Increasingly popular as pets, rabbits are so cute that it’s hard to resist their charm. For first-time owners, however, the company of big ears also raises many questions, such as how many days baby rabbits start to eat.
White Rabbit
Keep reading and learn more about the reproduction of the species, how to care for a newborn baby rabbit and how many days do baby rabbits start to eat!
How many babies can a rabbit have in a year?
Almost everyone has heard that rabbits reproduce easily. But do you know how many puppies a rabbit can have per litter and how many puppies it can have per year?
Rabbits reach sexual maturity relatively early. Although mating can occur before this, from six months of age onwards, both the male and the female are able to begin reproduction safely.
Once maturity is reached, the female can go into heat, on average, every fifteen days. In this sense, it is important to highlight that the rabbit’s heat is induced, that is, it depends on the male’s stimulus to occur.
After crossing and fertilization, rabbit pregnancy lasts approximately 30 days. It is worth remembering that, in general, pregnant rabbits do not show many external signs that they are pregnant. If you observe any change in the rabbit’s behavior, consult a veterinarian.
The number of puppies per litter varies greatly from one rabbit and from one pregnancy to another. On average, a female can have up to eight puppies per pregnancy. Considering that she goes into heat several times a year and the gestation period is short, a rabbit can have almost 50 puppies per year!
How to care for a newborn baby rabbit?
Rabbits are among the species that exercise parental care. In other words: after birth, the bunny herself is responsible for the first care of the puppies, keeping them warm and fed with their mother’s milk.
two rabbits playing in the grass
It is up to the guardian to check whether the mother is well and whether she is taking appropriate care of the cubs. Also be sure to offer the rabbit a balanced diet, with quality food and fresh water.
Baby rabbits are born practically naked and with their eyes closed. From five days onwards, the cubs already have fur. From 12 onwards, their eyes begin to open, which are still very sensitive and must be protected against direct lighting.
How many days do baby rabbits start to eat?
To know how to feed a baby rabbit correctly, it is important to understand the weaning of the species. Rabbits begin weaning at the same time as they leave the nest, starting at 21 days of age.
At this stage, rabbits begin to alternate breast milk with water and solid food available to the mother. Therefore, the answer to how many days do baby rabbits start eating is: right after leaving the nest.
But how long does a rabbit breastfeed? Although it varies from one individual to another, complete weaning usually occurs between 30 and 35 days. From then on, the specific extruded food for rabbits should be the basis of the pets’ diet. Remember that rabbits always need to have hay available.
In addition to contributing to the necessary supply of fiber — which prevents problems such as intestinal stasis —, extruded rabbit food and grass hay are important for tooth wear. These grow continuously throughout the rabbit’s life and can cause problems such as dental malocclusion.
The importance of neutering rabbits and does
As cute as baby rabbits are, try to leave the reproduction of the species to responsible and qualified breeders. Unplanned breeding contributes to the increase in overpopulation of the species and can harm the bunny’s health.
If you want to have more than one rabbit at home, prefer to have two individuals of the same sex, or consider castration. More than a measure to control reproduction, castration reduces the production of hormones, which reduces the risk of some diseases linked to the reproductive system.
