How to Feed a Baby Bunny by Hand: Best Formulas & Feeding Techniques

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Plus, how to keep your rabbit happy and healthy at home
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Baby rabbits are small, sweet, and furry animals that require a lot of care. Whether you find a nest of orphaned babies, which are also called kittens, or your pet rabbit has rejected her babies, you may need to feed the rabbits to help them thrive. By feeding at appropriate times of the day and the proper amount and type of food, you can help baby rabbits have a good start to life. We’ll show you how to do exactly that in this article, along with expert tips from licensed veterinarians Alisa Rassin and Jamie Freyer, DVM.

What to Feed Newborn Bunnies

Imitate a mother rabbit’s milk with Kitten Milk Replacer or fresh, whole goat milk mixed with 1 tbsp of sugar-free 100% heavy whipping cream per can. Warm the formula to 105° F (40.5° C) and feed through a 3cc/ml syringe or eye dropper. Hold the rabbit upright to avoid asphyxiation and let them suckle on their own.

Section 1 of 3:

Feeding Baby Rabbits Formula

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  1. Step 1 Confirm that the mother is not feeding the kittens (baby rabbits).
    Before you take a baby rabbit away from its mother or think it’s orphaned, make sure the mother is not feeding it or that she is a risk to the kitten. Mother rabbits only feed their kittens once or twice a day and only for a few minutes at a time. The babies also do not need the mother to keep them warm. If the babies do not seem distressed, even if the mother is away from them a lot, the mother is likely just taking a break and you should not interfere.[1]
    • Neglected baby rabbits are cold, cry for more than a few minutes at feeding time, are blue, or their skin is shriveled from dehydration.[2]
    • Healthy and cared for baby rabbits are dark pink, not overly wrinkled, have full bellies, and are warm.[3]
    • Some mothers may reject their babies, and in these cases you should separate the babies from her so that she doesn’t harm them.
    • Don’t assume an unattended nest of wild baby rabbits is orphaned. Check on them frequently before you take them in to feed them. If they seem content, it is unlikely that they have been abandoned.
    • Only 10% of hand-reared rabbits survive, so it is better to leave them in the wild (or find a surrogate mother rabbit) whenever possible.[4]
  2. Step 2 Purchase replacement milk for the baby rabbits.
    If you are going to feed baby rabbits, you’ll need to purchase replacement milk for them. Rabbit milk is the most caloric of all mammals’ milk, so you’ll need to make sure you get the proper replacement and amounts.[5]
    • Buy Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) or fresh, whole goat milk to feed the babies. You can purchase these at pet stores or sometimes at a local vet’s office.[6]
    • You can supplement each can of KMR with one tablespoon of sugar-free 100% heavy whipping cream to increase the calories and mimic the rich mother’s milk.
    • You can also supplement the KMR by adding a bit of acidophilus to the formula. This can help baby rabbits maintain healthy intestinal bacteria. Acidophilus is available at most health food stores.
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  3. Step 3 Buy small syringes or eye droppers for feedings.
    Baby rabbits won’t usually eat from a bottle since the nipples are usually too large, so make sure to have some sterile oral syringes or eye droppers on hand to feed them. This will help you control the amount the kittens eat and help mimic the size of a mother’s nipple.[7]
    • Start with a 3cc/ml syringe when the rabbits are newborn to help control the amount of milk they consume.
    • You can buy oral syringes or eye droppers at most pharmacies. Vet’s offices and pet stores may also have special options for pets.
  4. Step 4 Mix the replacement milk formula.
    Baby rabbits will nurse from birth until they are about 6 weeks old, and you’ll need to mix enough formula to feed them at different ages. By splitting the formula into two equal feedings a day, you can help ensure your baby rabbit is getting sufficient nutrition.
    • Remember to mix one tablespoon of 100% sugar-free heavy whipping cream with each can of Kitten Replacement Milk. You can also add the pinch acidophilus at this time, too.
    • Newborn rabbits up to a week old get 4 – 5 cc formula.[8]
    • Rabbits that are 1 – 2 weeks old get 10 – 15 cc formula.
