Baby Rabbits

Baby rabbits are born in litters of 4-12 young.  Each female rabbit, or doe, can produce  several litters a year after a gestation period of about 30 days and is capable of reproduction at as young as six months. This means that a single female rabbit can have up to 800 descendants within a year.

Baby rabbits are born blind and hairless, but develop and mature very quickly.  The eyes open usually by 2 weeks of age and they can eat on their own at about the same time.  

Baby rabbits only feed once or twice a day.  Many people assume baby rabbits have been abandoned by their mothers when they are seen in the wild.  It is usually not abandonment.  It is normal for a mother rabbits to be off for long periods of  time and the babies are frequently left alone.  Also, baby rabbits are on their own very young and are still very small at this time.  Most often, the baby rabbit is just fine.  If, after a wait of at least 24 hours, you are absolutely sure that the baby has been abandoned and is in trouble, the best care is to take the animal to a wildlife rehabilitator in your area.