How to Stop Rabbits From Eating Their Own Babies

Few things shake a new rabbit keeper like walking up to the nest box and finding it empty, with a smear of blood on the straw and not a single kit left. I remember my first time. I stood there convinced my gentle, quiet doe had turned into a monster, and I nearly sold her on the spot. A breeder I trusted listened to my story and asked three questions before saying a word of comfort. Did she have water the night she kindled? What was she eating? Had anyone been near the cage? The answers were uncomfortable. Her water bottle had been dry for hours, her feed was thin, and a neighbor’s dog had been barking at the hutch all night. The doe had not gone bad. I had put her in a situation where her instincts took over.

Here is the direct answer. Rabbits usually eat their young for reasons that can be prevented: thirst and hunger around kindling, stress and disturbance, a poor nutritional balance, inexperience in young does, and sometimes a nervous or poor-mothering temperament. You stop it by giving the doe unlimited fresh water at all times, especially when she kindles, feeding a balanced breeder ration with enough protein, minerals and salt, providing a clean nest box on day 28 in a quiet, safe, shaded place, keeping noise, dogs, strangers and other disturbances away, handling the kits as little as possible, removing dead kits and soiled bedding promptly and quietly, and not breeding does that repeatedly kill litters. In most cases, water, nutrition and calm solve the problem.

The rest of this article explains why it happens and what to do, step by step.

Is it really cannibalism?

First, it helps to separate normal behavior from the real problem. After giving birth, a doe will eat the afterbirth, and she will often eat stillborn or dead kits. This is natural and keeps the nest clean, and it is not a sign that she will harm live kits. You may also find a litter smaller than you expected because some kits were born dead, weak or deformed, and the doe removed them. So before you decide a doe has eaten her babies, count carefully, look for bodies, and consider whether the kits were alive.

True cannibalism of live, healthy kits is much less common than people fear, and it usually has an identifiable cause. Other explanations for missing kits include kits being kicked out of the nest and dying of cold, kits falling through a wire floor, kits killed by rats or other predators, and kits dying of cold or hunger and then eaten by the doe.

Why does eat their young

Thirst. A doe that is thirsty around kindling, with no water or a dry bottle, may eat the kits for the moisture. This is one of the best-known causes, and one of the easiest to prevent.

Hunger and poor nutrition. Does that lack enough protein, calories, minerals or salt in their ration may eat their young to recover nutrients. Late pregnancy and lactation place heavy demands on a doe, and an underfed doe is a risk.

Stress and disturbance. Noise, barking dogs, loud music, unfamiliar people, children, predators, strong smells, frequent handling, moving the doe or changing her routine can make her panic. Frightened does sometimes abandon, scatter or kill kits.

Inexperience. First-time does are more likely to make mistakes. They may kindle outside the box, fail to nurse, abandon the nest or react badly to disturbance. Many improve with later litters.

Interference with the nest. If you handle the kits, leave strong smells on them, or disturb the nest repeatedly, the doe may reject the kits or become anxious. Rubbing the nest or touching kits with scented hands can have the same effect.

Overcrowding or competition. Does in cages next to aggressive rabbits or in crowded rabbitries may feel threatened.

Heat or discomfort. Hot nests, damp bedding or insects can stress does and kits alike.

Illness or pain. A doe with mastitis, injury or infection may reject kits or snap at them when they try to nurse.

Genetics and temperament. Some does are simply poor mothers, nervous or aggressive, and tend to repeat the behavior. This trait can run in families.

Too many kits. Very large litters, or litters with weak or deformed kits, may lead a doe to cull some. Overlarge litters also mean hungry kits that crawl out of the nest.

What most farmers get wrong

They forget water. An empty bottle or bowl at the wrong time can ruin a litter. Does drink heavily around kindling, and a blocked nipple is a disaster.

They underfeed the doe in late pregnancy. Does need extra feed in the last weeks and during nursing. A doe kept on a maintenance ration will be hungry and stressed.

They check the nest too often. Checking morning, noon and night, handling kits and removing and replacing them repeatedly upsets the doe and spreads scent.

They use a noisy or busy location. Putting breeding does near a gate, a road, a dog kennel or a busy yard is asking for trouble.

They breed does too young. Immature does are poor mothers and more likely to panic.

They keep cannibal does. Farmers give a doe one chance, then another, then another, and lose litter after litter. A doe that repeatedly kills litters will not change, and her daughters may inherit the tendency.

They blame the doe and punish her. Rough handling and frustration make the situation worse. The doe is responding to her conditions, not to bad character.

Step-by-step: how to prevent a doe from eating her young

Step 1: Select and prepare good breeding does. Choose does from lines known for good mothering, calm temperament and strong litters. Breed does only when they are mature and in good body condition, usually about five to six months for medium breeds and later for large ones, depending on weight. Avoid breeding does that are sick, too thin, too fat or stressed. If a doe is a poor mother, retire her.

Step 2: Feed a good ration through pregnancy and lactation. Provide a quality breeder ration with enough protein, commonly around 16 to 18 percent, along with adequate energy, calcium, phosphorus, salt and vitamins, as recommended by your feed supplier for breeding rabbits. Increase the amount fed in late pregnancy and during lactation, keeping the doe in good condition without making her fat. Provide hay for fiber. Offer a small amount of fresh, clean, wholesome greens if your diet includes them, introduced gradually. Make sure the doe has access to salt or a mineral supplement made for rabbits. A well-fed doe is far less likely to turn to her kits for nutrition.

