# just goats milk for baby bunnies?



## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

i was feeding the animals in the garden and heard alot of noise sounded like a massive fight between bunnies.
it was my blue pet netherland having a fit. i noticed she had pulled her fur out and started to make a nest at 11 last night. as she was fitting the babies where falling out of her. picked her up.... and she had died. never had this happen before.

is it just plain goats milk to give to these baby bunnies? any type? not had anything to do with goats milk before. ill pop down tesco and get some if so?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I make up a bottle of food using a quarter pint full fat goats milk, a teaspoon of bio yoghurt and couple of drops of ABIDEC multi vitamins as a feeding mixture. I make up a fresh batch every day, warm up only what I need for each meal and keep the rest in the fridge, I throw out what is left after 24 hours and make up a fresh batch. 

I go to my vet and get some 1ml diabetic syringes. The most important thing when feeding is not to push the syringe plunger too hard, as inhalation pneumonia kills more tiny orphans than anything else and that's why I use the smallest size syringe, because the slightest movement of the plunger only releases a drop or 2 of fluid, but if you're using a 5ml or 10ml syringe, then it follows that doing the same push of the plunger is going to release more than a drop.

I always use the Catac orphan feeding teats, because they are so small any tiny animal can manage to suck from it. I even reared a stoat that only weighed 18g and she managed to suckle from it. They are very hard to find in pet shops, but you can buy them on line, if you want to try it.


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

done as you said. they dont seem very kean... just been putting it on thier lips and they just try and push me away and turn thier heads. they have had about 1 drop each... will try agian in an hour or so.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

giant snail said:


> done as you said. they dont seem very kean... just been putting it on thier lips and they just try and push me away and turn thier heads. they have had about 1 drop each... will try agian in an hour or so.


 
Have you made sure they are warm enough as cold babies dont feed.
Are these newborns?


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

yes they are very toasty. they agian h ad three drops each though the night and not so kean. this morning 2 of them where having a nibble.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

From what I gather it's extremely hard to raise newborn rabbits from birth. 

My bosses had a litter born to their giant bunny (long story! :roll and she rejected the lot and even with all their experience of handrearing wild animals, including rabbits, they lost the lot.

So you can only try your damndest and hope. Once they get the taste of the milk and accept it they should be OK.

*I cannot stress highly enough how important it is that you are very wary of dehydration.* It is not good for rabbits to get dehydrated, or indeed any animal and if they aren't taking enough they will get dehydrated. If this happens no amount of milk will keep them alive and this is what sadly kills off a lot of very young orphan animals. 

If they are dehydrated you need to give them rehydration fluid as well as milk.

So please 'pinch test' them every time you check them over and if the skin 'tents' then don't give them milk, give them rehydration fluid, either an electrolyte mix from your vet or make up your own by mixing half a litre of water (preferably filtered), half a teaspoonful salt and half a tablespoonful sugar or glucose.


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

I don't know if it is any good for bunnies but I have heard others in the exotics section feeding esbilac. Somebody is hand rearing a 13 lined ground squirrel at the moment. I imagine these are as frail as baby bunnies. Worth asking over there for tips. Lots of experience hand rearing over there.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I think Esbilac is better than milk feed such as Lactol, but honestly goats milk is brilliant - it keeps fresh for 3 days, can be frozen and most supermarkets now stock it, so it's easy to get hold of. Esbilac isn't as easy to get hold of.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

you`ve got quite a few rabbits - have you not got another litter you can foster them into?


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## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

pigglywiggly said:


> you`ve got quite a few rabbits - have you not got another litter you can foster them into?


1 litter is too old
the other two already have 9 and 11 in. so i think they have enough to cope with lol. but im hoping my other netherland or rex will have their's soon.

three of the four seem to be wanting the milk now. none are dehydrated and seem content. but they dont have big bellies of milk like they do when with the doe. as they wont take that much. but all poo'n


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

You'll never replicate the rich milk that rabbits have. You could try this mix, which is what I used for the baby stoat.

100 ml full fat goats milk
100 ml double cream
1 drop ABIDEC
half a teaspoon pro-bio yoghurt.

That will give you a richer mix.

Good that they are all poo-ing well! :2thumb:


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