i found a nest with the mower but fortunaly it was set high enuff i didnt hurt them we had three in the yard, they are all big rabbits now and torture my german shepherd lol
That is something rabbit breeders hear all too often, especially in springtime. In most cases, young, inexperienced baby rabbits are found shortly after the mother has kicked them out of the nest. People stumble across the babies, assume they are orphans, and try to do the right thing by giving them cow's milk and cabbage, which often is fatal for the babies.
So what should you do if you find wild baby rabbits? The answer to this question is pretty simple: in most cases you should leave them where you found them. Wild rabbits do not need human help, unless the mother rabbit has been killed. Do not handle them (or any other wild animal) unless absolutely necessary. Wild rabbits are host to fleas, ticks, lice, and other parasites that can transmit disease to humans and domestic animals alike.
How can you tell if a baby rabbit is old enough to fend for itself? Look for a white blaze on their foreheads. If they don't have the blaze, they are old enough to be outside on their own. Just leave them alone. If they do have a white blaze, they are still under their mother's care. Leave them in their nest or put them back if they're outside of the nest. If you are concerned that the mother has abandoned the babies, take two twigs and lay them in an "X" over the nest. When mother rabbit comes to feed them, she will disturb the twigs.
Wild female rabbits build shallow nests (called "forms") and only visit the nest once or twice a day to nurse. The rest of the time, they will be out of sight but probably nearby. A mother rabbit's infrequent visitations are meant to keep the nest hidden - more frequent visits would draw unwelcome attention from predators. Because the doe visits the nest typically just before dawn and just after dark, it can appear as if the babies were abandoned. If the babies have full bellies, they are being cared for, and the best thing you can do is to leave them alone.
