes and ears open. Their fur fills in gradually as they develop and continues to thicken and fill in as they reach adulthood, a process that generally takes about a year.

  1. Development

    • In addition to having no fur, newborn rabbit kittens are also born with closed eyes and ears. Fur starts to grow in when they're about 7 days old. At about 10 days they open their eyes, and at about 12 days their ears open up and they begin to hear. During this time, and for a little more than a week afterwards, rabbit kittens are completely dependent on their mother for food and warmth.

    Warmth

    • Until their coats finish growing in several weeks after their birth, special care must be taken to keep baby rabbits warm. The mother usually does this by building a nest out of her own fur that she pulls from her body. This fur nest provides protection and warmth to the litter while they develop. If the nest is built in an area with a room temperature of 60 to 75 degrees, this will be enough. However, if the nest is in a cooler area, such as a barn or garage, a heat lamp will need to be provided to keep the nest warm enough for the hairless babies.

    Juvenile Rabbits

    • Rabbit kittens start to be weaned off of their mother's milk and onto solid foods between 3 and 5 weeks of age, at which point they begin to venture out of the nest and explore. Between 6 and 8 weeks, their coats fill in and they become completely independent. For domestic rabbits, this is when they can leave mom and go to their new homes with their human families.

    Adult Coats

    • While the babies are being weaned, their initial thin, soft coats thicken and fill in to form their pre-adult coats, which stay with the juveniles as they grow into adults. Rabbits typically reach adulthood about 12 months of age, after which they usually shed and replace their coats twice a year throughout their lives.