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How do I encourage a wild rabbit to move her nest?

Leslie W - 2007-05-10 16:27:10 - Zoology

I have a small barn and for the past week I've been cleaning out the stalls (They are bedded w/ hay and have outside access). My goats have been locked outside and apparently this small window of time as given a wild rabbit ample opportunity to build a nest and have babies INSIDE my barn. These babies can't stay here. I found one dead after being stepped on by one of my goats. How can I encourage the mother to move the nest or can I move the nest myself? (I've read online up to 10 feet away, which is fine, I could put them on the other side of the fence (but then how do I alert the mother to their location). I'm a "let nature take it's course" type of person and hand feeding them is not a possiblity, please keep that in mind when you answer. But, I'd still like to give these guys as much of an advantage as I can. Also, I need to get all the hay cleaned out of the barn ASAP (Saturday afternoon at the latest), so they can't stay there much longer! Thanks in Advance! I just want to add that I CAN NOT leave them in the barn. This isn't a tool shed or something, it's a livestock barn and I can't wait around and leave my animals out in the weather until these rabbits grow up. Thanks for the quick responses! Fencing them out isn't an option either, chicken wire won't stop goats.

Best Answer:

Ok, the mother would not eat them. These are rabbits, not wild dogs! If you have a shovel, I would suggest moving them perhaps half way to the point where it would be safe. Use the shovel to pick up the babies, nest and all. Rabbits don't have that nose just to look cute while wiggling it! She'll smell her babies and as long as you're not in the area, she should return to them. Keep them in a semi sheltered area when you move them though. If the momma rabbit feels they aren't safe, she may abandon them in which case you'll have to call animal control, or she may move them back where they were, in which case you would have to move them all at once to your preferred location and let the chips fall where they may.

Answers:

Um.. you really can't do that. Could you move the goats until the little ones are old enough to go off on their own?

Leaving them alone until they leave on their own would be ideal, but as you have stated this is not an option. You would have to call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice, or to take them to be hand reared. If the babies are moved, and the mother smells human scent on them she will either eat them or abandon them. Good luck.

Leave them alone. Moving just does more harm. They'll be gone in a few days anyway. Leave the wild in the wild.

Ok, the mother would not eat them. These are rabbits, not wild dogs! If you have a shovel, I would suggest moving them perhaps half way to the point where it would be safe. Use the shovel to pick up the babies, nest and all. Rabbits don't have that nose just to look cute while wiggling it! She'll smell her babies and as long as you're not in the area, she should return to them. Keep them in a semi sheltered area when you move them though. If the momma rabbit feels they aren't safe, she may abandon them in which case you'll have to call animal control, or she may move them back where they were, in which case you would have to move them all at once to your preferred location and let the chips fall where they may.

leave them dont touch them and put a small fence around them. something with holes like chicken wire.

just wait for the rabbits to grow up that is only a few weeks if you touch the babies the mother may reject them and they will die for sure just put some boxes or something in front of the nest so that the goats cant get there for now