    • Rabbits that are 2 – 3 weeks old get 15 – 30 cc formula.
    • Rabbits that are 3 – 6 weeks old or until they are weaned get 30 cc formula.
  5. Step 5 Give the baby rabbit warm formula in an upright position.
    Once you’ve mixed the formula, you can nurse your baby rabbit twice a day. It’s important to feed them similarly to how they feed from their mothers to help them stay healthy and grow.
    • Mother rabbits generally feed their babies twice a day — at dawn and at dusk.
    • Mix fresh formula for each feeding and heat it to about 105° F (40.5° C). Keep the formula warm in a warm water bath (baby rabbits will take to warm formula faster).[9]
    • Always feed your bunnies on the floor. They jump and wiggle a lot and may fall from elevated places.
    • Gently hold the bunny upright with one hand (never on its back) during feeding. There is a chance they can aspirate milk and develop fatal pneumonia on their backs.[10]
    • Aim the syringe or eye dropped toward the bottom or sides of the rabbit’s mouth (never directly forward toward the throat).
    • For extra safety, sterilize your milk mixing equipment and syringe with a steam disinfection bag.[11]
  6. Step 6 Allow the baby rabbit to eat at its own pace.
    It’s essential that you let baby rabbits feed at their own speed. If they begin suckling on their own out of a bottle or nipple, let them continue without any added pressure. Adding too much force or milk at a time can suffocate or kill them.[12]
    • The baby may suckle from a syringe, too. You can gently squirt a drop of formula as they want it.
    • If the baby isn’t suckling the syringe willingly, give it time to adjust. You might want to stimulate the rabbit with a gentle squirt or by letting them lick a drop of warm formula at a time from your finger until they get used to the syringe.
    • Handle your baby rabbits as little as possible outside of feeding until their eyes open (after about 10–12 days). Too much stress can put them in shock.
  7. Step 7 Stimulate defecation and urination with a warm, wet cotton ball.
    It’s crucial that baby rabbits defecate and urinate either before or after each feeding. This helps keep their intestinal tract and urinary system healthy and running smoothly.[13]
    • Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water and gently stroke the tummy and anal-genital area of the baby rabbit until it starts defecating and urinating (it may take 15–20 seconds). Continue this until the rabbit is finished.
    • Try stimulating them before feeding. However, if they won’t go, stimulating them on a full stomach afterward may be more successful.
    • You only need to stimulate defecation and urination for the first 10 days to 2 weeks of a baby rabbit’s life, or until their eyes are open.
    • If you see liquid or smeared feces, bring your rabbit to the vet immediately as they may have diarrhea (which can be fatal for baby rabbits).
    • This stimulation mimics how a mother rabbit would lick her babies to help them go to the bathroom.
  8. Step 8 Add cecotropes to the rabbit’s formula when they’re 3 weeks old.
    Cecotropes are a special kind of rabbit feces that contain beneficial bacteria for their digestive system and are re-consumed to stabilize their gut flora. Baby rabbits experience a lot of GI changes around 3 weeks old; this is when they experiment with solid food, their stomachs become more acidic, and they require cecotropes from their mother to establish good gut health.[14]
    • If possible, collect a fresh cecotrope from a healthy adult rabbit (preferably the mother if she’s alive). Cecotropes are moist, dark green-brown droppings that look like a bunch of grapes (compared to the other dry, round fecal pellets rabbits produce). They also have a strong odor.
    • Mix 1 cecotrope into a batch of formula to feed to your baby rabbits. Usually, giving each rabbit 1 cecotrope a day for 3–4 days when they’re about 3 weeks old is sufficient for establishing a healthy gut.[15]
    • The exact timing of when to introduce cecotropes is tricky when you’re hand-rearing baby rabbits. They need to consume them before their stomachs become too acidic, but having them too early can lead to bacterial infection.[16] This is partly why it’s so difficult to successfully hand feed baby rabbits.
    • If fresh cecotropes aren’t available, consult a vet about administering rabbit probiotics instead (although these don’t tend to be as effective as the real thing).
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Section 2 of 3:

