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baby rabbits
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my adult female rabbit has given birth to 3 babies and has rejected them, can anyone tell me the best way to feed them and feed them on what as i have no alternative but to bring them up by hand
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Either feed them condensed milk watered down to one third water to two thirds milk in either a syringe or a small puppy feeding bottle, or eye dropper, or for a better option you can buy a powdered milk for orphaned puppies called Lactolm which you feed one teaspoon powder to one fruit spoon milk. Feed very small amounts for about two weeks until you can see babies starting to attempt ro eat shredded carrot. DO NOT feed them greens until about 8 weeks old.
Sre you absolutely certain the mum has rejected her babies? The mum will only feed her young ONCE per day and it's usually in the middle of the night, she will stay away from them most of them time other than feeding times.
Please double check before you start feeding them yourself because the mum WILL reject them if you start doing her job.
I found the best way to check was to pick up one of the babies when you get up in the morning and lay it on its back on the palm of your hand. If it has a little pot belly then your doe is feeding her babies and you need not worry.
Did your doe make a nest for her babies? If she did, then there's a greater chance she has not rejected them. If not, remove the babies from the doe or she will eat them herself. Make a nest yourself using a box, straw and a towel and feed the babies twice per day using a high fat milk substitute you can get from a good Vet.
Furthermore, to encourage your doe to milk, also feed her a high fat diet - agian, you should get some pellets designed with this in mind from the Vet. This will encourage your doe o produce so much milk that she has little else option but to fed her babies in order to relieve the discomfort of having so much milk.
Just in case she hasn't rejected her babies, when you go to pick up a baby, talk to and touch the mum to reassure her that you're not going to hurt them.
Please double check before you start feeding them yourself because the mum WILL reject them if you start doing her job.
I found the best way to check was to pick up one of the babies when you get up in the morning and lay it on its back on the palm of your hand. If it has a little pot belly then your doe is feeding her babies and you need not worry.
Did your doe make a nest for her babies? If she did, then there's a greater chance she has not rejected them. If not, remove the babies from the doe or she will eat them herself. Make a nest yourself using a box, straw and a towel and feed the babies twice per day using a high fat milk substitute you can get from a good Vet.
Furthermore, to encourage your doe to milk, also feed her a high fat diet - agian, you should get some pellets designed with this in mind from the Vet. This will encourage your doe o produce so much milk that she has little else option but to fed her babies in order to relieve the discomfort of having so much milk.
Just in case she hasn't rejected her babies, when you go to pick up a baby, talk to and touch the mum to reassure her that you're not going to hurt them.
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