For example, placing a weighted-down laundry basket upside down over the rabbit's nest during the day may be sufficient to protect the baby rabbits from small outdoor pets. To keep larger dogs out of trouble, a barrier of chicken wire should do the trick.
Young rabbits disperse from the nest at 15-20 days old. By three weeks of age, they are on their own in the wild and no longer require a mother's care. This means that young rabbits found on the ground may be completely healthy. Even though they look small, they are not orphans and do not need any human intervention.
Baby rabbits found alone in a nest are usually not orphans. Mowing and raking yards can disturb rabbit nests. If a nest has been disturbed, put it back together and cover the babies with the grass that originally covered them.
Humans represent danger and fear to wild bunnies so it is best to leave them where they are. If a baby bunny is injured, the only choice is to transport it to a Rescue Team Drop Off Site as quickly as possible.
It is best to keep the babies in a warm, quiet place in a nest. Bunny fur is the best lining for the nest, but clean cotton wadding will do as a substitute. Just be sure the babies do not get tangled in it. For heating, two or more babies usually are able to snuggle and keep each other warm if they have a good nest.
You and your children can peek at the baby rabbits, but don't touch them. If anyone picks up a bunny, return it to the nest. A little human scent will not prevent the mother from caring for her young. If it's clear the mother rabbit was killed, contact a wildlife rehabilitator who can best raise the orphaned bunnies.
Keep the babies in an out-of-the way, QUIET area, such as an adult's bedroom. If the room temperature is between 68-72 degrees you will not need to provide extra heat, but if it's cooler than that you will need to provide extra warmth. Use a heating pad set on low and slip it under one half only of the box.
5 to 6 days old: The bunny is fully furred, but the ears are not erect and the eyes are still closed. 7 to 8 days old: The ears begin to stand up. 10 days old: The eyes open. 12 to 14 days old: The bunny is able to hop and nibble on solid food.
Very young bunnies often do not survive in captivity, even with the best care. In addition, wild bunnies can carry a disease called tularemia.
If you touch a baby rabbit, its mother will not usually abandon it. Rabbits are excellent moms. All they want is their baby back. If you feel the nest is in a spot where you can't possibly leave the babies until they're big enough to leave on their own, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
For a wild bunny, you need to get him to a wildlife rehabilitator if he is TRULY orphaned (mom was killed). Remember with wild bunnies, the mom ONLY comes back at night to call and feed him; please put him back for her if just found and healthy. With domestics, the mom only feeds once or twice a day for only 5 minutes.
The easiest way to feed the baby rabbits is by using a teat-topped bottle. These are available from most pet supply stores. Newborn rabbits drink only milk for the first 10 days. From 10 days small amounts of hay and veggies may be offered.
To determine whether a baby outside the nest needs assistance, first see if the baby feels cold to the touch. Also look for bleeding, fly larvae, broken limbs; if any, get to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. If he is just out and about, leave him be.
Baby rabbits leave the nest at approximately 3-4 weeks of age (sometimes older). If the rabbit is as big as a tennis ball (or fully fills your hand), then it is able to survive in the wild. At 3-4 weeks of age, their instincts to survive in the wild are fully intact.
Young Rabbits (up to 8wks old) drink milk from their mothers. They may also start drinking water from their mom's water bottle or bowl at about 3 to 4 weeks of age.
Young rabbits' diet
With you at home, most young rabbits are fed with a mix of hay and pellets. Alfalfa Hay is ideal for a growing bunny as it is rich in protein and calcium and tastes great. They will eat this happily and voraciously.
Neither wild nor domestic rabbit poop is known to be harmful to humans. They are safe to keep as pets, even around children, and there is no need to worry about disease transmission if you have a lot of wild rabbits in the community.
A. Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Tularemia is typically found in animals, especially rodents, rabbits, and hares. Tularemia is usually a rural disease and has been reported in all U.S. states except Hawaii.
Rabbit bites are not dangerous. While it is theoretically possible for a rabbit bite to get infected, this is very uncommon, especially if you've taken the time to wash the rabbit bite. If you have a very serious rabbit bite that punctures deep, this can potentially cause tetanus.
Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies.
The reality is fewer than 10% of orphaned rabbits survive a week, and the care that people attempt to provide can be illegal, unnecessary, and potentially harmful. The best thing you can do is to contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area.
Place the mother and the babies in a small, warm, quiet room. Give the mother a litterbox, in the opposite corner of the nest, if she's placed indoors. If she is not used to being in the house, this may stress her more than being left in her outdoor cage. The only thing to do in that case is add a proper nest area.
Do rabbits need sunlight? Recent research suggests that sunlight, or UV rays, is important for a rabbit's health. Like in many other animals, sunlight helps the rabbit produce enough vitamin D. Rabbits that don't get direct sunlight have a greater risk of developing weak bones or dental problems.
At most, baby rabbits can go without food for 3-4 days. In nature, most baby bunnies are fed only once a day, between midnight and 5 a.m. And, unlike many animals, rabbits do not nurse their young right after their born – their mother feeds them the following night.
Keep the baby rabbit in a dark, quiet place indoors, in an enclosed or covered container. For most species, a cardboard box is perfect. If your home is small, a closet or a bathroom is an excellent spot. A basement, heated garage, or spare bedroom will also work.