Weaning Your Rabbits & Introducing Solid Foods

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  1. Step 1 Wait until the baby rabbit's eyes are open to introduce any solid food.
    Baby rabbits may begin nibbling and experimenting with solid foods when their eyes open, at about 10–12 days after birth. However, this does not mean they’re ready to stop regular formula feedings quite yet.[17] Slowly add solid foods in addition to their formula diet until they are fully weaned at about 6 weeks old.[18]
    • Don’t feed baby rabbits solid foods before their eyes open. Their intestinal tracts cannot handle solids before this point.
  2. Step 2 Introduce new solid foods one at a time.
    Once your rabbit's eyes are open, gradually start incorporating solid food into its diet. Leave the solids in the corner of their box where they can easily eat them. The types of solids you introduce depend on whether the rabbit is domestic or wild:
    • For domestic rabbits:
      • Offer pellets for baby rabbits first (consult with your vet for a recommended brand) and alfalfa, timothy, or meadow hay.[19] Freyer warns that “alfalfa hay is a little too high in calcium” for adult rabbits. However, it’s OK for babies up to 5 months.
      • From 2 weeks, offer fresh greens, grass, or weeds. Choose just one type of green and let the rabbits get used to it for a week before introducing another type. Rassin explains, “The most common things we recommend are things like romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, or dandelion greens. You can do some herbs like cilantro and parsley. A lot of people feed kale and spinach to rabbits. We recommend doing that in very, very small quantities because we find that they potentially can lead to having bladder and kidney stones.”
      • Feed the rabbits the same greens for several days or a week in a row before adding new foods to avoid sudden diet changes. Watch for diarrhea—a small amount is common and OK if the rabbits are still active. See a vet if they seem dehydrated or weak.[20]
      • At 3 months, begin slowly introducing fresh fruits and vegetables like carrots as an occasional treat. Rabbits are designed to largely eat hay and grass, so don’t give them too much at once.
    • For wild rabbits:
      • Do not offer baby wild rabbits pellets.
      • Instead, gradually introduce oat, timothy, or alfalfa hay, some grated carrots or carrot tops, and greens like parsley or dandelion greens.[21] Let them adjust to one new food at a time for a few days, just like domestic rabbits.
    • Make sure to change hay, pellets, and vegetables often so that they don’t go bad and harbor bacteria. The vegetables should be fresh and moist.
    • You can buy hay and pellets at most pet stores or a vet’s office. Greens and carrots are readily available at grocery stores or farmer’s markets.
  3. Step 3 Begin weaning your baby rabbits off of formula around 3 weeks.
    Continue to feed your baby rabbit both formula and solids until it is ready to wean. Depending on what type of rabbit you have, it will wean at anywhere from 3–4 weeks of age to 9 weeks of age.
    • Domestic rabbits are usually fully weaned at about 6 weeks.[22]
    • Wild rabbits such as cottontails wean at 3–4 weeks, while jackrabbits wean at about 7–9 weeks.[23]
    • Normally, a mother rabbit will continue to offer milk until the babies gradually lose interest. You can try to mimic this by gradually decreasing the amount of formula you offer until they’re comfortable eating only solid foods.
    • If the rabbits still beg for formula around 6 weeks or longer, dilute the formula with 25% water. Gradually increase the water content until they lose interest.[24]
    • Note: Once wild rabbits are fully weaned to solid food, it’s time to release them back into their natural habitat.
  4. Step 4 Provide water for baby rabbits in a shallow dish at 2–3 weeks.
    In addition to formula and solid foods, try offering your baby rabbits water.[25] This helps keep them hydrated and feeding properly.
    • Don’t leave a deep dish or bowl in the box. Baby bunnies can drown in deep dishes filled with water.
    • Instead, fill a shallow dish with a small amount of water and place it in the corner of the box.
    • Clean and refill the water dish frequently. This will only help your baby rabbits stay hydrated, but can also help ensure that the water doesn’t harbor any bacteria.
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Section 3 of 3:

