# Anyone handfeed baby rabbits?



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I had to pull Bunnys litter from her today. She has not been feeding them. They are in poor body condition (they look totally different than my other week litter at a week old) they are skinny, cold and weak.

I brought them in and warmed them up.

I bought some 11 animal milk replacer 25% fat 24% protien.

they each took about a half a cc. I know you are only supposed to feed them twice a day, but to get them started today should I do it more often?

I've handfed lots of avian species from parrotlets to bald eagles but never rabbits.










Any advice?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

here is a link...good luck..they are sweet!! Bunnies are hard..but not impossible http://www.rabbitgeek.com/articles/alley_bottlefeeding.html


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

Bunnies are so hard to keep alive by hand feeding. I had a little Holland lop doe a few years ago who had 11 babies (way too many), and the next day I caught her eating them (I guess she knew there were too many, too?). Anyway, I grabbed out the 4 she hadn't gotten, and I started doing research on hand feeding. I got really discouraged because it seemed like they were pretty much going to die no matter what I did, so as a last ditch effort I brought the momma in twice a day and held her down so the babies could nurse. They knew what to do once they smelled her nearby, and I held her still so they could eat. Luckily, rabbits don't feed their young many times a day, so I only had to do it twice a day. Also, there is this gel stuff you can get at a pet store (I'll look up the name), and I think it's mostly probiotics, but I gave them a little squeeze of that once a day to try to help them not get diarrhea. They did fine.


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

The gel stuff I mentioned is called Bene-bac. It comes in several different forms, but the one I used was gel in a little tube. I found if I just stuck a little on my finger and stuck it on their mouth, they'd lick it off their lips.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

Are their eyes open yet,if not you need to feed 2x per day also make sure to give probiotics from now until weaning, the problem almost always start in the gi track and without the organisms provided by moms milk they can have a hard time. If possible start them on antibiotics now as a preventative measure,enrofloxacin or metronidazole and as I said 1/2 ml of probios daily until weaning. As far as milk replacer I would use 1 part esbilac and 1 part multi- milk powder mixed with 2 parts water,they like it hot,not so hot it burns them but having to reheat may be necessary. I hold each animals feeding in an appropriate sized syringes in a dish of hot or warm water while I feed. The stomach capacity of a bunny is 10-25% of body weight,start with 10% then work your way up.no alfalfa it's going be difficult for them to digest for some time. Also no antibiotics that end in cillin. If you get some appropriate antibiotics and need dosing info let me know. Best of luck!


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Well they each took 1.5 cc some were eager some were not.

They look so much better after 1 feeding. Maybe some of them will make it? I ALMOST got that benebac. I'll grab some tomorrow.


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## mtmom75 (May 19, 2011)

Glad to hear they took more food! Keep it up.  I think the bene-bac really helped my little ones. I also remembered one time they looked like they were getting kind of bloated, and their tummies were huge and hard, and I had to wipe their rear ends with a warm wash cloth to get them to go to the bathroom. So keep an eye out for that, too. Good luck!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Aww, poor little babies. Good luck with the bunnies.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

If you have probiotics that will be fine


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## ahead-by-a-hare (Jan 6, 2013)

Rabbits generally only feed their young once a day!!!!! Do not over feed you will kill them!! I don't use replacements we just generally make mom feed them. Take your nest box out once a day and put her in it. I love my rabbits but tell my 4-H kids remember rabbits can be dumb bunnies. If you have other litters the same age you can try fostering them in another litter as long as you don't over tax that doe. But be careful she will cull her own box if she feels she has to many and will push out her own small ones.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I don't have another litter near the same age. One is 10 days older and there are already 8 of them and they are growing and healthy.

My rabbits were both feeding their babies twice a day.... I watched them.

Mom will not feed them, she's too aggressive. I'm getting the help of folks that have hand fed baby rabbits many times before on a rabbit forum.

So far they are peeing, pooping, digesting the 11 species replacement milk, and some are eager to eat, some are not. I fed them extra yesterday because they were dehydrated. Dehydration kills young animals of any species very quickly.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I have successfully raised baby rabbits on raw goat milk.
It is hard; I wish you luck.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

Until their eyes are open they def. need to be fed 2x daily


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Someone who has raised a few litters told me that when they are not taking much food (like these guys they don't like the milk or the feeding method yet) to try three times a day. I've been doing that and so far they are doing great. They are growing, squeeking, peeing, pooping, they look shine-ier (I can't think how to spell that word) and the pee has gone from dark to a lighter color. Thank goodness!

They were so sunken and shrunken and weak yesterday morning, today it's like totally different babies.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I got a kitten bottle today. Lets just say they figured that out quick! Happy baby bellies!


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## FlyingFeetsFarm (Nov 28, 2012)

I have found a couple abandoned,wild rabbits before down by our barn, I successfully raised them on goats milk  good luck, it sounds like you are doing the right thing.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Looking good so far. They are so precious.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

They are looking better!!!


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