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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 18:06:26 GMT -5
TDD, (and anyone else who knows much about rabbits), I could use some advice. While cleaning out my raised beds this afternoon, I pulled up last year's thyme and found this underneath: There are 5 of them huddled in there, eyes barely open. I have no problem shooting full grown ones on sight as major garden pests (and they go great with dumplings!), but my heart isn't hard enough to step on defenseless babies. We've called around to see if friends might want some new pets, but so far haven't gotten a yes. I really have nowhere to keep them myself. Do you think the mother will come back and move them if I leave them alone? Or has too much human scent already contaminated them? Suggestions? MB
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Post by txdirtdog on May 12, 2013 20:38:26 GMT -5
Hey Drahkk, I don't have any experience with wild baby bunnies, but I think if you can recover them with some kind of dry bush type grass or something similar they may be ok. Mother bunnies apparently only really attend their babies during the night and they may seem abandoned when they really aren't. If they really are abandoned after all is said and done, they can be fed kitten milk replacement and get weaned at 4-5 weeks. (Eyes open at 6-8 days). Here is a link to an article by a DVM that has done some research on the topic. www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htmI've heard over and over again that wild baby bunnies do not train into good domestic bunnies. The other concern that you'll have to decide on is whether you want growing bunnies in your yard/garden. I feel for you in deciding that. I don't want that decision laid on me, and luckily wild bunnies aren't an issue here.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 22:13:34 GMT -5
After I posted a couple of them did open their eyes and look at us, so they're at least that far along. And they have all their fur. They look like miniature adults; two could fit in the palm of your hand, but other than that they're fully developed. Not sure how far along that makes them.
I'd heard that too, that they wouldn't domesticate well. And I really can't have them growing up in the garden. Honestly I'd love to know how the mother got through my fence to have them there in the first place. I can't find any low spots, gaps, or tunnels.
We covered them back up with some old hay; I'm really hoping she comes back and moves them tonight. If they're not gone in a few days I'll have to move them myself before all the seeds I planted today start popping up. Maybe if I wear sterile gloves and put them in a straw lined shoebox OUTSIDE the fence she'll find them and take the hint.
MB
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2013 7:36:10 GMT -5
The mother came back and tended them last night, as there's now a tunnel under the hay we covered them with, and they were a lot more active and wary of me this morning when I checked on them. Hopefully they're close to being ready to make it on their own.
MB
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