Caring for Rabbits at Home

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  1. Step 1 Create a warm nest for the baby rabbits to rest and sleep in.
    Grab a spare drawer or box that’s about 12 inches (30 cm) deep to keep the bunnies from hopping outside. Layer the bottom with a plastic bag or 2, a puppy pad, about 2 inches (5cm) of pet bedding, and 2 inches (5 cm) of hay. Normally, the mother rabbit will pluck out some of her fur to line the nest. If she can’t or won’t, you can cut a tiny bit off of her chest or gather fur from another rabbit.[26]
    • Place a chair over the box and drape a towel over the seat to provide some privacy and darkness.
    • Keep the nest inside of the rabbits’ hutch or playpen in a warm, quiet room that’s 75–78° F (24–25.5° C).[27]
    • It’s better to keep the nest in a warm room than to place a heating pad underneath since baby rabbits may not be able to move off of it if they get overheated.
  2. Step 2 Give the rabbits...
    Give the rabbits a large hutch and a play pen area to exercise in. According to Rassin, “Rabbits need a lot of space to roam around and do exercise…So we recommend having a playpen if you have the space for that. They’ll have more room to run around and do their little bunny thing. Exercise is super important, and keeping them in a small hutch can be very limiting.”
    • Freyer recommends “a larger Hutch-type building or even something that you build yourself. There are things called cubes, and you can actually use them to build a nice kind of bunny condo where they can have their litter box, food, water, and feel safe in there. If they're allowed out in the house with the people, then they can come out and go back and forth into their little condo.”
  3. Step 3 Give them lots of safe and entertaining things to play with.
    Rabbits need lots of exercise and stimulation (especially when they’re young). But first, consider their safety. Freyer says, “Make sure that there's nothing around that they can damage or hurt themselves on…Keep them away from things that are going to be too tempting. Rabbits love carpets, remote control buttons, and wires of any sort, especially your phone charger wires.”
    • “Make sure they have an environment where there's lots of fun things for them to do,” Freyer continues. You can buy rabbit toys and ramps for them to play with, or go a simple DIY route: “They like cardboard. They like to chew on it. So it's always fun to give them a piece of cardboard.”
  4. Step 4 Introduce your baby bunny to new people and other bunnies slowly.
    According to Freyer, “If you’re going to introduce it to another bunny and other pets, or a person that it’s not used to, be really slow and gentle. I have people come and sit down on the floor somewhere not even next to the bunny necessarily, but bunnies are so curious, they'll usually come over and investigate. And it's a good way for them to get to know you and you get to see them and test them. But they're more comfortable because they're making the decision.”
    • Rassin adds, “If you plan to bring a second rabbit to the household, it's usually very difficult to bond rabbits to one another. A lot of them are going to fight.” So, be patient and don’t force bunnies to spend time with each other if they show signs of aggression.
  5. Step 5 Let your baby rabbit get to know you on their terms and timetable.
    According to Rassin, “Every rabbit is an individual and has their own personality, just like people. I recommend going nice and slow, allowing the rabbit to come to you. The rabbit will tell you when they're ready to interact. So, sit in their playpen where they're running around. Having snacks in your hand never hurts. Allow them to come to you on their terms because these are prey species…If a predator comes in, they get too stressed out.”
    • She also recommends avoiding “anything that makes big, loud noises or making big, loud movements.”
  6. Step 6 Handle them gently and sparingly until they’re comfortable with you.
    Freyer warns that although rabbits are cute and cuddly and seem personable, “That’s actually not the case…Kids are really scary for them. If you pick up a rabbit incorrectly, if you don't cradle the back legs, they can struggle so hard that they can break their backs. So it's really important to make sure that you know how to pick them up appropriately. Sometimes you can calm them if you put them in what we call a bunny burrito. You hold them almost like a football and calm them down that way.”
    • You can tell when a rabbit is stressed and doesn’t want to be held. Freyer adds, “They'll take one of their back legs and make a big sound on the ground. So that can sometimes give you an idea that you know something's going on in the environment that might be stressful to them and try and find out what that is, and see if you can fix that.”
  7. Step 7 Have your bunny vaccinated at 5–7 weeks, then annually afterward.
    Rabbits are susceptible to 3 common diseases: Myxomatosis, Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease-1 (RVHD-1), and Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease-2 (RVHD-2). Often, a single shot can protect against all 3 diseases (consult with your vet for the proper vaccines and schedule). After their initial shot, give them booster shots once a year to stay protected.[28]
    • In addition to the diseases above, Rassin warns against the Hemorrhagic Diarrhea virus, “which is a relatively new disease in the US. It's only been around maybe about a year, but there is a vaccine against it. They've been doing it in Australia and Europe for many years now…It's a vaccine we recommend doing ahead of bringing any new rabbit to your household.”
  8. Step 8 Neuter both male and female rabbits so they can cohabitate.
    Rabbits need companionship to be healthy, and neutering both sexes keeps them together while eliminating the risk of pregnancy. Healthy male rabbits can be neutered at 10–12 weeks once their testicles have dropped, while females can be spayed at 16–20 weeks (or possibly earlier, depending on your vet’s preference).[29]
    • Keep male and female rabbits separated for up to 6 weeks after their operations. Females need time to heal from their invasive operation, while some mature sperm can linger in neutered male rabbits for several weeks after their procedure.
    • When separated, keep the rabbits in mesh cages that are right next to each other. That way, they can still smell and interact with one another.
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Tips

