Baby rabbits require a lot of care. When caring for a baby rabbit, there are certain things you need to know. One of the most important things is knowing what your baby rabbit is allowed to eat and how to feed him.
Feed your baby rabbits kitten milk replacer or goat milk twice daily. You can add sugar-free whipping cream and a pinch of acidophilus. Feed them with an oral syringe by holding them in the crook of your arm. You can add solid food like oat and timothy hay from the day they open their eyes.
Let’s look at what to feed your baby rabbit, how much to feed him, and how to safely feed him with an oral syringe or eyedropper to avoid choking.
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What To Feed Your Baby Rabbit
You must know exactly what to feed your baby rabbit. Baby rabbits can consume kitten milk replacer, goat milk, whipping cream, and acidophilus. You can feed them this from the day they are born until they are six weeks of age. But only feed them this if you are 100% sure their mother isn’t feeding them.
Kitten Milk Replacer
Natural rabbit milk has a lot of calories and nutrients. However, sometimes the mother isn’t able to feed her babies. Kitten milk replacer is a good alternative. You can purchase kitten milk replacer, a substitute for mother’s milk, from a pet store or veterinarian’s office.
It is important to give a baby rabbit that has been separated from its mother kitten milk replacer to ensure he gets all the nutrients he needs to survive and be healthy. While primarily made for kittens, kitten milk replacer is a high-protein supplement. It has a lot of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that cats, and in this case, baby rabbits, require.
You have the option of either buying it in powder or liquid form. In its powdered form, kitten milk replacer has a shelf-life of three months, whereas liquid is only good for 14 days.
It has all the vital nutrients you would find in a mother’s milk, which will greatly benefit your baby rabbit’s development and growth. You can feed your newborn baby rabbit kitten milk replacer until he’s about six weeks of age.
Goat Milk
Another great alternative to rabbit’s milk is goat milk. Like rabbit’s milk, goat milk is high in calories and protein.
Sugar-Free 100% Whipping Cream
Add 100% heavy whipping cream with no sugar to your baby rabbit’s milk or milk replacer. This will increase the calories of the baby rabbit’s meal, mimicking the richness of rabbit milk.
Solid Foods
You can start introducing your baby rabbit to solid foods, along with kitten milk replacer or goat milk, when he opens his eyes around ten days after being born. With solid food, it is important to know what type of rabbit you have. Wild rabbits eat differently from domestic rabbits.
If you have a domestic rabbit, you should only feed him:
- Oat and timothy hay
- Pellets
- Alfalfa hay
If you have a wild rabbit, you should only feed him:
- Oat and timothy hay
- Alfalfa hay
- Dark leafy green vegetables
- Carrot tops
- Parsley
The vegetables should be fresh and moist. You need to replace them regularly to avoid any bacteria build-up.
Water
Water is very important for hydration. Along with their meals, ensure that you give your baby rabbit enough water through an oral syringe or eyedropper. If he is able to drink on his own, give him water in a shallow dish and place it in the corner of his cage.
Acidophilus
Acidophilus is a good bacteria found in your digestive system, urinary tract, and other body parts. You can also purchase it as a probiotic supplement to support your digestive and immune systems. You can find this supplement at a health store. Adding a bit of it to every feeding will help your baby rabbit to maintain good gut health.
How Much To Feed Your Baby Rabbit
What follows is the amount of formula you need to give your baby rabbit. Divide the amount into two feedings per day.
| Age of Rabbit in Weeks | How Much Formula To Feed Your Rabbit (cc) |
| Newborn to one week | 4 – 5 |
| One to two weeks | 10 – 15 |
| Two to three weeks | 15 – 30 |
| Three to six weeks | 30 |
These are just general guidelines, as how much you feed your rabbit depends on the type of rabbit it is. If your baby rabbit doesn’t finish the meal in one sitting, you can feed him more than twice a day to ensure he gets the desired amount of daily food.
How To Feed Your Baby Rabbit
Buy an oral syringe or eyedropper to feed your baby rabbit. This way, it will be easy to control the amount you are feeding him. You can find this at any pharmacy or even some vet shops.
Baby rabbits feed from their mothers while laying on their backs. So, wrap your baby rabbit in a cloth or towel and lay him down either on your lap or crook of your arm. Use the eyedropper or oral syringe to feed him but let him eat at his own pace. Squeeze a very small amount of formula out when your baby rabbit suckles. Do this very slowly to avoid choking your baby rabbit.
If your baby rabbit is already eating solid foods, make sure you put them in the corner of his cage so it can be easily eaten. For wild rabbits, vegetables should always be fresh and moist to avoid bacteria build-up. Vegetables, hay, and pellets should be replaced frequently, so they don’t go bad.
If your rabbit can drink water on his own already, make sure the dish you place the water in is shallow to protect your baby rabbit from drowning. You will need to clean and refill the dish daily.
Conclusion
Baby rabbits require a lot of care. From newborn up until six weeks, they should be fed kitten milk replacer or goat milk if their mother is not feeding them. To up the calories and protein, add some sugar-free whipping cream. To ensure that your baby rabbit maintains good gut health, add a pinch of acidophilus to the formula.
Baby rabbits should be laid down on their backs or held in the crook of your arm when feeding them with an oral syringe or eyedropper. Feed them slowly to avoid choking your baby rabbit. Hopefully, this article was helpful, and you have all the information you need on what and how to feed your baby rabbit!
