Bunnies

[BikerDude]

Freaking rabbit had babies in the yard.
Found one of them that the dog had had his way with and it was all fucked up.
I had no idea what it was but it was still alive so we had to call animal rescue and drive it over and it didn't make it.
But the guy said that if there was one there was probably a whole litter.
He said to look around for a hole in the lawn and sure enough there was a hole with 4 other ones in there.
It's amazing that they aren't extinct.
The way they do it is the mother comes along and digs a hole no more than about 5 or 6 inched deep and has the babies in there. She covers the hole with grass and twigs and stuff along with her own fur and takes off.
She comes back twice a day to feed the babies. Just after dark and just before dawn. But basically they are more of less totally vulnerable.
So now I have to baby sit them and can't leave the dog out there alone.
I'm thinking I'll take some fence that I left that we use for around the garden and put it up around the hole with an opening big enough for the mother but too small for the dog.
I'm pretty sure the mother has been coming back because they seem to be doing fine.
A website I found about caring for wild baby rabbits says if she doesn't come back they will cry out for her non stop.
They haven't been. I picked them up to be sure the dog didn't mess up any others and they squealed so I know they can. Now I'm a rabbit baby sitter. Like I haven't got enough worries.
Check out all this about taking care of them if the mom isn't coming back.
It's a complicated case. Lotta ins.  Lotta outs.  And a lotta strands to keep in my head, man.  Lotta strands
in old Duder's--
http://rabbit.org/faq-orphaned-baby-bunnies/

They look just like these

[DigitalBuddha]

Jesus, man, that's awesome.

[BikerDude]

Well I don't know about awesome.
I have enough crap to worry about.
I put long pieces of grass across the nest in a lattice like the website said to do so you'd know if the mother was coming back. Woke up this morning and the first thing I was thinking is "I hope the mother came back!"
I ran outside in my bathrobe to check.
Because if she didn't then I have to deal with it.
Their lives are in my hands!
I don't want to fuck it up!
Even the modest task that is my charge!

But luckily she did come back so they are fine.

[BikerDude]

They didn't make it.
they seemed fine yesterday.
I went out this morning and one was out of the nest and barely moving and another in the nest was barely moving. I didn't check the others. Put the one back in the nest and went to work.
Wife just checked em and she says they are all dead.
Now I get to bum out about it.
Thanks mother nature.
I didn't ask for this shit!
Bummer man. A real fucking bummer!

[DigitalBuddha]

yeah, that's a bummer, man, that's a bummer. DB's head is bowed.

[BikerDude]

She'll be back.
Truth is I believe that we've had bunnies before and never knew.
I've found the same pile of fur in the same area of the lawn past summers and thought that a cat killed something there.
It was my 9 year old son that noticed one of them outside the nest this year.
Apparently the term "breed like a rabbit" is not accident.
They generally have 4-8 in each litter and have 6 to 8 litters per year.
Chances are she's ready to have more already.
It still sucks though because they had changed so fast. They looked like little rabbits.
I don't know what happened. One day they were fine and energetic and the next they were done.
I guess when it's hot like this if mom doesn't come for a couple of feedings then they dehydrate and croak.
Sucks.

[Jay Dude]

Bummer, man.

[Rev Dave Man]

That's a bummer BD. But I happen to know there's a new little batch of bunnies on the way.  I guess that's the way the whole dern rabbit comedy keeps on perpetuatin' itself. 

[jgiffin]

Shit, man. Sorry. That sucks. We also had a bunnie situation a couple years ago. The wife nearly ran over a nest while mowing the lawn. Then the dogs got curious. Those little fuckers had some close calls. They ended up making it, though. We saw mommy bunnie come back pretty frequently. I guess that's the determining factor. Your'e a good dude. Did all you could.

[BikerDude]

I think mom got pancaked at the end of the service alley anyway.
Life's tough for suburban bunnies I guess.

[DigitalBuddha]

I think mom got pancaked at the end of the service alley anyway.
Life's tough for suburban bunnies I guess.

that's a bummer, man