Rabbits are animals that are becoming increasingly popular as pets. Therefore, whether you have just adopted a newborn or if you have rescued it to care for it for a while, you should know that at each stage of their lives they require a series of specific care, among which the type of food that best suits them stands out. convenient.
The correct feeding of a baby rabbit must be based on something more than a random selection of green foods or commercial feed, since this is the basis of its general he alth and life. Do you want to start raising your rabbit correctly from the beginning? Well, keep reading this article on our site about what a baby rabbit eats and find out everything.
Milk, the baby rabbit's first food
The only food for a baby rabbit during its first days of life is its mother's milk. The most advisable thing would be to consume it from the moment of birth until the seventh week of life, but we know that in all cases this is not possible. Thus, if you have to take care of feeding a small newborn rabbit, you should use a formula prepared with goat's milk, administering it with a small bottle during hours of the afternoon, just like the mother would.
Never try to give food that is not suitable for its age, since the rabbit would suffer from diarrhea and at this early stage this would bring death due to dehydration in a few days.
How to make milk for baby rabbits and how to administer it?
Homemade milk for the baby rabbit must provide the same nutrients as the original mother's milk, while not causing discomfort, gas or diarrhoea. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare a special milk formula for baby rabbits using goat's milk, the yolk of an egg and a teaspoon of corn syrup. If you can't find it, formula prescribed for newborn cats is also suitable for rabbits. Never give cow's milk
Before starting to feed the little one, warm the milk a little and place it in a dropper or bottle with a small nozzle, test that the temperature does not burn. Then, to learn how to give milk to a baby rabbit, follow the steps below:
- Take the rabbit in your arms with its legs down, never belly up, and try to slightly raise its head, always in a way that makes it feel comfortable and calm. The intention is to simulate the natural posture that the rabbit would adopt if it were to consume its mother's milk.
- Insert the tip of the bottle to the side of the mouth, never in front. When you have entered it, you can rotate it forward a little.
- Squeeze gently so that a little milk comes out; upon sensing the taste, the rabbit will begin to suck on its own.
- When your belly looks round it means that it is full.
As you can see, it's very easy. Although the rabbits feed their kits once or twice a day, since they do not have real breast milk, you will probably have to attend to them more often, so watch their behavior so that you notice when they are hungry.
The amount should be gradually increased, starting with as little as 3 milliliters per meal during the first week of life, twice a day day, up to 15 milliliters per meal in week 6 or 7. Of course, the amounts are indicative, since each rabbit has different nutritional needs based on its size, so once again we recommend that you examine the newborn and establish the exact amount that its small body requires to be satisfied.
Hay in baby rabbit feed
Ingesting hay brings multiple benefits for both the rabbit's teeth and its digestive system, as well as helping to eliminate dangerous hairballs. In the wild, baby rabbits nibble on the grass or grass near their nest, but at home it's best to use hay.
Your best bet is to feed hay, either alfalfa or grass, although during this early stage alfalfa is recommended, because it contains more nutrients and calcium. However, it is contraindicated for rabbits older than six months.
Now, if you are wondering when to start giving your baby rabbit hay, you should know that from the third week of life you can start introducing it, without stopping providing milk. As with all puppies in the animal kingdom, it is best to make a gradual change in feeding, gradually withdrawing the milk and introducing more and more hay. We provide all the details about the change later.
If your rabbit doesn't eat hay, we encourage you to read this other article about My rabbit doesn't eat hay.
Feed or pellets for rabbit?
It is advisable to administer feed and pellets moderately, although making sure that they are of good quality. Do not get carried away by the advertising that accompanies them and look carefully at the ingredients. Many claim to be the best for your rabbit, but when you look at the labels you quickly notice large amounts of fats, sugars and even protein. Throw away anything that contains nuts, seeds, and the like.
