Sometimes it happens that rabbits, barely born, are left without mother's milk and care. Then these concerns fall on the shoulders of the person. To feed rabbits without a rabbit is a serious and responsible matter, because the life of the kids depends on the speed of decision-making and subsequent actions.
Why are rabbits left without breast milk and care? What is the danger?
The decision in favor of artificial feeding is made by the farmer for one of the following reasons:
- barely sprinkled, the female refuses rabbits and throws them;
- the rabbit has no milk or has developed mastitis;
- the female has a very serious condition after the birth or she died;
- another nurse does not accept babies.
It is especially dangerous for rabbits when the female dies, not having time to feed them with valuable colostrum for the first time. It contains antibodies necessary for babies to help develop their own immunity.
Human care and care will not replace mothers for the cubs, and improper actions on the part of breeders increase the mortality rate.
Decorative rabbits have less chances to survive, and meat breeds, even on artificial feeding, grow into healthy, strong individuals.
What to try before artificial feeding?
The purpose of artificial feeding is not only to provide satiety for rabbits, but also comprehensive care for the offspring. Before taking on responsibilities, try the following alternatives:
- Find a nurse for offspring.This course of events is possible if the breeder has several queens. It is impossible to simply add the rabbits to another nursing female. There is practically no chance that she will accept someone else's offspring.
Therefore, remove the rabbit for half an hour in another cage, and wipe the babies with fluff and straw from her home. The nurse will go back to the cage and will likely receive new charges. - Awaken your parental instinct.Most often, after the first birthing, the mother does not want to feed her babies. Try to solve this problem by simply holding the rabbit during several feeding processes.
With a favorable outcome, while feeding on mother's milk, rabbits quickly get stronger and begin to gain weight. But it so happens that these tips do not help.
How to feed rabbits correctly for the first 30 days?
Bunnies are born completely blind, without a coat. The first fluff on the body begins to grow on the 6th day, and the opening of the eyes occurs on the 10th day. Newborns weigh 60-90 g, but with comprehensive care and good nutrition, they quickly gain weight and grow.
The farmer should prepare for the artificial feeding of the offspring - to master the skills of care and acquire equipment.
Instruments
Feeding rabbits requires nipples and containers.
Buy at the storeanimal feeding kit. It includes a special syringe with rubber nozzles of various shapes and sizes. This set is sold in the form of a bottle with several special nipples.
You can do it with improvised means:
- Use for feedingsyringe and rubber pipette tipmaking several small holes in it.
- Suitable for performing the procedurebottle of eye drops. For convenience, use it together with a pipette tip.
- Baby bottle small volume is useful for older animals.
The process of artificial feeding should be as natural as possible.
Before opening the eyes, the reaction of rabbits to nipple substitutes is weak. When pouring milk into the mouth, be careful and do not rush, otherwise the bunny may choke or choke.
Milk substitutes
Newborn rabbits require high-quality nutrition. Rabbit milk substitutes include:
- Goat milk. The best option for artificially feeding rabbits. No need to dilute or add something, because the composition is similar to rabbit’s milk, only slightly inferior to it in fat content.
- Cow's milk.The most affordable and common option for replacing rabbit milk. In its pure form, it cannot be fed to babies, since it does not have enough carbohydrates in its composition. Mix cow's milk with condensed milk in a 3: 1 ratio. Warm the mixture for 40-60 minutes. at a temperature of 70. Before feeding, cool to 37 degrees.
- Special blends.They are sold in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies in a large assortment. Buy milk replacers made for rabbits or dogs. As a last resort, food for cats is suitable. In terms of components, their composition is as close as possible to rabbit milk.
- Baby formula. Such food is suitable for rabbits, if the composition contains a minimum of sugar and additives.
In the video presented, you can see the principle of artificial feeding of rabbits:
Thus, the most suitable food for newborn rabbits is special dry mixes, and cow's milk is the least preferred option.
