Baby Bunnies: Tips, Tricks and Myths

Who has one of the longest breeding seasons in Ohio? The Eastern cottontail rabbit. They start having babies mid-February into September, having four to five litters each breeding season. Rabbits can give birth up to 12 babies per litter. As a result, rabbits are one of our most common mammals in Ohio. So, it is likely at some point you will find a nest in your yard.
Rabbits will make a nest in the lawn, flower beds and under brush or leaf litter piles. If you find a nest and have concerns, click on the video below for some reliable and useful tips and tricks to help you decide if the babies need your assistance or if it’s best to keep your distance. You can also visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/wildlifecenter for more information on what to do if you find baby animals.

[@JuneauinAlaska]

Thanks so much Tammy for such a comprehensive explanation and education on this subject!!! 😊😊😊

[@84kateryna]

Thank you very much! Very helpful video!

[@jessicatyrrell2493]

This was fantastic!!! Thank you

[@yolandagomez9255]

fantastic information, thank you very much

[@jamesdixon2857]

Thank you for the important information, i all wondered where rabbits hid their babies and now i know. Good video. 👍

[@chrisk6255]

Thunderstorms came through this evening but hopefully my(i know state of nj) baby bunnys are ok, I check on them1 time a day making sure their bellies are full. the Mom comes 2 x a day I ran out of time to put up my 10x 10 canope. so I used the wheelbarrow and a storage container on the other side. anchored a 3 foot x 5 foot plywood covering its about 24 " above them . I just dont want these guys to drown. i am in constant contact with a rehabber as these guys are full to capacity.

[@dreamfarmer1195]

very informative video..thank u

[@smilinglynn9584]

Excellent report..

[@PBandJ_Naivi]

Great tips 👏🏻 thanks for sharing

[@21pilotscoolestfan37]

This was so helpful

[@LakeMetroparks2]

That's so good to hear. Thanks for letting us know! If you have any other questions about helping injured or orphaned wildlife we have a FAQ section on our wildlife center page here: goto.lakemetroparks.com/wildlifecenter.

[@jfr7160]

That was very helpful!!

[@suemccusker5296]

This was a very helpful presentation as there was a bunny nest in my yard I watched the mother come back and feed them finally they came out of the nest and went there way When I went out one morning there were 2 dead bunnies on my porch I was so upset and than buried them I heard there was a fix in the neighborhood and it probably killed them I never saw the Fox We have a fenced in yard I am still crying but I do know it is the circle of life I really got so attached and I miss them

[@sarahh9579]

I know they mean well but as a cottontail rehabber some of these methods suggested are unreliable. I've seen finders use the cornstarch/flour method and it obstruct the air passage of the babies to their death. Any animal could put it's print in the flour and it be mistaken for moms print. Also, I've seen the string method used and it be completely out of place next day but it was another animal that had moved it because the tummies of the babies were not full of moms milk. Otherwise, objects over the nest generally move so slightly no one can tell if mom returned or not. Objects can additionally obstruct the baby from feeding. Please, rehabilitators use helpful photos of babies with full or sunken in tummies so you and the finder can determine if intervention is needed. It is the only sure way to know if mom is coming back by checking the tummies. Rehabbers are taking in numerous babies each year because they are not looking at the tummy to see if they are fed. It can take one to two days to determine if fed. Tummies are best checked after a recent feeding. Please learn to do the job correctly to save more lives.

[@BeRNGaming-wn4iw]

We have 1wk baby bunnies in a nest mom feeding them but fox is coming in around. Is laundry basket with hole in it good or no? Just leave it be?

[@FootballFanLeanne]

Thankyou for this helpful video. I have a bunny nest I found when cutting back plants in my garden and the babies are so tiny. I've seen mama come by during the early evenings, but we've had some much rain yesterday that the gardens were flooded and now I worry the babies have drowned. At first light, I will check on them.

[@louiejaycabrera7118]

Any update for the baby bunnies you have? It's been a month

[@MeeshTeesh]

I currently have a nest in my backyard. They should be 3 weeks this coming week. Mama bun comes at weird times though. I saw her this morning around 815am and she has not been back all day. I work from home so I check them often. I checked around 9pm and the grass was not put back on them, so I sure hope she comes some time this evening :(

[@louiejaycabrera7118]

How are they today?