Quality feed and pellets are made up of ingredients that are pure fiber, which will be much more suitable for the he alth of your rabbit, giving it the right nutrients and avoiding problems of obesity, constipation, fatty liver and sugar addiction. Thus, from the fifth week of life you can start incorporating this food into your diet, in the following sections we will explain how.
Rabbit introduction to solid food
The stomach of these small mammals is very sensitive, so it is recommended to try different vegetables little by little, without offering a great variety suddenly. Otherwise, you will cause diarrhea and stomach problems.
The most recommended vegetables for your rabbit are:
- Lettuce
- Carrot (in small quantities)
- Cauliflower
- Chard
- Spinach (in small amounts)
- Radish
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Artichoke
- Kale
- Mustard leaves
- Oats flakes
- Cilantro
Try small pieces of one of these ingredients each day and observe the reactions of the baby rabbit. You can also add small pieces of fruit like:
- Apple
- Peach
- Apricot
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Pear
- Papaya
In this other article, you will find more information about Fruits and vegetables recommended for rabbits. Now that you know what are the appropriate foods for a baby rabbit, we will explain how to administer them according to each case.
How to feed a wild baby rabbit?
If you've rescued a baby rabbit or a litter of rabbits and don't know how to feed them, here's how. Adopting one of these little animals as a domestic companion is not the same as rescuing one to help him and then returning him to nature. Therefore, if what you want is to take care of the baby rabbit until it can defend itself, follow the following recommendations:
- Administer formula milk during the first week following the procedure already explained.
- Handle the rabbit as little as possible, so that it doesn't get used to you or depend on your care.
- In the second week start offering him fresh grass and let him eat it on his own, alternating with formula. Place a small container of low water next to him to prevent him from drowning in it.
- At the beginning of the third week add small pieces of vegetables to the diet and see that they do not harm the baby rabbit. Make sure it always has water.
- When you notice that he can feed calmly and walk well, place the cage you were using in the garden so that he gets used to being outdoors.
- Under your supervision, let him wander the garden on his own.
- When he is able to fend for himself, pick a good spot to set him free. Make sure there are other rabbits in the area.
How to feed a baby rabbit without a mother?
There are several reasons why a baby rabbit can be left without a mother, such as her death or even rejection. If a newborn rabbit has lost its mother and you adopted it, follow this schedule to feed it:
- Week 1 and 2: formula only, at midday and then in the late afternoon.
- Week 3 and 4: Formula milk at the same time. Put alfalfa hay in large quantities for him to eat whenever he wants.
- Week 5 to 7: formula milk at the same time, reducing the ml per feed. Alfalfa hay and quality feed in small quantities.
- Week 8: weaning, after this week no more milk should be given. Alfalfa hay, feed and starter of raw solid food, in the form of vegetables and fruits.
Remember to increase the milliliters of milk during the first weeks as we indicated above, and reduce its amount again until it is completely stopped when weaning time.
How to feed a domestic baby rabbit?
From the eighth week and up to seven months the final growth of the rabbit takes place, passing from a baby to a young or adolescent rabbit. Up to three months, the largest amount of food will be feed, alfalfa hay, occasional pellets and small portions of vegetables and fruits.
From the fourth month onwards, the portions of raw food increase, gradually replacing the feed. By the seventh month your rabbit can be fed like an adult. If you offer him a varied diet of vegetables and fruits, processed feed and vitamin supplements will not be necessary. However, if you consider that its diet requires the incorporation of this food, or your veterinarian has recommended it, in our article on rabbit feeding you will find the appropriate amounts. Also, that same month you should start replacing alfalfa hay with grass hay, which is much he althier for adults.
Never forget to offer fresh water at all these stages, as well as observe all your rabbit's reactions to different foods.
What do adult rabbits eat?
By the time your baby bunny grows up, you may not know how to continue feeding him. Therefore, we encourage you to read these other articles where we explain everything about rabbit feeding
- Dwarf rabbit feeding
- Feeding the belier rabbit
- Daily amount of food for rabbits
