Wild Baby Rabbit Care?

You certainly are heartless. That is deliberately cruel.
I wonder, how do you sleep at night.

My dogs found a nest in the backyard last year and before I could get to them, they had "played" with all but one. I felt bad for that one, so I put it in the cage of a doe who had a week old kit (all the others had been eaten by the doe). I know some of the rabbit breeders will cringe at the thought of me putting it in with my domestic rabbits, but didn't plan on keeping that doe anyway. Needless to say, she nursed that rabbit along with the other one. When it was time to butcher the doe and kit, I tagged the wild one and let it go. I still see her hopping around the brush piles from time to time.

Hi, my 4and half year old and his friend found a nest of rabbitsin the backyard under the bush. When he brought it in to show me I told him
that we had to put it back, so I thought we did(my fault for thinking that). Anyway he spent the day at his friends next door later that evening when he came home he had that baby bunny and his friend had one to. I was so furious and I was told that the mother wouldnt take care of them anymore so now I'am stuck taking care of them. I wanted to know if I'am doing everything right. I put them in a basket with an old towel, then i put the basket on a heating pad(low temp). I have been using a eyedropper to feed them, I have been feeding them Isomil baby formula its soy formula i didnt know what else to feed them.These little things dont even have their eyes open yet.If I were to guess they are maybe a week old. They seem to be doing fine, they move and they get startled easy, they are peeing and poopin they are eating good. What else do I need to do for them? and When do I set them free? This is my first time at taking care of a baby rabbit so any input would be appreciated. By the way my son is banned from going out in the back yard looking under bushes.LoL. I guess boys will be boys, but different from his 2 older sisters were they would have never went under a bush.

Thank You,
Gina

ginabennett@hotmail.com

Hi, my 4and half year old and his friend found a nest of rabbitsin the backyard under the bush. When he brought it in to show me I told him
that we had to put it back, so I thought we did(my fault for thinking that). Anyway he spent the day at his friends next door later that evening when he came home he had that baby bunny and his friend had one to. I was so furious and I was told that the mother wouldnt take care of them anymore so now I'am stuck taking care of them. I wanted to know if I'am doing everything right. I put them in a basket with an old towel, then i put the basket on a heating pad(low temp). I have been using a eyedropper to feed them, I have been feeding them Isomil baby formula its soy formula i didnt know what else to feed them.These little things dont even have their eyes open yet.If I were to guess they are maybe a week old. They seem to be doing fine, they move and they get startled easy, they are peeing and poopin they are eating good. What else do I need to do for them? and When do I set them free? This is my first time at taking care of a baby rabbit so any input would be appreciated. By the way my son is banned from going out in the back yard looking under bushes.LoL. I guess boys will be boys, but different from his 2 older sisters were they would have never went under a bush.

Thank You,
Gina

ginabennett@hotmail.com

i saved this just for this occasion...........good luck!


RABBIT MILK FORMULA
1 can of sweetened condensed milk or fresh goat's milk (don't use cow's milk)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons Karo corn syrup
1 egg yolk

Combine ingredients in a plastic bowl. Warm in microwave and heat mixture until it's slightly above room temperature. Test it by putting a few drops of the formula on your wrist first because you don't want to accidentally scald the babies.


Feed the babies with a pet nurser bottle or a feeding syringe or an eyedropper, and do so slowly. Baby rabbits are quite uncoordinated and can easily inhale fluid into their lungs. If they aspirate the formula into their lungs, they will die. Please, take it slow!

After feeding the babies, you must massage their lower abdomen with a warm, moist washcloth to stimulate urination and defecation. Feed them every three hours or so.

The baby rabbits should be kept in a cardboard box. Place a blanket or old sweatshirt inside for them to snuggle into. You will need a heat source to keep them warm. Place a heating pad beneath the box set on low (or medium, but beware of high heat - you don't want them to cook). A hot water bottle will also work for a heat source, or in a pinch, a 60 watt lightbulb placed over the box (you must make sure they don't get too hot). Ideal temperature is around body temperature; anywhere from 85 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit will suffice. If the babies are restless and are trying to get away from the heat, it is too hot for them.

The babies must be kept warm at all times. Feed them only when they are nice and warm. Cold babies do poorly - their digestion falters, and they will usually die. Handle them as little as possible; wild rabbits are very sensitive and can die from the shock of being handled by a human!

After nursing them, you might be tempted to keep them as pets. Don't do this! Wild rabbits are meant to be free and do not make good pets. They are skittish, nervous, and can be very aggressive when mature. They do not deal well interacting with humans because they are very sensitive and can stress out quickly. It is also illegal to keep wild animals or game without the proper permit from the F&WS or your state Wildlife or Fish & Game department.

Note: if you find a wild baby rabbit that was caught by a predator such as a cat or dog, the baby can have severe internal injuries and will probably die from the shock alone. A loss of one wild rabbit or even a whole litter is not a threat to the species. Up to 95 percent of all wild rabbits die before they are six months old. It's cruel, but it is nature's way.

For more detailed instructions and advice on what to do about wild baby rabbits, please visit the following pages:

The House Rabbit Society
The Ohio Wildlife Center

Don't give it peanut butter!

I just finished off a baby squirrel doing this...I mean like a couple hours ago.

I gave it warm vit. D milk over the past week and he really came alive. Yesterday, I gave him some peanut butter thinking squirrels like nuts so why not? He really dug into that but later vomited it up.

