A story with a happier ending

This story maybe useful for other breeders as well as a great read for bunny lovers...

Honey (the bunny now on her 3rd litter that we are following on this blog) was pregnant for the first time. She is a stunning rabbit in a very unusual rare colouring, known as lynx lilac otter. She's a mini lop cross mini lion lop with a single mane. Her father was Ezra a chocolate Magpie mini lion lop and her mother was was Nancy the fawn blanketed butterfly (Who you've herd about on here before). The father to Honeys first litter was a stunning Black Magpie Mini lop called spirit.

Well the due date arrived and like clockwork so did the babies, honey had 6 absolutely gorgeous kits. 3 Lilac Harli Boys (Bucks) and 3 Black Harli's- 2 girls (Does) and 1 Buck. All was great, babies were born in the nest, all cleaned off well, all alive and all being fed.

On day 3 when I went out to feed the rabbits I found 3 of honeys babies out of the nest. This is one of those unfortunate things with bunny babies, as they can't see. While feeding the babies can be still hanging onto mom when she moves away from the nest which ends with babies out the nest and no idea how to get back in. Not such a problem in the warmer weather but as it was winter time I was very blessed to have found them sooner rather than later. I straight away removed Honey from her home and placed her in the run. I picked the 3 bunnies up that had escaped, they felt cold so I put them on my chest down my top whilst checking the others. The rest were still nice and warm in their nest, so I bought the cold 3 into the house. They weren't moving much and 1 wasn't moving at all. I put them on a heat pad with a tea towel over them. Checking every two minutes to my delight 2 had completely warmed up and started moving... they needed to go back in the nest ASAP! So I put them down my top on my chest and took a look at the 3rd baby. It was warming up now and trying to move, so I rubbed my finger gently but quickly up and down the babies chest to try to get the heat beat to move faster. It looked like it was gasping and couldn't get its breath. I asked my partner to keep checking the baby while I put the other two back in the nest.

Upon my return my partner was blowing gently into the little bunnies mouth as it gasped, as if by a miracle... the baby bunny took a deep breath in and started moving and breathing as normal. It was still touch and go with them all but more so the last poor little bunny. They were at least warm and moving now, I placed the last bunny on my chest and took it outside to the nest and placed it in the nest under the others. Then returned mom to her home where she went and checked her nest then came back and licked my hand as if she knew what we had done. All we could do was pray that they were all fine, especially the last one, it was the smallest too which made me doubt it would survive its ordeal.

Later that evening... it was around 11pm and I couldn't take it any more I needed to check those poor little babies. Outside I went, removed mom and placed her in the run. I couldn't see into the nest as it was dark. I blindly took the babies out 1 at a time placing them into my baby carrier, 1, 2, 3... so far so good.... 4, YES its alive, 5 Oh thank heavens these 2 have survived... hesitantly, I placed my hand into the nest. OH THANK YOU LORD... IT WAS ALIVE. It looked just the same as all the others just a bit smaller.

2 weeks later, we checked the gender of all the babies, it turned out that the little one (I truly believe my partner saved) was a girl. "I'm keeping her" he said, "she's called Olivia, short for I lived oh yeah!" He does tickle me!

Olivia is now an adult bunny and a new mom!

So thats the story of our beautiful Lion Lop Olivia, who will still have today! (See photos below in comments as they wouldn't go on the blog space for some reason) of Olivias parents, Spirit and Honey and also Olivia and her first litter (Who by the way are currently up for sale) 🐇 🐰

Hope you enjoyed this read and to all you breeders out there... if they get out the nest warm them up and see if they start moving. Dont give up on them until you've tried!