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Handrearing bunnies - any tips
- Thread starter x-vic-x
- Start date
Cari
Warren Veteran
Hopefully someone will come along who is knowledgeable about handrearing, but here is the thread about litters and baby bunnies... Accidental Litters and Taking on Babies. Hopefully it might give you a little information. 
Vegan_Bunny
Warren Veteran
If you have no experience then their best chance of survival is asking for somebody with experience to take them on. Rabbits are very difficult to hand rear. Are they wild or domestic?
parsnipbun
Wise Old Thumper
powdered ESBILAC puppy milk made up double strength given every 2 hours
also include a probiotic of some kind as they are older to get their stomach flora starting
try and find a doe in lactation is really the best bet at least to get them really started -
wildie or domestic?
also include a probiotic of some kind as they are older to get their stomach flora starting
try and find a doe in lactation is really the best bet at least to get them really started -
wildie or domestic?
1ml syringes - anything bigger is really hard to be accurate with. Little and often - you need to feed more than a mum rabbit would as the milk isn't as rich. Be really careful to feed a drip at a time, you don't want them inhaling the milk - it might take a few days for them to get the hang. If you haven't got milk to hand start with plain water to keep them hydrated. You'll also need to stimulate them to go to the toilet at that age.
parsnipbun
Wise Old Thumper
Interested you say about toileting -
I have heard that this is not necessary in rabbits in the same way as it is in dogs and cats - and from observation of mum feeding babies they do not seem to do it - just feed and leave.
we did not do it when we hand raised Pippin (or Sunshine - but she is a hare so maybe different again?)
However your knowledge of rabbits is pretty unsurpassable so perhaps they do need it!
That's interesting, I definitely see your point about feeding and leaving. I've got it in my head that you did need to for very young rabbits eg up to a week or so, but perhaps that's not correct. I remember I did handrearing Scamp for the first couple of days (he was approx 7 days when I got him) and they would wee. But it was soon apparent they did it by themselves too so I didn't continue for long.
I've only handreared that one litter though, so no means an expert in that particular area
x-vic-x
Mama Doe
they have taken their last feed ok, Baby 1 had 0.8ml, Baby 2 had 0.7ml and Baby 3 have 0.2ml. There were some little tiny poos on their bedding but it was dry so I toileted them and they have all wee'd. They are all now fast asleep on a heat pad. Will feed them again in a couple of hours.