  • Rassin says, “Rabbits don't necessarily need any supplemental vitamins as long as you're feeding them a good veggie diet. Having all those good, dark leafy greens and lettuces and stuff like that means you don't really need to give them any supplements.”
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  • When choosing pellets, Freyer recommends “making sure that you have a high quality rabbit food, not one that has little fruity bits and things like that. Those bunnies are picky and they'll pick out the good bits and leave the actual healthy stuff. So, you don't really want to give them that option. So just a nice, well researched rabbit pellet and then a selection of green veggies usually once a day will do.”
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  • When feeding, try wrapping your rabbit around in a towel to calm and relax her.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  2. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  3. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  4. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  5. ↑ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/seven-most-extreme-milks-animal-kingdom-180956588/
  6. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  7. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  8. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  9. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  1. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  2. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  3. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  4. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  5. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  6. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  7. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  8. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  9. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  10. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  11. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  12. ↑ https://rabbit.org/care/feeding-caring-for-orphans/
  13. ↑ https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/small-animal/documents/Rabbit_handrearing_guide_2021.pdf
  14. ↑ https://rabbit.org/care/feeding-caring-for-orphans/
  15. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  16. ↑ https://rabbit.org/care/feeding-caring-for-orphans/
  17. ↑ https://youtu.be/Aos7yxsxFfQ?t=48
  18. ↑ https://web.as.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
  19. ↑ https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/other-veterinary-advice/rabbit-vaccines
  20. ↑ https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/neutering-castration-and-spaying/

About This Article

Natalie Punt, DVM
Reviewed by:
Natalie Punt, DVM
Veterinarian
This article was reviewed by Natalie Punt, DVM and by wikiHow staff writer, Dan Hickey. Dr. Natalie Punt is a Veterinarian and the Founder and CEO of mPet- a smart phone app for pet owners to store, manage and transfer their pets medical records and health information. She specializes in small animal emergency and general medicine and veterinary practice economics. Dr. Punt holds a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The University of California, Davis, an MS in Biochemistry from The University at Buffalo, and a DVM from Western University of Health Sciences. This article has been viewed 787,947 times.
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Co-authors: 24
Updated: October 7, 2024
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Categories: Feeding Rabbits
Article SummaryX

To feed your baby rabbit for the first 6 weeks of its life, buy Kitten Milk Replacer and add 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream to each can, since rabbit milk is naturally high in calories. Use a syringe or eye dropper to feed your baby rabbit twice a day. Give it 5 cc’s of formula at each feeding the first week, 10-15 cc’s the second week, and 15-30 cc’s after that. When your baby rabbit’s eyes are open, you can feed it solid foods, too. Start by giving it oat, timothy hay, and alfalfa hay, which all rabbits can eat. For information from our Veterinary reviewer how to feed domestic and wild baby rabbits differently, read on!

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