[@t.roberts]

We bought our house 4 years ago and I have been hoping for a nest ever since. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for! Found some babies in the backyard and want to make sure they’re protected from predators. Currently have them covered with a basket until later, but want to know if there’s any way to protect them from nocturnal predators?

[@rebeccabarber9031]

Looking for some advice. We had a mama rabbit make a nest for her babies in our raise garden. It’s around 2 feet high and the jump that the babies would have to make to get out is a good 6-8 inches. We have a dog so I’m trying to keep her away from the area as much as possible. They are starting to explore a bit within the garden bed. We are going away this weekend with our dog… could I take this opportunity to take them out of the bed so they can explore and leave the nest without my dog going after them? (I was thinking maybe I could recreate their nest on the ground outside of my garden bed?)

[@dabr5467]

I just noticed a cotton tail beginning to make a nest in our backyard, in a not so remote part either. There are a ton of squirrels and birds etc that explore the yard on a daily basis. Can this become a problem for the babies?

[@gdtruckern7632]

Thanks. I been really upset because my dog got into a nest by the house and killed 2 out of 5 baby's i left pick up the 2 dead ones and left the other 3 and figured the mother would be back at dark and it called for rain the night. So sad to go out the next morning and to see one more missing and 2 others dead as if they got cold and wet. Im so confused and angry. They still had there eyes closed and didn't think I could bottle feed them as they was really young still. I thought for sure mom was going be back ?

[@yolandagomez9255]

I just found a nest yesterday but thee is only 2 babies, looks about 1- 2 weeks old, near my deck. I thought there would be more? should I look for more?

[@shauneriver3973]

today at 2 the mom game back and was eating some of her fur from the nest, is that normal? she also sits outside all day and watches her nest.

[@Godsdaughter530]

Cats took a baby rabbit into my garage I dont know where the mothers nest is :( I have it in a box with dry grass and fresh grass and water is that good enough no stores are open now I dont know what to do Im worried about this little baby

[@sumrudondas490]

How about if the nest is in a hole at the root of an olive tree and there is no way to put such cage stable like the one you show on the video. The nest is not in my land and the dog is not mine and free at all times.? Anytime I put the baby inside, it gets out. I can see the other baby in the hole, out of reach. But this one doesn't want to stay in the hole and the dog keeps messing with the baby.

[@beansultra6872]

Hello, I have an important question.what time does the mother usually come back to check on her babies. I have a nest in my backyard and want to make sure she’s coming from time to time.

[@LakeMetroparks2]

Hi. Thanks for reaching out to us about the baby bunnies. The mother does not have a set schedule as to what time she returns to the next. They are not on the same schedule as us humans! She will check back in from time to time, longer as they get older to prepare them for life on their own. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Wildlife Center at 440-256-1404 x2131. Thanks!

[@ryanshock2541]

What if the nest was destroyed by construction equipment and I move them and make a new nest 10 feet away? Will she find them

[@11Dani11]

Just found a nest. My dog killed one, and one is remaining. I gated the dogs out so they can't access it. I also put it back I'm thr nest once and the bunny left to where it ran after my dog attacked the other bunny. I put it back in the nest again... hoping mom comes back tonight.

[@MrBargill]

It is interesting that they haven't gone extinct given those shallow holes(rain, skunks etc.)/the European rabbits dig tunnels....

[@siamimam2109]

I had a camera rolling and the mom came every other day. It was around 1pm, 10pm, 8pm, 6pm. I’m guessing it’s a way to throw offf predators.

[@TheJoman40]

I would appreciate some advice. I found what I believe was an abandoned baby bunny 😭, he was not in a nest. I have now cared for him for about 24 days. I bottle-fed him and he did great. I have since been giving him Organic alfalfa. I am guessing he was about two or three weeks old when I found him. I would love to return him to his natural habitat, but wonder if you could offer thoughts toward this idea? Thank you

[@LakeMetroparks2]

Hi Jody. Thanks for reaching out to us about the orphaned baby bunny you found. You can call our wildlife hotline at 440-256-1404 x2131 and they can answer questions you may have.

[@organixgirl]

We’re his eyes open that’s when mom leaves them and yes they wander. They will eventually leave the nest when they reach the age fortunately they grow fast

[@louiejaycabrera7118]

How are they today?

