Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Toni L Brock on March 18, 2012 at 8:21pm

Hi there~ 

I really hope you are successful in helping save the rabbits life. I think you will have luck keeping it in a quiet, warm, dry location. If it isnt old enough for chewing food, a small plastic syringe with slightly warm cows milk every couple hours will help. If it has fur, chances are it will be able to eat by itself given its injuries aren't to severe. and yes, try and get it to drink water. I raised 3 orphaned rabbits many years ago. Very satisfying  :)

Good luck

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abitcrunchy on March 19, 2012 at 12:50am

Is cows milk better than goats?  We have two of them.  No parent in site.  Our dog terrorized them, ate one. 

Puppy - 1.5 yrs old.

:(

I read not to feed them because the mother probably fed them for the day already. (?) With wild bunnies it said the mother usually feeds them in the mornings.  This was late afternoon.  We've been disturbing the area for some time now...unknowingly.  They look about 2 weeks old.  We have them and baby chicks in the sunroom in separate pens.  The bunnies are huddled together.  I'm wondering if I should put them closer to the red heat lamp I have on the baby chicks.  They live underground so I'm thinking how warm should they be?  Temp stays the same pretty much right?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abitcrunchy on March 19, 2012 at 12:56am

Abitcrunchy said:

Is cows milk better than goats?  We have two of them.  No parent in site.  Our dog terrorized them, ate one. 

Puppy - 1.5 yrs old.

:(

I read not to feed them because the mother probably fed them for the day already. (?) With wild bunnies it said the mother usually feeds them in the mornings.  This was late afternoon.  We've been disturbing the area for some time now...unknowingly.  They look about 2 weeks old.  We have them and baby chicks in the sunroom in separate pens.  The bunnies are huddled together.  I'm wondering if I should put them closer to the red heat lamp I have on the baby chicks.  They live underground so I'm thinking how warm should they be?  Temp stays the same pretty much right?


I meant to add that my son did give one of them some organic cows milk with a dropper.  He did open his (her?) mouth.  So I think they will be easy to nurse (for two weeks)?  If they are two weeks old then I'm thinking I should try getting them to eat dandelion and parsley?    I will have goats milk on Tuesday but all we have now is organic homogenized/pasteurized cows milk. 

We should warm it like you would for a newborn baby> a human baby?  :)

Thanks for the help!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Heather S on March 19, 2012 at 4:50am

I help out at a wildlife sanctuary/rescue - not too familiar with bunnies but in general - don't think cow's milk is better for the bunnies than goat's milk - goat's milk being more palatable overall but I'd go with whatever you have (warmed). If you have access to a vet or specialty shop you can buy some of puppy/kitten milk replacement powder or similar which has loads of nutrients (they can likely suggest the best product). Since they'd be underground you want to make sure the spot they're kept is quiet and dark (so put a blanket over the cage in the sun room (albeit make sure you don't over heat them if it's hot in there and keep it out of direct sun if there's a risk of that) and try to ensure they're left in peace with few prying eyes. You could also put together a warm hot water bottle for them to snuggle into. Good luck with your baby bunnies. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kim Gates on March 19, 2012 at 8:44am

Similac for kittens is best but goats milk is fine. You can feed them with a small syringe. Rabbits grow up quickly and eat solids at an early age so keep some lettuce, cabbage, clover, and carrots handy. Pick them up and make sure their body temp. is good......and never feed anyone that has gotten too cold. That does not mean over heat them....give them a heat source and let them decide how close to get.

