Newborn rabbits are small, sweet, and furry creatures that require a lot of care. Whether you have found a nest of orphaned puppies or your pet has rejected their children, you need to feed them for them to survive. By feeding them at the right times of the day and providing them with the correct amount of food, you can help them face life "on the right foot".
Steps
Part 1 of 2: with Artificial Milk
Step 1. Make sure the mother is not actually feeding them
Before you remove the puppies from the nest or think that they are orphans, you must check that they are not already fed by the mother or that this is a risk for the creatures. Usually, the mother feeds the bunnies twice a day and only for five minutes; also, they don't need her to stay warm. If you don't see them particularly agitated and the mother isn't close to them, she may simply have drifted away for a while and you shouldn't interfere.
- Puppies that are rejected are cold, cry for more than a few minutes, and have bluish or shriveled skin from dehydration.
- Sometimes, the mother may refuse her children and in this case you have to separate them from her so that she does not harm them.
- Do not assume that there are orphaned bunnies in an unattended nest, check them often before taking them to feed them; if they seem calm to you, it is unlikely that they have been abandoned.
- Keep in mind that only 10% of rabbits taken from nature survive, so you should leave them in their environment whenever possible.
Step 2. Purchase formula milk for newborn rabbits
If you have to feed them, you need to get the right product. Rabbit milk is the most caloric of all mammalian milk, so you need to make sure you're getting the right one and in the right amount.
- Buy puppy powder or goat powder; you can find it at pet stores or you can ask your local vet where to get it.
- You should supplement each bottle of infant formula with a dollop of 100% sugar-free full-fat liquid cream to increase caloric intake and make milk richer, like breast milk.
- You can also add a pinch of acidophilus lactic ferments, which help maintain healthy intestinal flora in puppies; lactobacillus acidophilus is available in major health food stores.
Step 3. Purchase a syringe or dropper to feed the creatures
Usually, bunnies do not suck from bottles, so you need to get some sterile oral syringes or droppers, which help you measure the exact amount of milk and are the size of "mother rabbit" nipples.
These tools are on sale in almost every pharmacy; however, you can often find them also in pet shops that offer special solutions for four-legged friends
Step 4. Mix the infant formula
Babies have to drink milk until they reach six weeks of age and you have to make different mixes for different ages. Divide the amount of milk into two equal meals throughout the day to ensure the puppies are well fed.
- Remember to also add a tablespoon of 100% sugar-free whole cream to each bottle of formula, as well as a pinch of lactic ferments with each feed.
- Infants up to a week: 4-5 cc of infant formula;
- Puppies that are 1-2 weeks old: 10-15 cc;
- Rabbits that are 2-3 weeks old: 15-30 cc of milk;
- From 3-6 weeks or until weaning begins: 30 cc.
Step 5. Give the milk
Once you have prepared the right mixture, you have to make the puppies drink it twice a day; it is important to breastfeed them the same way their mother would in order for them to stay healthy and thrive.
Most rabbit moms feed their puppies twice a day: at sunrise and sunset
Step 6. Let the little ones eat at their own pace
It is vital that they can eat at their own speed, otherwise they could choke or even die.
- Babies can drink from the syringe and you can spray a small amount of milk according to how much they want.
- If the bunny does not like to drink from the syringe, give him time to adapt; you may need to stimulate it with a gentle splash of milk.
- To comfort him, you can also stroke him while he eats.
Step 7. Encourage him to defecate and urinate
It is vital that he can satisfy his basic needs after eating, so that the digestive and urinary tracts remain healthy and function properly.
- It is sufficient to stimulate the release of feces and urine for the first ten days of the creature's life or until it begins to open its eyes.
- Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water and gently rub it on the anal and genital area until you see that it begins to release feces and urine; continue like this until it's done.
- Don't worry it's something wrong, you're actually doing exactly what the bunny mom is supposed to do.
Step 8. Proceed with weaning
Continue giving formula milk and solid foods to the bunnies until they are ready for weaning. Depending on their breed, this process could take place from 3-4 weeks of age until they reach 9.
- House rabbits begin to switch to solid foods at around 6 weeks.
- Wild animals, such as cotton-tailed rabbits (or cottontails), begin weaning at 3-4 weeks of age, while hares at around 9 weeks.
Part 2 of 2: with Solid Foods
Step 1. Wait until the puppies start opening their eyes
They can only start eating solid foods from this moment, when they are about 10 days old. During weaning, around 6 weeks, you can slowly start adding some solid food to infant formula; in any case, you must avoid all solid substances before the creatures open their eyes, because the intestinal tract is not yet able to assimilate them before this time.
Step 2. Introduce solid foods
Once the bunnies have their eyes open, you can start feeding them foods other than milk; however, domestic and wild animals eat different products, so you need to know what type of animal you are caring for. Both varieties can eat oats, timothy grass, or alfalfa, but domestic ones can also feed on pelleted feed, while wild ones also eat vegetables.
- Domestic rabbits: oats, timothy grass, alfalfa, pellets; Not give them vegetables;
- Wild rabbits: oats, timothy grass, alfalfa, fresh vegetables such as green leafy ones, carrots, parsley; Not give them pellets.
- Leave solid foods in a corner of the "nest" where they can easily eat them.
- Make sure you replace hay, pellets and vegetables regularly to prevent them from spoiling and accumulating bacteria.
- You can buy hay and feed at major pet stores, while vegetables and carrots are readily available at grocery stores or vegetable markets.
Step 3. Provide the puppies with water
In addition to formula milk and solid foods, you need to consider that they also need to drink to stay hydrated and nourish properly.
- Do not put a bowl that is too deep in the enclosure, as the bunnies may drown in a large container filled with water.
- Instead, take a shallow one, fill it with a small amount of water, and place it in a corner of the nest.
- Regularly clean and refill the bowl of water; This way, you not only help the little ones stay well hydrated, but you also ensure that no dangerous bacteria develop.
Advice
- Only handle a wild rabbit if you are feeding it, otherwise you could send it into shock and kill it.
- Get an easy-to-use syringe to feed or give the bunny to drink.
- To avoid choking him, put the food in his mouth slowly when using the syringe.
- As you feed him, wrap him in a towel to keep him calm and relaxed.
- Consult your vet if you are unsure how to feed them.
Warnings
- Never give liquid food too quickly through the syringe.
- Be careful not to feed the rabbit too little, but also avoid overfeeding it.
