A week ago, I found a nest of wild bunnies in my raised bed. It is helpful to be able to estimate the age of the bunnies to determine how much longer they will be occupying your garden space if you are interested in keeping them undisturbed.
Rabbits take about 3 to 4 weeks to develop from birth to the point where they can begin to fend for themselves. During this time period, they go through a dramatic physical transformation, marked by several key milestones. Knowing what these milestones are and when they occur can help you estimate the age of baby rabbits. I dug up some old footages I had from rabbits I raised to show these stages of development.
Prior to birthing, rabbit moms build nests using dry twigs, grasses, and their own hair. These nests are built anywhere from a couple of days to just minutes before birthing. The nest will be used for several weeks so the mom will look for a spot that’s hidden and sheltered from the elements.
Moms line the nests with their hair because babies are born hairless. The hair in the nest keeps the babies warm until their hair grows out. Baby rabbits are also born with their eyes shut. They rely purely on smell and feel to suckle when the mom comes to nurse them.
At about one week of age, the babies are fully covered in hair. However, their eyes will still be closed. Their eyes will begin to open around 1.5 weeks, at which time they will look like they are squinting all the time.
Their eyes fully open by about 2 to 2.5 weeks. When fully open, the eyes appear round. Even once they can see, baby rabbits still spend their entire days cuddle together in the safety of the nest. Their movements at this point resemble crawling or awkward hops.
At around three weeks, baby rabbits are fully mobile and will begin to venture from the nest, explore, and nibble on plant matter. Soon they will abandon the nest all together.
