Orphaned Baby Bunnies

First thing’s first, are they truly orphaned?

If you’re concerned that your mother rabbit has rejected or abandoned her babies, do NOT remove them from the nest immediately. Mama buns don’t spend time with their babies like cats and dogs do - they generally only go in when it’s feeding time, which is 1-2 times a day.

If you want proof that the babies are properly being taken care of by their mother, check them each morning. They should be warm and have full, round tummies and be burrowed in the nest with their siblings. Baby rabbits that are not being fed will usually be restless and crawling around looking for mum, and their tummies will look concave (sucked in) as they’re hungry and dehydrated. The best way to confirm that they are being taken care of is to weigh them on a small kitchen scale - if they’re gaining weight, that means mom is feeding them.

The first 48 hours

The first two days of the babies’ lives are the most crucial as this is when the babies should have their first feedings and receive colostrum from their mom. During the first few days of the mother lactating, she’ll produce a substance with her milk called colostrum which contains antibodies that help destroy foreign bacteria. We do not have a supplement for this locally which is why it’s so important for them to get it from their mom.

Human Intervention

Syringe feeding baby bunnies is a delicate process and more difficult than you’d think. If not done properly, the baby can inhale the milk and pass away. Along with feeding baby bunnies, you also have to groom and stimulate their bodies so that they go to the bathroom. Many newborn animals cannot urinate/defecate on their own - this is something the mother rabbit often helps with when she grooms them. Orphaned rabbits should be fed KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer), which is extremely sticky when it dries, and will cause a mess around the baby’s mouth/neck area.

If you do not know how to care for baby bunnies and do not feel confident in your ability to do so, please do not attempt to feed them. Taking care of a baby bunny is complicated and there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Feeding them too much milk, not making them urinate/defecate or having them sleep at the wrong temperature can result in them becoming very sick and dying. They can also become dehydrated (which would require sub q fluids) and have diarrhea as a result of their bodies not accepting the milk replacer. Both of these things are also fatal. There are many aspects that can lead to things going wrong with hand raising baby bunnies.

Your best option is to reach out to a rescue or rabbit savvy veterinarian who is familiar with raising orphaned baby rabbits. Orphans have such a low survival rate to begin with so it’s best to leave their care in the hands of someone who’s experienced.

Disclaimer: The following instructions are for DOMESTIC rabbits only. Wild cottontails have different needs than domestic rabbits and should only be cared for by licensed wildlife rehabbers.

Environment

Provide a soft area in a box with clean towels, and cover the babies so it's dark. Do not provide extra heat if the room temperature is at at least 65-70F - excessive heat can be fatal. If the room is cooler, then you can provide a heating pad on a low setting under no more than HALF of the nest so the bunny/bunnies can move to a cooler area if it gets too warm.

Feeding

The best supplement to use is kitten milk replacer, which you can purchase at most pet stores, veterinary offices and sometimes Amazon. Full fat goat's milk can work as well until you get KMR. Do NOT use Esbilac, any puppy formula, cream or low fat formulas. Remember to feed healthy babies only twice a day. Overfeeding is a leading cause of death and can result in fatal intestinal disease.

The following is a guideline for the daily amount to feed a baby bunny that will be approximately 5lbs as an adult. You can increase the amounts needed for larger breeds. Feeding of true orphans will vary depending on breed of rabbit and if they're gaining weight. Orphans struggling to gain may need more milk.

Feed twice a day only for healthy babies. It may be easiest to start with a 3cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Most of the time there are kits available on Amazon to purchase that will make your life much easier for feeding. The brand Gufastoe has a kit with different sized syringes and two different nipple sizes for feeding small orphaned animals. These work great for rabbits - especially the longer nipples. The baby may bite through the nipple (or many nipples) so it's best to have replacements.

Feed only with the bunny sitting upright, and point the syringe down towards the bottom or side of its mouth so that if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate. At first, they may fight you or only take a few drops until they get used to the taste.

Newborn to one week: 2-2.5 cc/ml each feeding (twice a day)

1-2 weeks: 5-7cc/ml each feeding (twice a day) (depending on breed, may be less if smaller rabbit)

2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (twice a day). Domestic rabbits open their eyes around 10-13 days of age so at this time you can start introducing them to timothy/alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets as they will usually start nibbling on it. We recommend alfalfa hay for orphans. Also provide a shallow water dish or saucer (shallow so that they don't drown in it).

3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (twice a day)

Domestic rabbits can start to be weaned at 4-6 weeks of age. At this time they should be fully eating pellets and hay. Do NOT provide them with any greens, fruit or other food.

If you have a healthy rabbit at home and you can collect some cecotropes, these can be mixed with KMR to give the baby bunny normal bacteria for its intestinal tract. Only one cecotrope per day for 4-5 days is needed. This is especially important for rabbits under 1 week of age.

After each feeding if the baby's eyes are still closed, it's important to make them urinate and defecate. Use a cottonball moistened with warm water and gently stroke the anal area front to tail until the bunny starts producing stool and urine, and keep stroking until the bunny stops. This mimics the behaviour of the mother rabbit who would lick her young to stimulate them to go.

It’s extremely important to weigh each baby twice a day before each feeding to track their progress and ensure they’re gaining weight. It’s common for babies to lose when transitioning to their mother’s milk to milk replacer but after a day or two they should start gaining.

If the babies are experiencing any of the following symptoms, please seek veterinary care from a rabbit savvy vet immediately:
- diarrhea
- open mouth breathing
- not peeing/pooping
- failing to gain weight/losing weight
- acting lethargic