We raised 5 bunnies two years ago that were born in a snow storm. They were in a pen of just females and we later found a hole in the fence where one of the girls had tunneled out and taken a walk on the wild side in a cornfield! We have had 3 of them for a few years now.  Since they were 1/2 domestic and 1/2 cottontail  we kept them. Good Luck!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abitcrunchy on March 19, 2012 at 1:01pm

I really appreciate your help ladies!  I keep thinking about rabbits being vegetarian so it felt wrong to give them milk.  But boy they sure do love it!  And since you answered with milk and formula, I feel better about the milk now.  I think a synthetic formula would  be my last resort with a human or animal baby so we're just gonna keep giving them the cows milk early in the morning and once more at noon.  Tomorrow we'll give them the goats milk and I'll put dandelions and parsley in the cage with them.  I'm telling the kids that when they eat the food they'll be released.  My husband wants to keep them for organic fertilizer (and pets).  Since I don't follow the majority of what I read/hear and am told --- I have to ask ---- what is the reason we're *told* not to keep wild animals as pets? 

If its because of disease then I'm not likely buying it.  I know that pharmaceuticals (and garden chemicals) actually spread disease through mutation and serotype replacement while non-medicated animals and humans tend to be much healthier.  The germ theory is just a theory after all.  What's happening with antibiotics is fact.  I think we need to stop creating all this resistance and find a happy balance, but I know it will never happen.  

So other than the scare tactic that a wild animal is running around waiting to infect all others --- is there an actual VALID, logical reason not to keep a wild bunny as a pet?  Two of them?  :)

Thanks for your opinions, thoughts, input...I really appreciate hearing all sides of this issue.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kim Gates on March 19, 2012 at 2:44pm

There is a very good reason not to keep a wild bunny as a pet....because it is wild. They have not been bred for hundreds of generations to be happy and content in captivity. Wild bunnies have been bred to survive and a pet situation would be very stressful for them. When they are eating solids, let them go. Do not over handle them.  If you want pet bunnies who would make good pets then get a few domestic rabbits.

We were in a difficult position with our bunnies. They have a domestic mother and a cottontail father. We raised them, they would have died otherwise, and now we keep them in a large fenced yard during the day. They have a Great Pyrenees to guard them. They would not have been able to survive in the wild, but they are not snuggly either! So we enjoy watching them be bunnies, and do bunny things. We can pet them and pick them up but we only do so if they approach us.

Good luck! Glad to hear they liked the milk!

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Heather S on March 19, 2012 at 3:07pm

Ditto what Kim has said. These juvenile rabbits are suited to their own habitat, not to humans. They are mammals and so it's important to give them milk or a concentrated milk formula(the kitten formula does have added nutrients than straight milk, it's used a lot for young hedgehogs and related - weight gain being better than straight milk (an indication of juvenile health). You want the rabbits to be capable of foraging for food, eating solid food (you might want to offer some additional greens milder than parsley and dandelions - they'll pick what they can stomach), and then let them get on with it (release them as close as possible to where you found them, within safe limits - rabbits are territorial)- with as little handling as possible. Here's hoping they thrive and are back hopping in their native habitat soon. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abitcrunchy on March 20, 2012 at 2:33pm

Update - bunnies were not fed this morning.  They have escaped and are somewhere in our house.  We've searched all morning and are now giving up (temporarily).  The dog was tied up and the doors were left open but we don't think they've gone out the doors.  :(  I really don't need this right now as I'm still dealing with the stress of trying to keep baby chickens alive.  All is well so far.  We intend to let the bunnies go in less than two weeks.  That is...if we find them to feed them.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kim Gates on March 20, 2012 at 3:10pm

 I hope you find them.....they are probaly scared to death. Maybe put Fido on a leash and ask him where they are? I have a Jack Russell who could find them!

Stress? Children, animals out of control...welcome to that quiet country life everyone thinks you are living!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abitcrunchy on March 20, 2012 at 3:59pm

That's just the thing...fido has already eaten one, as my 7 yr old watched in horror.  :(  Peaceful?  Never a dull moment...the spiders alone insure that!  These two bunnies have names and they really need to learn them and be found, lol!  One good thing coming out of it all?  They're cleaning out their closets (not one, but both children are spring cleaning)!

Kim Gates said:

 I hope you find them.....they are probaly scared to death. Maybe put Fido on a leash and ask him where they are? I have a Jack Russell who could find them!

Stress? Children, animals out of control...welcome to that quiet country life everyone thinks you are living!

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion