Baby rabbit food

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 25 January 2021
Update Date: 16 November 2024
Anonim
What To Feed A Baby Bunny
Video: What To Feed A Baby Bunny

Content

the rabbits are animals that are gaining more and more popularity as pets.Therefore, if you have just adopted a newborn rabbit or if you have rescued a rabbit to care for, you should know that at each stage of their lives, rabbits require a series of specific care, among which the type of feeding stands out. more suitable.

Proper feeding of a baby rabbit should be based on something more than random selection of green foods or commercial feed, as the rabbit's health depends on the diet. Do you want to raise your rabbit correctly from the beginning, week to week? So keep reading this PeritoAnimal article about baby rabbit food and have all the information on how to make your pet's life even better!


What Rabbit Eats: First Food

The only baby rabbit food during its first days of life is breast milk. It would be most advisable for him to consume milk from the moment of birth until his seventh week of life, but we know that this is not always possible. So, if you have to take care of feeding a newborn rabbit, you should use a formula prepared with goat's milk, given through a small bottle in the afternoon, just as the mother would.

Never try to administer foods that are inappropriate for their age, as this would make the rabbit suffer from diarrhea, something that at this early stage could cause death by dehydration in a few days.

Newborn rabbit: how to make milk and administer it

Homemade milk for a newborn rabbit needs to provide the same nutrients as the original breast milk, without causing discomfort, gas or diarrhea. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare a special milk formula for baby rabbits using goat milk, one egg yolk and a teaspoon of corn syrup. If you cannot find it, the formula prescribed for newborn cats is also suitable for rabbits. NEVER give cow's milk.


Before starting to feed the newborn rabbit, heat the milk a little and place it in a dripper or small bottle, testing to see that the temperature is not too hot. Follow the steps below to give coide for bunny cub:

  1. Hold the rabbit in your arms with its paws down, never on its back, and try to lift its head a little, always in a way that is comfortable and peaceful. The intention is to simulate the natural posture that the rabbit would adopt when drinking its mother's milk.
  2. Insert the tip of the bottle on one side of the mouth, never in front. Once you've introduced it, you can rotate it a little forward.
  3. Squeeze gently so that some milk comes out. Upon feeling the taste, the baby rabbit will start to suck by myself.
  4. When your belly is round, it means it is full.

As you can see, it's pretty easy. Although mothers feed their kitten rabbits once or twice a day, because you don't have real breastmilk you will likely need to feed it more often, so it is necessary to monitor its behavior to notice when it is hungry.


The amount should be increased gradually, starting with just 3 milliliters per feed during the first week of life, twice a day, until reaching 15 milliliters per feed during weeks 6 or 7.

Of course, these values ​​are only indicative, as each rabbit has different nutritional needs based on its size, so we recommend that you again examine the newborn rabbit and establish the exact amount the body needs to be satiated.

If you've just adopted a newborn rabbit, check out this other article where we've given you several suggested rabbit names

Rabbit cub: feeding with hay

If you're learning how to raise a rabbit, be aware that eating hay has multiple benefits for both your puppy rabbit's teeth and digestive system, as well as helping to eliminate the dangerous fur balls. In the wild, baby rabbits will nibble at grass or grass near their nest, but at home it is better to use hay.

The most important thing is to provide you with the hay, be it alfalfa or grass, although in this initial stage alfalfa is more recommended, as it contains a greater amount of nutrients and calcium. However, alfalfa is contraindicated for rabbits older than six months.

If you're wondering when to start haying your puppy rabbit, you should know that from the third week of life you can start to introduce it, while still giving milk. As with all puppies in the animal kingdom, it is most advisable to carry out a progressive change in food, gradually withdrawing the milk and introducing more and more hay into the rabbit's diet.

Also know: Rabbit vaccines

What does rabbit eat: feed or pellets

It is recommended to administer feed and pellets moderately for a good feeding of the rabbit, always ensuring that they are of good quality. Don't get carried away by the advertising of the products, carefully observe the ingredients, some brands are definitely not suitable for rabbit puppy food. Many say it's best for your rabbit, but if you glance at the labels, you can see large amounts of fats, sugars, and even protein. Discard anything that contains nuts, seeds or the like.

