Homemade Milk Replacement for Bottle Feeding Baby Bunnies

Baby bunnies, either as pets or in the wild, have to depend on a mother's milk substitute when orphaned or when the mother rabbit refused to care for them. While it seems as though the mom is not caring for her bunnies, it is essential to remember that she will only feed them in the middle of the night. Overfeeding a bunny can lead to death; therefore, definite determination is required prior to care. For those relying on human care, homemade formula can mean the difference between life and death.

  1. Materials and Preparation

    • It is necessary to use to correct nursing equipment when bottle feeding baby bunnies. Plastic sterilizing steam bags, like those used to disinfect breast pumps, are readily available in pharmacies. Use the steam bag, according to the manufacturer's instructions, to sterilize small nursing nipples and nursing bottles. Appropriate sized nursing nipples and nursing bottles are available in pet stores.

    Fluid Replacement Formula

    • Prepare a mixture of three parts fluid replacement to one part kitten milk replacer. Fluid and mineral replacement is available for purchase in the baby food isle of grocery stores and supermarkets. Most pet supply stores stock kitten milk replacer. Shake the bottle containing the diluted formula well to combine before feeding the baby rabbits.

    Goat Milk Formula

    • Mix together 1/2 cup of fresh, whole goat milk, 1/2 cup of kitten milk replacer, 1/2 tsp. of heavy cream and 1 tbsp. or 10 capsules of freeze-dried colostrum. Colostrum, available in both powder and capsule form, can be purchased in health food stores or online. Cover the container and shake until the colostrum dissolves. Heat the formula to 105 degrees Fahrenheit before feeding the baby bunnies. Goat milk formula can be prepared a 2 to 3 hours in advance.

    Quantity

    • Baby bunnies should receive a maximum of two feedings per day and tend to be more receptive to warm formula. Bunnies under one week old should be fed 1/2 tsp. per feeding. One- to two-week-old babies can be fed 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons; two- to three-week-old babies can be fed 1 1/2 tsp. to 2 1/2 tsp. Bunnies three to six weeks old can be fed 2 1/2 tsp. to 3 tsp. per feeding. Smaller babies, depending on their size, may consume less per feeding. It is better to slightly underfeed the bunnies rather than overfeed.