03/03/2022
Handfeeding Info & Replacement Recipes
The formula can be adjusted to your breed. Some breeds require more fat than others. Of course nothing is as nutritious or as easy on the digestive system as mother's milk so its recommended to always breed in multiples...quartets minimally in my experience.
But sometimes there is nothing you can do. If possible fresh goat's milk makes a great alternative and if not that then Fox Valley makes a great milk replacement geared towards rabbits. However if none of that is possible here is a recipe I've used with plenty of success over the years.
1–12 oz can of goat's milk ( usually found in the baking isle) mix with equal parts distilled water
Or
½ gallon goats milk found in the refrigerated section
1 egg yolk per 12 ounces
1 tbsp of karo syrup per 12 ounces
¼ tspn of powdered probiotic per 12 ounces or ½ gelcap of acidophilus
1 tbsp of heavy whipping cream per 12 ounces
Homemade Rabbit Milk replacement
Recipe #1
—½ a cup of goat’s milk (stores usually carry it evaporated in a can, follow directions on the can 1:1)
*some stores carry it in the refrigerated section.
—½ a cup of kitten milk replacer formula (follow directions on the kmr)
—1 tspn of heavy cream
—1 tablespoon of colostrum powder
—1/2 tspn of probiotics or 1 capsule of acidophilus
Recipe #2
—1 can of goat's milk (stores usually carry it evaporated in a can. Evaporated needs equal amounts of water)
*some stores carry it in the refrigerated section.
—2 tbsn of heavy cream
—1 egg yolk
—1 tspn of corn syrup
—1/2 tspn of probiotics or 1 capsule of acidophilus
Instructions for all recipes
Warm the mixture gently and stir until the colostrum has fully dissolved.
Baby rabbits tummies are sensitive. In order for them to be able to digest any milk or supplement it will need to be 104°-107°F. Any cooler they can't digest it properly and they are likely to refuse it. Much hotter and it can/will scald their mouths.
I keep a thermometer at hand and a large crock about half full of boiling hot water. I put the milk in a cylinder type glass and set it in the water to warm it back up as needed.
**do not microwave goat's milk. It kills all the goodness that you want to keep.
***any recipe stored in the refrigerator needs to be used within 48 hours. If any older throw away and make fresh.
Tip: freeze your mixture in ice cube trays and only use as needed. It will keep much longer. Make sure to cover the trays just to keep them as sterile as possible.
Tip 2: probiotics can be picked up at your grocery or your feed store. At your grocery store you will be looking for acidophilus in a capsule. At the feed store I usually buy Probios when using powder. But Benebac makes both a powder and a gel. The older the kits get you can use a gel formula instead.
Tip 3: Miracle Ni***es are amazing. But if for some reason I don't have access I prefer to use makeup sponges. I keep a package of unused ones in my first aid cabinet for this reason. You cut to resemble a ni**le and the babies usually do pretty well with them. BUT they are messy.
Tip 4: Aspirating. Centrifugal Swing method: Hold the baby firmly between your palms with the head and nose peaking out between your middle and ring finger...lightly interlace your fingers. You want to hold the baby firmly but without crushing it! Stand with your legs parted and lift your arms and hands above your head. Hands should still be interlaced and pointed toward the ceiling. Now swing down your hands down between your legs. The pressure should force the liquid out of it's lungs. You may need to repeat but do not do this more than 3 times in a short time period. You don't want to cause more harm.
If you need a visual you can google centrifugal swing on baby bunnies.
Feed the babies with a pet nursing bottle, a feeding syringe, an eyedropper or makeup sponge. Do so slowly. Keep the baby in an upright position. Do not put on their back. Baby rabbits are quite uncoordinated and can easily aspirate fluid into their lungs which could lead to suffocation. See swing instructions above in case of emergency aspiration.
After feeding the babies, you must massage their ge****ls with a warm, moist cotton ball or washcloth to stimulate urination and defecation. I try to mimic what I think a mother's tongue does as far as my motions. It seems to help.
**It's a very important step so do not skip this step! Some babies will not urinate on their own and can actually die from not being pottied.
FEED TWICE A DAY ONLY unless baby is low weight, than three times.
I feed my kits until their bellies are full and nicely rounded. When they are newborns their skin is so thin and fine that you can actually see the milk building. But if you're not comfortable with just eyeing it I have listed amounts below.
Newborn to One Week: 2 – 2 1/2 cc/ml per feeding (two feedings)
1-2 weeks: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings but may be much LESS if smaller rabbit)
2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings). Bunnies whose eyes are still CLOSED need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate before or after each feeding.
3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings–again, may be LESS depending on size)