Feeding procedure
During the procedure, hold the animals upright, firmly, but not crushing. At first, the rabbits may not respond to simulated nipples. Be patient.
Gently moisten the baby’s mouth with milk, he will lick it. Repeat several times. This will stimulate the sucking reflex.
During the feeding procedure, be careful not to allow liquid to enter the animal's respiratory tract. This is fraught with the death of the rabbit.
Make sure that the tummy does not overflow, because the kids themselves cannot yet determine the level of their satiety. Overeating leads to indigestion and problems.
The feeding fluid should be 37 degrees. Store milk for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, and always use freshly prepared formula for feeding.
Build a diet according to the needs of the cubs. Well-fed babies sleep quietly, and hungry babies squeak and are actively looking for a source of nutrition.
Dosage and frequency
The amount of mixture and the frequency of feeding directly depend on the age of the rabbits.
The female feeds the rabbits 1-3 times a day. Her milk is very nutritious, so many feeding sessions are enough for rabbits to properly develop, grow and gain weight.
But not a single mixture replaces the rabbit’s milk, so babies are fed up to 6 times a day on artificial feeding.
In the first 2 days, a few drops of nutrition are enough for the rabbits, even 1 ml of the mixture for them is an excess.
Gradually, the amount of milk required for the development of the cubs increases, and the number of feedings decreases.
Artificial feeding by age
Organizing artificial feeding is a responsible business. You need to be extremely careful when choosing a diet for rabbits, depending on their age and physical health. After all, errors in the quantity and quality of the diet adversely affect the cubs.
From birth to 5 days
A newborn rabbit needs 1 drop of nutrient fluid. For the first day they feed 5-6 times. Since the kids have not yet learned to swallow on their own, care must be taken.
On the second day, 4-5 meals are enough. On day 5 - 4 feedings. The daily milk requirement is 5-6 ml. By the end of this period, the rabbits, with normal development, double their weight.
6 to 14 days
The animals grow up and the amount of the nutrient mixture for feeding increases. They drink 7-10 ml of milk per day. The number of feedings remains the same, or decreases to 3. The weight of the rabbits reaches 250 g.
From 15 to 30 day
From the 15th day, the animals are transferred to two meals a day. In the first 2-3 days, observe the behavior of young animals and, if signs of hunger are present, feed them with a small amount of the mixture in 3 feedings.
The amount of the mixture per day by the end of the month reaches 60 ml. While this is their main food. Weaning off the nipple should be for 20-25 days.
The readiness to introduce complementary foods is determined by the condition of the teeth. If molars have replaced milk teeth, then you can gradually introduce solid food and teach you to drink from a saucer.
By the end of the period, the mass of animals reaches about 500 g.
Development period of rabbits | Number of feedings per day, times | Mix rate for 1 feeding per 1 individual, ml |
From birth to 5 days | 5 | 1 |
From 6 to 14 days | 3-4 | 7-10 |
From 15 to 30 day | 2-3 | 60 |
Introduction of dressings
Starting from the third week, put small piles of dry grass in the cage - so you prepare the rabbits for solid food.
At this time, it is important to monitor the changes in the stool of the babies. If you have diarrhea, immediately remove the hay from the diet. If the adaptation to the new food goes without problems, then add a small amount of compound feed, herbs, carrots.
From day 31, if there is no underweight, milk is gradually removed from the rabbits' diet. When the offspring are 45 days old, their diet is completely transferred to the adult.
Vitamin A and Vitamin D
In nature, rabbits receive the necessary vitamins and minerals from their mother's milk, and then from a variety of adult nutrition. Individuals who are breast-fed need more vitamin supplements.
If the body lacksVitamin Athen rabbits suffer from runny nose and dry eyes. This vitamin is responsible for the desire to reproduce and have healthy offspring, as well as the healthy functioning of the nervous system. Its sources are: beet tops, carrots, cabbage leaves, young grass, etc.