Quality feed and pellets consist of pure fiber, which are much more suitable for your newborn rabbit's health, giving it the proper nutrients and preventing obesity, flu, fatty liver and sugar addiction problems. So, from the fifth week of life, you can start incorporating this food into your baby rabbit's diet.

Rabbit puppy: initiation with solid foods

The stomach of these small mammals is very sensitive, so it is recommended to try the different vegetables little by little, without offering a wide variety of suddenness. Otherwise, this will cause diarrhea and stomach problems in the puppy rabbit.

At most recommendable vegetables for rabbit feed are:

  • Lettuce;
  • Carrot (in small quantities);
  • Cauliflower;
  • Chard;
  • Spinach (in small amounts);
  • Radish;
  • Celery;
  • Tomato;
  • Cucumber;
  • Artichoke;
  • Cabbage;
  • Mustard leaves;
  • Oat flakes;
  • Coriander.

Try giving your pup rabbit small pieces of one of these ingredients each day and watch for reactions. You can also add small pieces of fruit like:

  • Apple;
  • Peach;
  • Damascus;
  • Mango;
  • Pineapple;
  • Strawberry;
  • Pear;
  • Papaya.

Now that you know what the food suitable for a baby rabbit, we will explain how to manage them according to each case.

Meet: Most common diseases in rabbits

Wild rabbit cub: how to feed

If you've rescued a baby rabbit or a litter of rabbits and don't know how to feed them, here we'll show you how. Adopting one of these pets as a domestic companion is not the same thing as rescuing one to help return it to the wild, so if you want to take care of a baby bunny until it can fend for itself, do the following. recommendations:

  • Administer formulated milk during the first week, according to the procedure already explained;
  • Handle the newborn rabbit as little as possible, so that it doesn't get used to you and doesn't depend on your care;
  • In the second week, start offering him fresh grass and let him eat alone, alternating it with the formulated milk. Place a small container with low water next to it to prevent it from drowning;
  • At the beginning of the third week, add small pieces of vegetables to the diet and note that they do not harm the baby rabbit. Make sure he always has water;
  • When you notice that he can feed calmly and walk well, place the cage he was using in the garden so that, in this way, he get used to being outdoors;
  • Under your supervision, let it run around the garden on its own;
  • When you are able to fend for yourself, choose a good place to set him free. Make sure there are other rabbits in the area.

How to feed a motherless puppy rabbit

There are several reasons why a baby rabbit can be left without its mother, she has died or she has been rejected. If one newborn rabbit he lost his mother and you adopted him, follow this rabbit feeding calendar:

  • Weeks 1 and 2: only formula milk, at midday and late afternoon;
  • Weeks 3 and 4: formula milk at the same time. Add large amounts of alfalfa hay for him to eat whenever he wants;
  • Weeks 5 to 7: formula milk at the same time, reducing ml per feed. Alfalfa hay and quality feed in small quantities;
  • Week 8: weaning, after that week the milk should no longer be administered. Just alfalfa hay, feed and start raw solid foods like fruits and vegetables for rabbits.

Remember to increase the milliliters of milk during the first few weeks, as explained above, and reduce its amount again until it is completely suspended at the time of weaning, with other types of rabbit food added.

How to Feed a Puppy Rabbit

From the eighth week to seven months, the final growth of the rabbit occurs, passing from a young rabbit to a young or adolescent rabbit. up to three months, most of the food will consist of feed, alfalfa hay, occasional pellets and small portions of fruits and vegetables.

From the fourth month onwards, the portions of raw food will increase, gradually replacing the ration. Upon reaching the seventh month, the rabbit's feeding will already be like that of an adult. If you offer them a varied diet of vegetables and fruits, processed feeds or vitamin supplements are not necessary. However, if you feel that the diet needs the incorporation of this food, seek advice from a veterinarian. Also, that same month you should start replacing alfalfa hay with grass hay, which is much healthier for adults.

never forget to offer fresh water at all these steps., whether it is a puppy rabbit or an adult rabbit, as well as observing all your rabbit's reactions to food.

If you want to read more articles similar to Baby rabbit food, we recommend that you enter our Nursing section.