Home More advice Pets & Animals
what bo baby rabbits eat when they dont have their mother with them
The best food for rabbits would consist of what they generally feed on in the wild. This would consist predominantly of fresh grass with an aditional mixute of other green plants. Grass/hay should comprise around 70% of the diet and a lack of grass/hay will in all likelihood lead to dental problems such as malocclusion, and digestive problems including problems in forming caecotrophes.
Dark green, leafy vegetables will also be much appreciated by rabbits. Individual rabbits vary in their preferences but vegetables such as romaine, escarole, turnip, collard, kale, parsley, thyme, cilantro, dandelion and basil can all be fed. These should be fed in small amounts and introduced slowly as rabbits have delicate digestive systems. Cauliflower and cabbage should be avoided because they cause gas and can lead to gi stasis which can be deadly. Fruits can be fed as treats approximately one tablespoon per four pounds (1 T per 4 lbs) of body weight , as they are high in sugars. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes or corn should be avoided. When feeding vegetables to a rabbit for the first time, begin with one type, then slowly introduce others, until the rabbit has become accustomed to at least three different kinds of vegetables per serving; a variety of food keeps the rabbit's interest. Once a rabbit is introduced to vegetables, it should be fed vegetables daily (keeping in mind that grass/hay should make up the bulk of the diet).
If fresh grass or hay is not available then a high quality pellet can be used. When choosing commercial feeds, choose those that do not include nuts, as nuts contain more fat than rabbits can easily metabolize, and may cause health problems, such as fatty liver. Nuts are commonly found in rodent food; as rabbits are not rodents, this food should be avoided.
Pellets should be fed one ounce per pound of body weight per day. However, pellets should be offered as a supplement to hay only - exclusively feeding a rabbit pellets can lead to life-threatening dental disease. Only by chewing hay or grass daily can a rabbit wear down their back teeth sufficiently (their teeth grow constantly, as with rodents). Traditionally, pellets are fed to rabbits bred for meat, and tend to cause excess weight gain. If a rabbit is fed pellets, a salt block is not necessary, as pellets are high in salt, though salt blocks are not otherwise harmful to rabbits.
I hand reared 3 Netherland Dwarf babies from 12 day old successfully, a great deal of persistence + patience was needed, but it was well worth it. Here are the things I found worked best - kitten milk, better still full fat goats milk (can be bought at supermarkets) warmed up like baby milk temperature + offered on a small tea spoon (less stressfull to baby bun) Porridge oats (from supermarket) carrot tops (leaves) dandelions / flowers with milky stems are v good! ready brek (made with goat milk or water) add a little bit of jam if it increases chances of it being eaten!!
NEVER GIVE HUMAN OR BABY MILK - RABBITS CAN NOT TOLERATE OR DIGEST PROPERLY
They still need to be nursed? If so I'm sure you could find something in the store by kitten milk and such. (pet store) and you would have to bottle feed them.
If they are ready to eat solids, alfalfa pellets work nicely and occasionally give them some carrots or other veggies with it broccoli, cauliflower, something similar.
there is a certain type of food mix you can buy from most pet shops which is made mainly for young rabbits wich fatens them and dont feed them fruits or veg because they are not old enough you can ask a local vet they might give you somethink to help.
My dog loves to eat the" kitty crunches" out of my cats litter box. What can I do to stop him from doing this. Is he lacking something in his diet?
duh there mothers milk and I would know because I have 20 rabbits and started off with two
Never give a rabbit letucce, it can ruin their stomach, and the outcome could be fatal
soak some pellets in water for a while and that should be fine
soft small food that will help them digest it more easily!:)