Vitamin D responsible for the formation of bone tissue. With its shortage, growth retardation and various deformations of the limbs and spine are possible. Vitamin D is produced by the body itself under the influence of sunlight. Bone meal, fish oil, milk will help this. Feed foods in places where the sun's rays do not have access, i.e. under their influence, vitamin D is destroyed.
Oat flour and oat sprouts
Oats are a fundamental grain in the diet of rabbits, containing a whole storehouse of vitamins and microelements. Its calorie content is 336 kcal / 100 g. It can occupy up to 50% of the total mass of feed. Rabbits on such food gain weight well, but oats do not cause obesity.
This cereal is introduced into the diet of rabbits as soon as they begin to feed on their own. First, they are fed with oatmeal or crushed grain, and then they switch to feeding with whole grains.
Animals eat this food with pleasure up to 5 times a day, and adults - 3 times a day.
Oat sprouts are good for the reproductive system of rabbits. For mating, it is introduced into the diet of both males and rabbits. Oats help lactating females recover after okroli and stimulate the production of nutritious milk.
The nutrients rich in oat germinated have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract of animals. Appetite increases, fur becomes beautiful and shiny, body weight increases.
Be sure to put a drinker in the cage if dry cereal feed predominates in the rabbits ’diet.
Bone meal and chalk
Bone meal is a powder from the bones of animals and birds, a valuable source of calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, zinc, iron, protein and other micro- and macroelements.
By introducing it into complementary foods, the likelihood of diseases associated with the musculoskeletal system in rabbits is significantly reduced. Thanks to proteins, the muscle mass of animals grows faster.
The doses indicated on the bone meal package must be strictly observed. An overdose is even more dangerous than the problems associated with the lack of this bait:
- The stomach of rabbits becomes clogged with a jelly-like mass, which is why animals often die.
- Females become aggressive, lose their ability to reproduce.
- There are cases of cannibalism among individuals.
If the rudiments of these problems have appeared, reduce portions, or remove the flour from the diet.
Chalk is a safe mineral supplement that provides calcium to the body. It can be used in powder form, in lump form and in mineral briquettes. Chalk is useful for the prevention of bone disease.
Branches and acorns
The branches of trees and shrubs are used not only as food. Some are useful for the prevention of ailments.
So, for example, walnut branches remove parasites from the body, lindens and willows - they work as an anesthetic, birches - as a diuretic. They are given to rabbits infrequently, out of necessity.
Trees and shrubs, whose branches can be used as permanent feeding, relate:
- Apple tree, acacia, poplar, hazel, ash, linden, maple, aspen, mulberry, etc.
- Raspberries, currants, grapes.
Trees whose branches can be given to rabbitsoccasionally:
- Pear, mountain ash, oak, chestnut.
- Pine, juniper.
You can not use in the diet branches of bird cherry, lilac, elderberry, ledum.
Acorns are another nutritious food for rabbits. They are allowed to be fed both green and dry. The norm of acorns per day for an adult is 50 g.
Introduce them into the diet gradually - first in the form of flour, as an additive to the main grain feed, and then as an independent feeding. Rabbits love to chew on them.
For more information, read our article on how, when and what to feed your rabbits.
Edible salt
Salt is used not only as a seasoning. Chlorine ions contribute to the production of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice, and sodium ions are responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses.
Rabbits gnaw at the wooden partitions in the cage due to the lack of salt. This suggests such problems:
- metabolic disorders;
- decreased productivity of offspring, an increase in the number of miscarriages;
- slow growth of newborn animals;
- gastrointestinal tract diseases;
- water-salt imbalance and diseases associated with blood formation.
It is customary to give edible salt together with chalk. For this they preparemineral briquettes. The following components are required:
- 500 g of feed chalk;
- 500 g red clay flour;
- 300 g of chopped charcoal flour from hardwood;
- 5 tbsp. l. salt;
- 3 tbsp. feed sulfur.
