Caring for Orphaned Rabbits Baby Rabbit Picture Gallery Click here to see a short film of the Supreme babies! (Note: File size 2Mb and requires Quicktime) It can be a difficult time through birth for the adult rabbit especially if it is her first litter. A young inexperienced doe can sometimes abandon her young, leading to the owner having to hand rear. Does may also suffer from various problems following pregnancy such as lack of adequate milk, eclampsia (calcium deficiency) or a variety of infections. It is also at this time of the year that work is carried out in the garden and nest disturbance of wild rabbits is possible, again resulting in the litter being abandoned. It is possible to try and handrear the litter but this can be quite difficult, exhausting and not always successful. However, handrearing can be an extremely rewarding experience. Supreme Petfoods know all too well, as we are currently rearing 4 yellow Dutch babies at our head office in Waterlooville. Russel and Citrine were the proud parents of the babies, but unfortunately Citrine passed away following a condition called eclampsia. The babies were only 7 days old but are now 3 weeks and fighting fit. Members of the Supreme team took turns in caring for the babies throughout the day and night. The babies have now been named: Monty Murray Honey Poppy Kerry Hore (Sales Order Office) " I thoroughly enjoyed handrearing the babies, although it was a very tiring experience, but well worth it!" Sara Cowen - Pet Health & Care Manager, supervised the handrearing procedure of the Supreme babies. Sara is a fully trained vet nurse, and has had many experiences rehabilitating wildlife. INFORMATION ON HANDREARING ORPHANED BABIES Equipment You will need: Nets box Heatpad Russel Bedding 1ml syringes Small animal feeding teats Milk replacement - Cimicat Vitamins - Abidec Probiotic - Avipro Sterilising tablets Nest box Use a plastic container filled with a mixture of soft chopped bedding combined with some of the mother's hair form the nest site. This makes the nest very soft and acts as an insulator. If not available use shredded, soft tissue or cotton. A Vet bed can be placed in the bottom, as this is very soft and allows the urine to flow through, whilst still remaining dry. Remove damp bedding on a daily basis as this can soon lead to reduction in body temperature. The sides of the container need to be quite deep to prevent them falling out, as at times the babies can be very active. Depending on the size and age of the litter they may require an additional heat source such as a heat mat or microwavable pads, especially in the first week, but ensure they can always move away from the heat if it becomes to hot. A large litter will brood each other, but be aware the smaller ones may be pushed to the outside and loose heat quite quickly. The babies will bury down into the nest and regulate their heat by moving position within the group. Feeding Kittens should be fed using a 1ml syringe initially with a small soft rubber teat attached - to mimic feeding (suckling from a nipple). The best food to use is Cimicat, a kitten milk replacer that has been used successfully with rabbits. In the wild, rabbits feed 1-2 times a day and then leave the nest site covered up, this is called absentee parenting. Rabbits milk is so rich that they only require a small amount a day. This is not possible to achieve using current milk replacers so more frequent feeding is necessary. Initially it may be necessary to feed 6 times a day reducing to 5 times in week two, 4 in week 3 and 4. You can begin introducing small amounts of solid material such as grass or a concentrated feed such as Russel Junior, from 3 weeks of age, they will instinctively begin nibbling on it. The milk replacer should be mixed as per instructions and resemble the consistency of whole milk. To this add a few drops of Abidec multivitamins and ¼ teaspoon of Avipro (probiotic), available from Vetark. The milk replacement should include a probiotic to help establish the gut microflora from an early age. Use boiled and cooled water to make up the mix. The milk should then be fed warm but not hot (test on the back of your hand). Place the bowl of milk into a bowl of hot water, and remove when the temperature is reached. Replace if it begins to cool. Gently wake the babies from their nest site and allow them to come around. Remove one at a time and place on a towel. Gently syringe the milk into the mouth of the youngster. As they grow stronger they will suckle at their own pace. Take care not to force the milk into the mouth as it can go down the wrong hole and result in aspiration pneumonia, and may possibly choke them. If you are concerned some has gone down the wrong way gently, but securely, hold at an angle with the head facing downwards until their airways are clear and choking stops. The babies will stop suckling when they have had enough but check their stomachs are nicely rounded. Always feed in a warm place away from draughts as they can loose heat rapidly whilst out of the nest site. If you feel the babies have not eaten very much check the temperature of the milk, as they are reluctant to feed on cool milk. Warming the milk up will often encourage suckling again. After feeding in the first week or so, it is important to stimulate the kittens to urinate and defecate. Use a damp piece of cotton wool and gently wipe around the anogenital region. This mimics the mother licking the area and stimulates their motions. They will regulate their own toiletting in week two. The baby rabbits will initially feed small amounts, 1-2mls of food and increase to around 5-6mls, each feed, by week 3-4. These levels will slowly drop after 4 weeks as they begin increasing the intake of solid feed. Russel Junior has been specifically formulated for growing rabbits from the age of 4 weeks to twenty weeks, and has high fibre for healthy gut movement and high protein for growth and development through this phase. Weaning should be carried out with precaution, as this can be a stressful period if carried out to quickly and may compromise the rabbit's health. They should be fully weaned between 6-8 weeks depending on the individual. Continue to use probiotics through this phase. General Nutrition Throughout weaning, growth and adult life, your rabbits should be fed a complete rabbit mix suitable for their lifestage, such as Russel Junior for growing and dwarf rabbits, followed by Russel Original or Russel Carrot and Leek. The rabbits should be fed following the specific feeding guidelines on the pack. Split the amount into two feeds, morning and night and do not be tempted to top up the bowl until all of the mix has been eaten, thus preventing selection of favoured ingredients. A course mix provides a variety of ingredients and different textures to assist in dental wear. If your rabbit feeds selectively, an alternative is Supreme Science - Selective: a fully extruded diet that provides the correct nutrition in one biscuit. Whatever mix you feed your rabbits fresh fed hay and vegetables needs to be provided on a daily basis, to provide dental wear and variety to the diet. If you require any further information on rabbits and other small animals, please do not hesitate to contact Supreme Petfoods who specialise in small animal nutrition.