Step 3: Give unlimited, reliable water. Check water at least twice a day, and check it again right before the expected kindling date. Make sure bottles, nipples and bowls work, are clean and are filled. Consider offering both a nipple and a bowl in the last week of pregnancy, since some does struggle with nipples when stressed. In hot or cold weather, make sure water does not become too hot or freeze. Remember that a few hours without water around kindling can be disastrous.

Step 4: Provide the nest box at the right time. Put a clean nest box in the cage on about day 28 of pregnancy. Choose the right size for your breed, with a solid base, plenty of clean, dry bedding such as straw or hay, and good ventilation. Make sure it is secure from drafts and rain. Allow the doe to arrange the bedding and line it with fur. Avoid dusty, moldy or heavily scented bedding.

Step 5: Give her a quiet, safe, private place. Place the doe’s cage in a calm, shaded, sheltered spot away from dogs, cats, loud noises, vibrations and heavy foot traffic. Cover part of the cage, or use a screen, so she has privacy. Keep other animals and strangers away, and tell family members and workers to keep their distance. Protect the cage from rats, snakes and other predators, which can terrify a doe. Avoid sudden changes in her routine as kindling approaches.

Step 6: Keep temperature comfortable. Overheated or cold nests stress does and kits. Provide shade, ventilation and cool water in hot weather, and shelter and bedding in cold weather. A comfortable temperature range of roughly 15 to 25 degrees Celsius is ideal for most rabbits.

Step 7: Handle the kits and nest as little as possible. After kindling, wait until the doe has left the nest, then check once, quietly and quickly. Remove any dead kits and wet or soiled bedding, count the live ones, and check that the kits are warm and have full bellies. Wash your hands, and before touching the kits you can rub your hands in clean bedding from the doe’s nest to mask your scent. Then leave her alone. Subsequent checks should be brief, once a day, and gentle. Do not handle kits for play or show in the first week or two.

Step 8: Remove dead kits promptly. Dead kits left in the nest attract flies and bacteria, and can distress the doe. Remove them quickly and quietly. The doe may eat dead kits herself, which is not a sign of harm to the others.

Step 9: Make sure the doe is nursing. Because does nurse briefly, usually once or twice a day, you rarely see it. Judge by the kits: round, firm bellies and quiet, warm kits mean the doe is feeding them. If the kits look thin and wrinkled and cry, the doe may not be nursing. Place the doe gently in the nest box for a few minutes with the kits to encourage nursing, and check her for mastitis or other problems. If she is ill, call a veterinarian.

Step 10: Foster or reduce oversized litters. If a litter is larger than the doe can feed, move some kits to another doe that kindled within a few days, rubbing them with bedding from the foster nest, or cull the weakest to give the others a fair chance. Fostering needs care and observation.

Step 11: Rescue kits found outside the nest. If you find kits scattered, cold or out of the box, warm them gently against your body or on a warm wrapped bottle until they are moving, then place them back in the nest and cover them with fur. Check that the doe will nurse them. Do not keep them in your home for long unless necessary.

Step 12: Consider separate arrangements for first-time does. Young does may need extra patience. Give first-time does the quietest location, a clean box earlier than usual, and plenty of bedding. Keep disturbance to a minimum. Do not judge a doe by her first litter alone. Many do better afterwards.

Step 13: Keep records and cull persistent offenders. Write down what happens at every kindling: the date, number born, the doe’s condition, any disturbances, and the outcome. If a doe loses litter after litter despite water, food and calm conditions, retire her and do not keep her daughters. Breed from does that raise healthy litters. Over time, this removes the trait.

Step 14: Seek veterinary advice for health problems. If a doe is ill, has mastitis, a retained kit, an injury or other symptoms, contact a veterinarian. Do not breed her again until she is well.

Warning signs to watch for

Be alert to a doe that is restless, thirsty, or refuses food in the days before kindling, kindles outside the nest, scatters kits, avoids the box or shows aggression when approached. Watch for blood-streaked bedding, missing kits, bite wounds on kits, and a doe that is constantly agitated. Check water and food first, then the surroundings for disturbances, and then the doe’s health.

What I would do differently if I were starting again today

I would treat water as the first item on the checklist, not the last. I would feed the breeding does better, put them in the quietest corner of the rabbitry, and put a sign on the door reminding everyone to stay away on kindling day. I would give first-time does extra patience, and I would keep notes on every doe’s behavior. And I would stop feeling guilty about retiring a doe that kills litter after litter, because the herd is better off without her genes.

A doe who eats her young is almost always telling you something about her thirst, her hunger or her fear. Fix those, and most litters live.

FAQ

Why do rabbits eat their babies?
Common reasons include thirst, hunger or nutritional deficiency, stress and disturbance, inexperience in first-time does, illness, handling of the kits, overcrowding and poor mothering instincts. Eating stillborn kits or afterbirth is normal.

How can I stop my doe from killing her litter?
Provide unlimited fresh water, a balanced breeder ration, a nest box on day 28, a quiet, private location, minimal handling of kits and prompt removal of dead kits. Retire does that repeatedly kill litters.

Is it normal for a doe to eat the afterbirth?
Yes. Eating the afterbirth and dead or stillborn kits is normal behavior and helps keep the nest clean. It does not mean she will harm live kits.

Should I touch baby rabbits after birth?
Handle them as little as possible, especially in the first days. If you need to check, wait until the doe leaves the nest, work quickly and quietly, and mask your scent with clean bedding from the nest.

Will a first-time doe that ate her litter do it again?
Not necessarily. Many first-time does improve with later litters, especially if water, nutrition and calm conditions are improved. If she repeatedly kills litters under good conditions, retire her.

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A doe that eats her young is rarely evil, she is usually thirsty, hungry or frightened, so give her water, food and peace.