Kindling is the word for a rabbit giving birth. The actual kindling process typically takes only a few minutes per kit, but preparation can start at any point in the pregnancy. Does prepare for kindling by nesting. They will pick up huge mouthfuls of hay to line their nest, and start pulling out fur from their dewlap and belly. Some does start earlier at this than others, it totally depends on the doe. I have one doe who started nesting two weeks from giving birth, and another who started nesting within a half hour of it. It doesn't matter when they start, the main thing you should be concerned about is whether the doe is nesting in her nestbox or not.
Put the nestbox in at day 26 of the pregnancy. It should be about half to two-thirds full with shavings. You want a brand that has large flakes rather than small ones so that it isn't too dusty. Don't pile up too much in there though; although you want it to be nice and warm, you don't want to make it easy for the kits to escape. You also want to have enough room for the doe to easily fit inside without any risk of squishing a kit by accident. You can put some nice soft orchard grass hay in there yourself, or oat hay. Timothy and alfalfa are not great options as they can cause conjunctivitis when the kits open their eyes. Press your fist into the back of the nestbox to make an imprint for the kits to settle into once they are born. You don't want them close to the front of the nestbox because then the doe might accidentally hop on them and scratch them when she comes to feed.
When the doe is close to giving birth, make sure it is as quiet and low-stress an environment as possible to prevent possible killing/injuring of the kits. Stressed does may also maim kits by licking them too hard and could take off a tail, ear, leg, or even head. Kits without ears or tails can often survive, but any other injuries make euthanizing the kit the most humane option.
If the doe has her babies in the nestbox, that's great! Leave them alone. If the doe has the kits on the wire, once she has fed them and settled down, try and remove the doe from the cage, then quickly pop the kits in the back of the nestbox. Don't just stick your hand in the cage of a new mother as she will certainly attack you. Don't take it personally, her mothering hormones are raging. She will settle down eventually.
Sometimes you'll see some placenta in the nestbox or around the cage, leave it there as the doe needs to eat it. If the doe for any reason doesn't pull fur or doesn't pull enough fur, have some Litter Saver on hand and stuff that in the nestbox next time you check up on them.
Within the next day or so, check on the litter and pull out the nestbox. Remove any dead kits, and if the nestbox is gross, clean out the shavings and replace them. After that point I usually clean it out once or twice a week depending on how gross it gets. In general, the bigger the litter the messier it gets.
Put the nestbox in at day 26 of the pregnancy. It should be about half to two-thirds full with shavings. You want a brand that has large flakes rather than small ones so that it isn't too dusty. Don't pile up too much in there though; although you want it to be nice and warm, you don't want to make it easy for the kits to escape. You also want to have enough room for the doe to easily fit inside without any risk of squishing a kit by accident. You can put some nice soft orchard grass hay in there yourself, or oat hay. Timothy and alfalfa are not great options as they can cause conjunctivitis when the kits open their eyes. Press your fist into the back of the nestbox to make an imprint for the kits to settle into once they are born. You don't want them close to the front of the nestbox because then the doe might accidentally hop on them and scratch them when she comes to feed.
When the doe is close to giving birth, make sure it is as quiet and low-stress an environment as possible to prevent possible killing/injuring of the kits. Stressed does may also maim kits by licking them too hard and could take off a tail, ear, leg, or even head. Kits without ears or tails can often survive, but any other injuries make euthanizing the kit the most humane option.
If the doe has her babies in the nestbox, that's great! Leave them alone. If the doe has the kits on the wire, once she has fed them and settled down, try and remove the doe from the cage, then quickly pop the kits in the back of the nestbox. Don't just stick your hand in the cage of a new mother as she will certainly attack you. Don't take it personally, her mothering hormones are raging. She will settle down eventually.
Sometimes you'll see some placenta in the nestbox or around the cage, leave it there as the doe needs to eat it. If the doe for any reason doesn't pull fur or doesn't pull enough fur, have some Litter Saver on hand and stuff that in the nestbox next time you check up on them.
Within the next day or so, check on the litter and pull out the nestbox. Remove any dead kits, and if the nestbox is gross, clean out the shavings and replace them. After that point I usually clean it out once or twice a week depending on how gross it gets. In general, the bigger the litter the messier it gets.