[@damattice23]

I have major stray cat issues. Just saved a baby from four cats trying to catch and kill it. What do I do about that! People refuse to keep their cats inside. Rabbits have babies in my yard every year, and the strays know it.

[@srhqueen420]

What if u forget to move it?!?! She won't be able to get to them 😭😭😭😭

[@Jadd612]

I found a baby bunny in my basement and it may have been startled by my lawn mower, I caught the baby bunny with a live trap and released the baby bunny about 20 feet away from the nest in some tall grass. The next day I found where the actual nest was on the side of the house. I'm not sure if I did the right thing here, the baby bunny was in my basement for a few days before I caught it, and I let it go away from the nest. Not sure if the mother will find her baby bunny? and if I should set up the live trap where I released the bunny and bring it back to it's nest?

[@gennerobootz6490]

Ohh I found a nest at work I saw like 12 baby rabbits I didn’t see the mother around I thought maybe it was abandoned but they looked healthy I just put a cone next to it saying do not touch

[@PHmaddnes]

Does anyone have tips or tricks for preventing predidation from feral cats at night?

[@TheRealJohnJ10]

I found 5 babies while cutting my grass. They all ran out. We put them in a little box with hay and grass where I found them was in a tiny hole. I don’t think I can get them back in. What should I do?

[@NhatNguyen-xs7kl]

Same, found a baby after I was done mowing. I follow this video and move the baby with gloves on and put it by the nest and push the grass around the hole and a couple minutes the baby went back into the hole with its brothers and sisters. Edit:just put it by the hole and put flour in a circle around the hole and wait til morning to see if the white flour move, the mom tend to come at night time.

[@googlreviews7813]

Can I leave the laundry basket on permanently? At night we have cats that are now aware of the babies and want to get to them. Will mother dig a passage u der the laundry basket to get to her young?

[@yoons9294]

If she digs the cats can use that hole too

[@togetherbytommorow]

I found 3 baby bunnies with no mom. ( trying to care of of them, live on farm no coyotes, but have alfalfa hay. :D

[@mytiktokisstormywithachanc7637]

What do you mean with no mom, the mom comes in the middle of the night you just stole its babies.

[@louiejaycabrera7118]

How are they?

[@n0tfr0mth1sw0rld]

The mum is feeding their young only twice a day ? That doesn't seem right?

[@alexxisbrown5518]

hii i have improtant questions!! i have a nest in my backyard. unfortunately it rained really hard yesterday it killed from what i can see 2 babies. rhey died in thier nest ☹️ there is still 2 babies hopping around in backyard. my question is will those babies go back to thier nest ? or will mommy find them in a new spot and feed them? should i do anything put water out?

[@LakeMetroparks2]

Hi Alexxis. The mother will return to her young. If you think the babies fell from the nest due to the rainstorm, if you are able to, with gloved hands, gently move them back into the next. The mom will still accept them even though they were touched.

[@alexxisbrown5518]

@@LakeMetroparks2 the babies during the day roam around the yard but during the storm i think they huddled together and got drowned ! I was unsure if the other babies would go back to the nest to eat/sleep cause they're sibling has passed away in there! Or mom would see 2 dead babies and think the other 3 passed away somewhere else and just not come back! Thank you for information!

[@maxhill1400]

went hunting found a nest of baby rabbits and found a nest with no mother so i took them to my local rehabilitatir

[@shauneriver3973]

she also sits and watches over her nest all day??

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

Just found a baby bunny nest in the center of our backyard fire pit...UGH

[@louiejaycabrera7118]

Are they doing fine now?

[@mrsglitter8373]

Could I add bricks around it with a hole just big enough for Mom to get through because my dog sleeps outside and is outside most of the day also

[@lillycarlson7899]

HEY I HAVE A QUESTION IM ABOUT TO CRY CAUSE IDK IF IM GONNA KILL THEM😓😓😓 ok so i was playing in my yard and i saw a patch of brown grass so i touched it and my friend picked one of the newborn bunnies up. I HOPE I DIDNT KILL IT PLEASE IM CRYING

[@LakeMetroparks2]

Hi Lilly. Thanks for your concern. As long as the baby bunny was returned to where it was found or in the nest, the mother will still accept it back. You are fine!

[@biggootz]

A tip that I can pass along is that fried rabbit is delicious.