When our first rabbit Doe gave birth to her first litter, my kids had lots of questions about her hairless and blind babies.
So if your homestead or pet rabbit has just given birth we imagine that you also have a lot of questions about these newborn bunnies!
In fact, one of the most common questions about newborn rabbits is: when do bunnies open their eyes?
Baby bunnies are born blind and their eyes will naturally open after about a week and a half.
However, not all kits of the same litter may not open their eyes on the same day!
Baby Bunny Basics
For starters, let’s go over some important facts about newborn baby rabbits:
- A mother rabbit will naturally make a nest of fur for her newborn babies
- When a doe gives birth it is called kindling
- Baby rabbits are called kits
- Rabbits usually give birth to an average of 7 kits per kindling
- As mammals, rabbits nurse their young with nutritionally dense milk
- Newborn rabbits are born hairless
- Newborn bunnies are born blind
- Newborn rabbits are born deaf
Be sure to check out our post on what to do after rabbits give birth for more great information about how to handle and tend newborn rabbits.
What Age Do Bunnies Open Their Eyes
In our experience, baby rabbits start opening their eyes at about 10-12 days after birth.
There are a few common occurrences with this that we have also noticed:
- Not all kits of the same litter will open their eyes on the same day
- Sometimes there is one or two kits that open their eyes earlier than the tenth day
- In large litters there is usually at least one kit that opens its eyes a day or two after all others
Why Are Baby Rabbits Born Blind
Baby bunnies are born blind because their eyes are not fully developed.
What does it mean to be born blind?
Essentially, it means that the eye organs aren’t yet developed. That is why baby mammals born blind (including rabbits, mice, dogs, and cats) all have a protective layer of skin covering their developing eyeballs.
If you can catch a glimpse of new baby rabbits you will notice this pink skin covering the entire area of their eye!
Having closed eyelids allows the delicate eye organs of these small and defenseless babies to develop fully without risk of damage.
Interested in how rabbits’ eyes function? Read our post on rabbits’ eyesight.
Caring For Blind Baby Bunnies
Although their blind state is completely natural at birth, newborn rabbits can still have difficulty developing good eyesight.
So, here are our go-to rules when dealing with newborn rabbits:
- Never touch or scratch the skin over newborn rabbits’ eyes
- Never shine bright light at newborn baby rabbits
- Your rabbits nesting box should contain only fresh, clean hay and the the mother rabbit’s fur
Most importantly, don’t forget that caring for newborn rabbits means caring for the mother rabbit!
For example, we like to offer our new mother rabbits high calcium and high protein hay options such as alfalfa to help her in her milk production. We also give our new mothers extra pellets to help her recover her strength and nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To At What Age Do Bunnies Open Their Eyes
When Do Bunnies Ears Open?
The ear canal of newborn rabbits opens anywhere between 5-7 days, although their ears will continue to develop and grow in length for the following months.
When Do Bunnies Get Fur?
Baby rabbits grow their first coat of fur after about a week. All of our baby rabbits have had a short coat of fur on their bodies before they opened their eyes.
When Do Baby Bunnies Start Eating Food?
Baby bunnies will start nibbling at the pellets and hay offered to their mother when they are about 3-4 weeks old. This is natural and shouldn’t be discouraged.
Final Thoughts on When Do Baby Rabbits Open Their Eyes
As we’ve discussed, the best answer to the question, what age do rabbits open their eyes, is 10-12 days.
Remember not to be worried if some newborn kits open their eyes a bit before or a bit after this general timeframe!
Finally, don’t forget to tend to the mother rabbit. Giving birth and nursing young is very taxing for her and she is in need of extra care and nutrient dense foods.
This video shows the impressive (and quite quick) development of newborn rabbits from birth!