How to Hand-Rear Newborn Baby Rabbits

Hand-rearing newborn baby rabbits can be challenging, especially for an inexperienced rabbit handler. According to CottonTail Rabbit Rescue, many hand-reared rabbits die as a result of overfeeding or feeding too fast, as this can lead the rabbit to inhale the fluid into its lungs. Owners should not attempt to separate baby rabbits from the mother unless they are sure the mother is not feeding them. Mother rabbits are known to pay very little attention to their litters in order to avoid drawing the attention of predators in the wild. Mother rabbits will also only feed their babies once a day, and this is usually during the night. Concerned owners should check the babies in the early hours of the morning to see if their stomachs are round as they should be after feeding. Underfed babies will appear to have baggy skin.

Things You'll Need

  • Shoebox
  • Towel
  • Hay
  • Heating pad
  • Rabbit cage
  • Dried milk formula for kittens
  • Probiotic supplement
  • Eyedropper or 2 mm syringe
  • Cotton balls
  • Tissue
  • Shallow dish
  • Dried rabbit food
  • Water bottle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the litter of baby rabbits in a small box with a removable lid, such as a shoebox. Line the box with the nest the mother rabbit made for her litter by pulling fur from her chest. If she did not make a nest, line the box with a towel and cover this with hay to keep the babies warm. Keep the box off the floor to avoid drafts, and place it in a room with a warm temperature of between 68 and 72 degrees. Wrap a heating pad in a towel to place at the bottom of the box if you are unable to maintain a warm room temperature in your home. Set the heating pad to the lowest heat setting and ensure that it only covers half of the floor of the box as this allows the babies to move away if they feel too hot. Move the rabbits to a specialized rabbit cage with a plastic base that is easy to clean once they begin to hop around.

    • 2

      Purchase dried milk formula that has been specifically made for kittens as this will be suitable for the baby rabbits to eat. Request a supply of a probiotic supplement from your local veterinarian as this will need to be mixed with the milk to provide the rabbit with healthy bacteria. Ask your vet how much you should add to the milk as this can differ depending on the particular product. Follow the directions on the milk packaging to make the formula. Heat the milk to a warm temperature before serving. Feed each rabbit with an eyedropper or 2 mm syringe. Feed only a few drops at a time to avoid overfeeding. Feed each baby rabbit 2 ml of fluid per day. Split this amount into several meals, which can be fed every 3 to 4 hours, as this can also help you avoid overfeeding.

    • 3

      Wipe each baby's mouth after feeding as fluid left on the skin can develop into sores. Encourage each baby to urinate after feeding by wiping a damp cotton ball over each rabbit's genitals. Wipe the rabbit's genitals with a tissue after they have urinated to prevent droplets of urine creating a blockage, as this could prevent the babies from successfully passing waste.

    • 4

      Increase the amount of food you feed each baby rabbit gradually, aiming to reach 12 ml by 5 days and 15 ml by the time the rabbits are 10 days old. At 2 weeks of age provide a shallow dish of milk formula for the rabbits to lap up at meal times as this is less risky than feeding them by hand. Encourage the rabbits to drink from the dish by dipping your finger into the milk and dabbing it under each rabbit's nose. Wean the rabbits by providing them with specialized rabbit food once a day and provide a water bottle for them to drink whenever they feel thirsty. This should never be empty.