So I being the slow learner that I am, gave it to him again this morning

The little guy had erratic breathing, unresponsive eyes, and brief, random instances of muscle spasms. As of three today, he died

Don't know if it was the peanut butter, but he sure went down hill fast.

RIP Chippers

We released our little guy back into the wild today, he's hale and hearty and was almost begging to go free, you could feel it looking at him. As much as our (my) human nature wanted to interfere with Nature by keeping him safe inside, it would have been the wrong thing to do.SO, off he goes to the brush pile. I did stay to watch him for a bit (Junebug thinks I'm a mother hen), and he seemed to be very happy. Sorry to see him leave, but glad he's free to be a bunny. Good luck my friend, and thanks for sharing time with us.

I recently found a baby bunny and i have been feeding it some celantro herbs and also celery leaves. i have to give him his water trough an eye dropper because it wont drink any other way.

Same thing happened to me i did a internet search this is what i found hope you can use it!

Surprisingly, raising wild rabbits is about the same as raising domestic ones. Keep them in the house until they are about 4 weeks old so they will be warm enough. Put them in a 2 sq ft cardboard box that has very high sides. Put some hay in it that they can either hide under or lay on top of. Judging their age is important. Rabbits eyes come open at about 10 or 11 days after birth. Hand feed them until they are 14 days old. They will start eating on their own - hay, carrots, and rabbit pellets at 14 days. They should be released into the wild when they are 4-6 weeks old. Don't keep wild rabbits together after they are 2 months old - they will tear each other apart. Do not mix wild rabbits with domestic rabbits. You could spread parasites and diseases to your domestic rabbits. If the bunnies you find are really young, you will have to force feed them with an eyedropper. I find that regular cow's milk (2% or 4%) works fine. Bring the milk to a lukewarm temperature (where it feels neither warm nor cold) and feed them as much as they will take in. When they are up to 2 weeks old, they don't consume much - about 1 eyedropper full per day. You only have to feed them once or twice per day, but make sure they get enough or they will waste away. When they start eating at about 2 weeks, they will eat alfalfa hay, carrots, and rabbit pellets. Don't feed them lettuce or cabbage. Baby wild rabbits are like domestic rabbits - they will not bite you and are safe to raise. They are really jumpy, though, and will try to escape whenever they get a chance. Not many people have been successful in domesticating wild rabbits. If you handle them daily, they may become more familiar with people and settle down. Remember that they scare easily and can run fast. They may possibly get hurt trying to get away from a dog or cat you have. This fright is nature's way to keep them safe in the wild. Good luck in your raising them. Don't get your hopes too high for them, though. With all your efforts, they still may not survive, but you may as well give it a try.

-Amber

Jena, how about an update? Did your bunny make it? Last year my daughter brought me 5 bunnies that appeared to be a mix between a domestic and wild. They were so adorable!

I have a big soft spot for bunnies.

You are an idiot

Jena I have the same problem. If you would find anything out in like two days email me PLEASE. I really don't know what to do. But i did read you can force feed them with 2% 4% milk. so i guess you can give it a try if it works I'll let you know. please email if you find anything. i have the same problem but mine is cut on the side.HELP!!! FLUTEPLAYE88@msn.com

Okay sorry my email is fluteplayer88@msn.com

I raised 3 baby rabbits a few years back and released them in the wild when they were old enough to survive on their own.
Go to the local pet/feed store and buy pet replacement formula. You could also try baby formula (lactose-free) and double the strength. Goats milk might work, but I don't know about that personally. I fed mine with a kitten bottle at first until they were old enough to use a hamster waterer. I held them whenever I fed them, but not too much otherwise. They can have a hard time if you handle them too much. Be sure to keep them in a warm place until they are the size of your hand. You could keep a lamp near them like you do with baby chicks. If they are warm enough they will hop around happily, too cold and they will lie near the heat source. Continue to feed formula until they are ready to go out on their own. they are too young to eat grass for quite some time. Since there is only one, you may have to hold it sometimes so it will not go nuts from loneliness. Just be careful not to let it overheat. Also you want to keep it a little wild for its own good.

! of the babys is dead! We have tom find out what to feed them have any ideas e-mail me at katmeow_385@hotmail.com

Tell me more cause i have one and i need some help with it

He was mortified when he ran over a nest with the mower, one died, but he raised the others just fine...they may need to be bottle fed, give them goats milk canned/evaporated is ok if you do not have fresh...mix it with water to warm it up and dilute it if it is canned...add a dab of corn syrup to it just a touch and it should suck it up...lol...but only give it a small feding and then wait at least 4 hours before giving it more as over feeding it can kill it...they will eat and eat and eat...they have no will to push away from the table! Also if its eyes are open...you may give it grass clippings. ok to leave it overnight...mom's do it...hope this helps and hope your hand is better too. Pam

origanally posted:
I don't garden so don't have anything against bunnies. I do understand where you are coming from though. I am heartless when it comes to coons, possums and mice. If I find a nest of mice, I feed the babies to the chickens...alive.

Jena





I HATE YOU!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!??!!! OMG THAT'S MEAN! DID YA EVER THINK THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT BEING BORN AS MICE?!!!!!!!!!! HELLO!! IT'S NOT!! I WISH YOU WOULD GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!