Mix the ingredients with water until a thick dough is obtained. From it, mold forms the size of a matchbox. String them on a wire. Dry first in the shade and then in the sun. Burn like clay in an oven.
Place one in each rabbit cage. They themselves will learn to gnaw a briquette in the amount that their body needs.
Acidophilus
Rabbits are not very healthy, the digestive tract is their weak point. Gastrointestinal stasis is common in these animals when the stomach stops working and the individual dies.
Acidophilus is a complex of beneficial lactobacilli. It helps digest food in the colon and protects against harmful bacteria, the growth of which leads to bloating, diarrhea and other troubles.
This drug will help when taking antibiotics, when the entire intestinal microflora is destroyed.
What are cecotrophs, why are they needed and where to get them?
Cecotrophs are the primary feces of the rabbit. It has an oblong shape, often resembles a bunch of grapes due to sticking spools. The color ranges from light green to black. The smell is unpleasant, sour.
This feces are formed in a special compartment of the cecum, which is only found in lagomorphs. Therefore, do not confuse cecotrophs with regular feces.
Usually, rabbits eat cecotrophs from the age of 20 days as soon as they leave the body. Thus, they re-absorb vitamins and minerals. Without this, animals would suffer from vitamin deficiency.
If there are too many cecotrophs, the animal does not eat them, then you are overfeeding the rabbit with grain. Remove cereals from the diet for a couple of days, leaving water, branches and hay.
The second reason can be worms.Conduct a fight against parasites and everything will return to normal.
Advantages and disadvantages of human feeding of rabbits
Artificial feeding of rabbits has its positive and negative sides.
The benefits include:
- Getting used to milk replacers, rabbits are unpretentious to food.
- A good appetite leads to weight gain and growth.
- The diet adapts to the person and his capabilities.
Disadvantages of artificial feeding:
- Nutritional value, composition of vitamins and minerals in substitutes is much lower than in natural rabbit milk.
- The inability to transmit antibodies, which means weakened immunity of the offspring.
- Difficulty in nipple training.
- Possible injury to the rabbit when feeding.
- Constant presence of a person next to babies for care and attention.
Rabbit care
The earlier the rabbits were left without a queen, the more complex care they need. The conditions of detention and the feeding regime require great responsibility and dedication from a person.
Lighting and warmth
Newborn rabbits require special care, attention should be paid to lighting and warmth when raising babies.
There must be a place in the cage where the sun's rays do not reach. Direct solar radiation is dangerous for animals. Daytime lighting should be dim, and it is recommended to turn off the lights at night.
Rabbits should be warm. To do this, build a nest from the fluff of adult rabbits or put a heating pad in the cage. The optimal temperature is when a person's hand is comfortable, and not hot.
Hygiene
Cleanliness is necessary when caring for rabbits, because without immunity, they are more susceptible to microbes and bacteria.
Boil dishes and teats before use. Prepare the mixture before feeding, according to the instructions. Store milk in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
Before breastfeeding, wash your hands with fragrance-free soap and dry with a towel. After feeding, clean the little ones from food debris and bowel movements.
Abdominal massage
Emptying the bowels and bladder requires special attention, because babies do not know how to cope with it.
Before feeding, the female licks the rabbit, pressing on the stomach with her tongue, moving from the navel to the hind legs. Thus, it forces the bowels and bladder to empty.
The person who replaces the mother of the rabbits should not forget about this procedure. Otherwise, the bladder will burst.
Before each feeding, it is necessary to massage the baby's abdomen with a damp soft cloth or a piece of cotton wool.
This manipulation is completed when the offspring is more than 14 days old.
In healthy rabbits, the belly is firm and slightly convex. If it is sunken, then this is a sign of gastrointestinal problems.
In the video below, the breeder clearly shows how to massage the abdomen of a rabbit before feeding:
Caring for orphaned rabbits requires a lot of strength, skill and patience from a person. Only in this way will they survive and grow up as beautiful healthy individuals.