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Baby Rabbits

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From: Nadine Zielinski
City:
Berwyn, IL
I also had a rabbit have her bunnies in my yard in one of my planters. This is really confounds me as she is chased out of my yard on a very regular basis by my dog. Why on earh would she have her babies in my yard. My dog knows the babies are there so I can't just let him out, I have to go out with him and at night I have to take him out on a leash just in case the momma bunny is there taking care of the kids. What am I going to do when the kids start hopping around? My dog is most likely going to end up getting at least one of them and that's the one thing I'm trying to avoid. Is there any way for me to relocate them before they start hopping around? Their eyes are open, their ears are up and they have their full coat of fur. I know where the mother rabbit stays most of the time and could easily relocate the little ones to her location. It's shielded from people, grassy and safer from predators than my yard.

 
Extension Message
From: Laura Kammin
Visiting Extension Specialist, Pollution Prevention
Extension-Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program
lkammin@illinois.edu
Dealing with dogs and baby rabbits in the yard is a situation I know only too well. So I hear what you are saying. They sound like they are very close to leaving the nest already. So I'd suggest letting them be for a couple more days. If you relocate them, it highly increases the likelihood that a predator (fox, cat, snakes, etc.) will find them. And the female won't go looking for them once they are out of the nest. If they aren't weaned yet, that will put them in a bad situation.

 
From: Dori Garro
City:
Rock Island, IL
I have the same problem with my dogs. The bunnies were born about 10-12 days ago and I have to go out with our 4 dogs to keep the bunnies safe. When they are old enough to venture out of the nest can I move them to a garden in the front yard?

 
Extension Message
From: Laura Kammin
Visiting Extension Specialist, Pollution Prevention
Extension-Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program
lkammin@illinois.edu
Once they are ready, they will just leave the nest on their own. Sounds like they are very close to that stage already. They only stay in the nest about two weeks. Once out of the nest, they are quite fast. So hopefully if one of the dogs finds them sitting in the yard, they will be fast enough to get away. And once they realize dogs will be using the yard, they'll find another place to go.

 
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