Adopted 2 rabbits and both have had babies! Urgent advice needed

[twinkle36]

Just looking for some advice on the best thing to do with my rabbits.
Adopted 2 female 11 month old rabbits a couple of weeks ago. They are strongly bonded and live together. Both have been settling in brilliantly and I am spending lots of time with them. Went down to the hutch one morning after a couple of days of having them and to my surprise one of them had given birth to 7 kits.
I went to check on them yesterday morning and my other female has also given birth to 8 kits.
My concern is that they have both had their kits in the same area just opposite each other and also seemed to have swapped babies.
Now I'm absolutely beside myself that not all of them will be being fed. There is around 5 in one nest at the front and the rest are just opposite them at the back. I am getting a new house for the Mother bunny 1 and their kits when their old enough to move without adding too much stress but not sure when I can do this as their eyes aren't open yet.
Sorry for the long post I just want to make sure I am doing everything I possibly can for them

If they aren’t fighting then don’t split them

Why don’t you trust them to mother their own babies?
Standard practices in zoos is hands off unless infants are at risk of death.

Leave them to it but keep a close eye on them.

It's not that I dont trust them they have been doing really well. It's just I read something on Google of someone who's rabbit had kits but some of them had wriggled out the nest and the mother had forgot to feed them.
I just want to try and make sure I am doing everything right I've had lots of experience with rabbits in the past but never newborns

Leave them be. Rabbits are social creatures. If they're getting on well then let them do their thing.

@Mommasgotabrandnewbag , thank you for the reply, I will keep my eye on them they are really good mothers

https://bunnylady.com/rabbit-pregnancy/#:~:text=Give%20your%20rabbit%20space%20and,born%20and%20not%20wander%20off.

I didn't want to separate them due to fighting. It's just that although they have a very large area of space I dont think it will be big enough for potentially 17 rabbits

No, in the end it won't be, no. But now is not the time.

If you touch them they will most likely eat the babies.
They will take care of them or eat them if they scared or if they have something wrong with them. Leave them alone until they grow a bit.

Crazy that whoever you bought them off allowed them to breed and sold them to you when pregnant..But ''Breeding like rabbits'' is common in rabbits..
Possibly they have bred with their litter brothers..?

I hope you can find responsible homes for them when they are old enough.

Omg. Photos please. They must be so cute! I know nothing about rabbit babies but a quick google suggests vaccinations start at 5/6 weeks old. And some can breed from 2 months so yes. Omg. Maybe you can sell/ give some away when a little older?

17 rabbits! Yikes. I’m looking to adopt two rabbits, I really don’t want to end up with 17!

Leave them alone. My sister had this and the mothers ate all the babies. Was very upsetting.

What will you do with all the rabbits though?

A reputable rescue should be able to provide you with a couple of spayed females .Rabbits make lovely house pets for adults.

@Alongtimelonely ''Cottontails'' Rabbit and Guinea Pig rescue might be able to help you if you are in UK.. Theirs are spayed prior to rehoming {Spaying also prevents uterine cancers in bunnies}

@twinkle36

Either put a post on Small Pets (in the Pets section) or ask MN to move this to Small Pets .

Loads of rabbit experts over there , and posters who work in Rescues who can advice you .
I have never kept rabbits myself but I know what you mean about the space and the not knowing which Mum: which babies .

I've had guinea-pigs and had accidental litters through mis-sexed piggies or already pg piggies . Guinea-piglets are born fully furred , with eyes open, teeth and ready to move within hours . Female guinea-pigs very rarely kill their babies but I know with rabbits it is more of an issue .

Rabbits are very much more "hands off" just a respectful check and plenty of food

Can we have a photo?

Rabbit care and advice on Facebook is a good page.

As others have said, be careful not to handle as they will eat them.

https://bestfarmanimals.com/why-do-rabbits-eat-their-babies-how-to-prevent-it/

Hopefully find good, responsible homes for them.

Sadly too many bunnies are bought on whim for children who then get bored of them, and worst of all, don't clean out the hutch daily, leading to maggots and fly strike.

Bunnies for adults are a different matter, or if bunnies for children are overseen by a responsible adult.

Bunnies don't particularly like being manhandled by children, and can kick hard.

Our old Lurcher and Whippet spotted an escaped pet rabbit loose on the street..I hooked their leads to a gate and caught the bunny.

.She would have been fox food come dusk.

Foxes also take pet rabbits from gardens even in daytime...at night they can scope out hutches, causing the bunnies inside to 'thump' so loudly it sounds like a repeated slamming door.

Photos please

They can breed from a surprisingly young age, worth researching as you don’t want 17 rabbits to become 34 rabbits!

Please don't separate the bonded adults.

Stay hands off and give them plenty of food and water and hope for the best.

I cared for foster rabbits, both female, one gave birth and the other didn't - they were RSPCA rabbits and I was advised not to separate the adults as it would be detrimental to their bond.

Also be aware that it's very common for the babies to die :( there is nothing you can do to prevent it but this happened to ours and it was devastating.

The bonded adult females were later rehomed together. That was the happy ending.