Last Updated on February 25, 2023 by Marjon Ramos
Do not try to care for a wild newborn rabbit if you happen to find one in the wild. Their mother will only be with them a couple of times a day to feed them and will leave them alone most of the day in order to not draw attention to the nest.
But if it’s a pet rabbit, you really don’t need to do much except provide the mother with a nesting box with bedding. You should also provide them with high-quality nutritious food.
Finally, check the kits if they are nursing by looking at their tummies if they are round.
Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail how to care for a newborn rabbit:
Table of Contents
How to take care of a wild newborn rabbit?
If you encounter a rabbit’s nest in the wild, chances are its mother just left them to get some food.
Do not disturb the nest and try to take care of wild rabbits yourself.
Baby rabbits need to be nursed by their mothers. Their mother’s milk provides them with antibodies against pathogens.
But if you notice an injured baby rabbit in the wild, call a veterinarian or a wildlife staff to take care of it. It’s hard enough for experts to take care of abandoned baby rabbits, so make sure that you don’t try to take care of the baby rabbits yourself.
How to take care of a pet newborn rabbit?
If your pet rabbit is pregnant, you need to get a few supplies in order to make sure that they have a successful and easy pregnancy.
These supplies are:
- Nest box with nest-building materials
- Bedding
- Nutritious food
- Cleaning supplies
Now that you’ve got the supplies you need, let’s head over to what to do before your rabbit gives birth:
Before giving birth
The following steps that I will discuss below would simulate what a rabbit would do in the wild as closely as we can. This would ensure that your rabbit’s instincts are on point during pregnancy.
Follow the proper feeding guide for pregnant and lactating rabbits.
Pregnant rabbits don’t need to change the amount and type of food you’re currently giving them prior to getting pregnant.
But after 3 weeks of pregnancy, you can now start to gradually increase the amount of pellets for the last 10 days of your rabbit’s pregnancy up to the first week of lactation.
How much pellets you feed your rabbit will depend on its breed.
Here’s a guide to help you determine how much to feed your bunnies.
| Small Breeds | Medium Breeds | Large Breeds |
|---|---|---|
| •2-3 ounces of pellets per day | 3 ½ – 4 ounces of pellets per day | 4 – 8 ounces of pellets per day |
Remember to gradually increase the amount of pellets based on your rabbit’s breed for the last 10 days of your rabbit’s pregnancy.
Another important factor is to make sure that the pellet you’re feeding your pregnant rabbits has the right amount of nutrition.
Here are the recommended nutritional facts for rabbit pellet, according to the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
| Fiber | Fat | Calcium | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| •12% to 22% •Not less than 18% | •3% or less | •Less than 1% | •14%-18% |
Separate the doe from the bucks.
Separating the doe from the bucks is to ensure that your rabbit will not get pregnant as soon as she gives birth. But make sure that they are still close enough to bond.
To do this, just place them in separate cages and put the cages close to each other.
Build a nesting box.
A nesting box is required so that both the doe and the kits can stay warm. You can make a nest box with a simple cardboard box or from wood like the one in the video.
The important thing is that the nesting box should be bigger than your rabbit.
After building your nesting box, fill it with some kind of bedding like hay, grass, or straw.
After giving birth
After giving birth, there’s really not much to do because it’s all instinct to rabbits on how to care for their kits.
Provide unlimited access to hay and clean, drinkable water for the mother.
The most important thing you can do is provide the doe with unlimited access to hay and clean drinkable water. They need to eat high-quality food in order to nurse their kits.
Make sure to check their water and make sure it’s clean and doesn’t have any smell. Rabbits might refuse to drink dirty water due to its smell.
This is bad for nursing doe because they need a lot of water and the lack of it could quickly lead to dehydration.
Check the kits every day to see if they are nursing.
Check the kits every day to see if their mother is nursing them. You can tell by looking at their tummies to see if they’re round.
If you suspect that your rabbit is not nursing its kits, immediately contact a veterinarian.
Clean the nesting box regularly.
Clean the nest box regularly because the kits will poop and pee on their bedding. Make sure to replace their bedding daily.
You should also remove any placenta lying around after giving birth.
After two weeks, kits can now be given pellets.
After two weeks, the kits might start to nimble on some pellets. But, they still need to be nursed for up to 7 weeks old in order to have a stronger immune system.
You need to control the quantity of pellets the kits consume. If they are weaned too soon, it could cause a weaker immune system. The reason is that kits get antibodies from their mother’s milk to fight off pathogens.
Here’s a table to guide you on how much you should feed your bunnies as they get older.
| Age | Hay | Pellets | Vegetables | Fruits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 weeks to 7 months | Unlimited alfalfa | Unlimited | — | — |
| 12 weeks | Unlimited alfalfa | Unlimited | Introduce vegetables (one at a time) in small quantities < 1/2 oz (15 g) | — |
| 7 months to 1 year | Introduce grass hay, decrease alfalfa | Decrease amount fed to ½ cup per 6 lbs (2.7 kg) BW | Increase vegetables fed daily gradually | No more than 1-2 oz (30-60g) per 6 lbs (2.7 kg) BW |
| Adult (1-5 y) | Unlimited grass hay, oat hay, straw | ¼ to ½ cup per 6 lbs (2.7 kg) BW | 1-2 cups per 6 lbs (2.7 kg) BW | No more than 2 tbsp per 6 lbs (2.7 kg) BW |
| Seniors (>6 y) | Increase alfalfa hay fed to frail, older rabbits but monitor calcium levels | Continue adult diet if weight is okay; frail, older rabbits may fed unlimited pellets |
Summary
If you find a rabbit in the wild, don’t try to take care of it on your own. Most of the time, the mother is just out getting some food.
If it’s a pet rabbit, you really don’t need to do much except provide the mother with a nesting box with bedding, high-quality food, and water, and check the kits for signs of nursing by looking at their tummies if they are round.
Cite this article:
Sources and further reading
- Buseth, Marit Emilie., and Richard A. Saunders. Rabbit Behaviour, Health, and Care. CABI, 2014.
- Lebas, F. The Rabbit: Husbandry, Health, and Production. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1997.
- Patry, Karen, et al. The Rabbit-Raising Problem Solver: Your Questions Answered about Housing, Feeding, Behavior, Health Care, Breeding, and Kindling. Storey Publishing, 2014.
- Basic-Rabbit-Care
- Baby Rabbits
- How to Build a Nesting Box
- Understanding the Basics of Rabbit Care
