Sorry Emma, but a lot of what you posted is very false. Sorry if this comes off as rude, but some things need to be corrected to avoid mishandling and improper care if there are babies.
You cant do a home pregnancy test by holding your buck near her and examining her response. Pregnant or not, she may or may not grunt. It is rabbit instinct to defend territory against stranger rabbits. Male and female rabbits do this, pregnancy or not, fixed or hormonal. The only way to tell if she is pregnant is to head to the vet and have them check over, and to ask them to show you how to palpate safely and correctly so you know for the future what to look for. Home myths will not be accurate by any means.
Pregnant rabbits do not often stay near their nest. Theyll place their nest where they feel is safest (often behind or under furniture, or in very hidden parts of their cage/pen), and they may only visit it a few times a day. When they visit, they will be hay and fur. Youll notice a lot of fur plucking from their dewlap about a week or two before birth is due. However, often first time mommies dont pluck, bring hay, or even build a nest. You might find no nest and still find babies somewhere on the floor. If you see babies and no nest, build a nest out of fleece blankets in a box small enough mommy can get in, but large enough the babies done fall out.
Touching the babies will not cause mommy bun to neglect or kill her babies. Your scent on the babies will not cause mommy to react positively or negatively. To them, youre just an unharmful scent and nothing to worry about. You dont need to pet your mommy bun first before touching them. You do, however, need to make sure your hands are warm and freshly rinsed.
Just a few things to note: The first litter often dies due to the mommy bun not caring for them properly. To check if she is caring for them, touch them a few times a day and look at their tummies. Their bodies should be warm and their tummies should look rounded. If you notice they go 24 hours without feeling warm or looking plump, you can try to force feed them by holding your mommy bun on her back and latching the babies onto her nipples, one at a time. If she rejects this or isnt lactating, youll need to take caring for them into your own hands (youll NEED a vet for weekly check ups; if you cannot provide this, you can call shelters and your vet to ask where to drop the babies off to for someone else to care for them properly). Heavily research how to raise baby rabbits and if possible ask your friend to show you. The last note being, mommy buns only visit the nest once or twice a day to feed her babies. The rest of the day, she will likely ignore the nest until she feels the babies are in danger.
Good luck!
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