3 week old bunnies in need of advice ASAP

[Mero2305]

Hey so I have this New Zealand Doe that had a litter May 6th. They are about 3 weeks old now, but I found the does remains outside this morning (she escaped, and was almost 2 weeks pregnant). I would have fostered her kits to my 2 other does (both harlequins) but it looks like they’re too old (both girls attacked any kit we put in front of them). I know if the mom was still alive she would have been nursing them for another week and a half maybe, but I don’t know what to do rn. Should I give them kmr (probably with some other things or do they not need it?) or should I just leave them in their moms hutch and feed them normal food (I know they have eaten food before and know how to use a water bottle).
I honestly have no idea what to do now so any advice would be helpful. Also kmr formulas would be nice if they need it.

 

[MaggieJ]

First of all, relax. At three weeks old, they should manage the transition to solid foods without too much trouble. It's good that they are drinking water already. .I assume they are getting pellets but if they are being fed a natural diet instead or have been getting additional items to eat, please post details of it so I can help you troubleshoot.

Plain large-flake oatmeal (like Quaker Old Fashioned, but the brand is not important) is a safe food for them and is high in energy and very easy on their digestion. You could give them some in addition to their pellets.

Grass hay is the very best thing you can give them to supplement. It helps prevent "weaning enteritis" which can result from an abrupt weaning onto a pellet only diet. If any sign of diarrhea appears, cut out the pellets and give them hay and oatmeal only. There are several plants that can be fed as medicine for diarrhea: the leaves of raspberry, blackberry, or strawberry are all good, and also the leaves of the lawn weed plantain (Plantago major) or shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa pastoris)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_majorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
If they are drinking well from the bottle, they should not get dehydrated, but if this becomes a concern I suggest a shallow dish of water be given in addition. Another way to increase fluids is to moisten the oatmeal with water and add a tiny pinch of brown sugar as an attractant. The downside of this is that you must remove and discard the uneaten portion before it has a chance to spoil. Morning and night should be enough.

I'll keep an eye on this thread, so please give updates -- especially any concerns that may arise.

 

[Mero2305]

I cant seem to find those weeds but of the weeds I do have are attached. I’m not well educated so sorry about that. I know I do have strawberries so I’ll just give them those (although my brother might get mad, he loves his strawberries).

For their diet, I give them a handful of weeds to all my rabbits and they eat Manna Pro, and I’ll start adding the oats to it. And they have some grass hay (sometimes I’ll add a bit of alfalfa under their rain shelter that I refill when I see it getting low.

Right now, I have them running around in the enclosure with 2 Gnomish Giants (both almost 5 months) that seem to not really mind them (they are very sweet and kind). The black otter one is Juliet and the chestnut that escaped right in front of me is Gnomeo.

But I think that’s it, I’ll let you know if something happens or if I have any more questions.

 

[MaggieJ]

You don't have to deprive your brother of his strawberrries -- it's the leaves you feed to the buns, not the fruit. Just keep them in mind in case of any signs of diarrhea. I'm sorry, but I can't identify your weeds from the pictures you posted. I do suggest that you google weeds of minnisota and view the images there. Get familiar with all the weeds in your yard so you know what is safe to feed. I posted a safe plants list many years ago, and while it is not all-inclusive, it's a good start. Always use the botanical (Latin) names to make your identifications accurately.

Go light on the Manna Pro for a couple of weeks, feed lots of grass hay and oatmeal. If they've had access to green plants since the beginning, you should also continue to feed those. Some alfalfa should not do any harm if it is only one of many things you are feeding. Make any changes gradually and you should not have any problems.

I raised my rabbits on a natural diet of mixed alfalfa and grass hay, small quantities of grain, and as many greens (weeds and branches from safe trees) as the season allowed. I also dried greens for winter use. It's a great way to raise rabbits and I had very few health problems with rabbits raised this way.

 

[Mero2305]

So on the second day I noticed some diarrhea in the bunnies, took out the oats from their diet and might reintroduced it to their diet later (probably putt too much). They did good after that. I still check them every day. They all get greens, hay, and the manna pro. And that’s all for now.
(Also what I meant by ‘not educated’ I meant it in gardening and stuff. I’m actually pretty good at school tho)

 

[MaggieJ]

Oatmeal should not contribute to diarrhea, but if they are doing okay without it, that is fine too. You really need to learn to identify the plants to fight diarrhea -- the ones I mentioned in my first post. In the meantime, be sure to give them some strawberry leaves in with their usual greens.

Plantain (Plantago major) grows in just about every part of North America. If you can find some, consider transplanting it to a corner of your yard. It's one of the best and safest greens for bunnies.

 

[Canlay]

You can buy kitten milk replacer if you think they still need to nurse! The brand i get is just from petsmart and its called Petlac. They have a version for small mammals, but the kitten milk replacer will do in a pinch. I use it for my doe that tends to have a lot of kits to supplimentally feed them. Has worked great for me in the past, you could feed them once a day until they’re about 5 or 6 weeks old

 

[BunnyG]

You can buy kitten milk replacer if you think they still need to nurse! The brand i get is just from petsmart and its called Petlac. They have a version for small mammals, but the kitten milk replacer will do in a pinch. I use it for my doe that tends to have a lot of kits to supplimentally feed them. Has worked great for me in the past, you could feed them once a day until they’re about 5 or 6 weeks old

Hi, hope you can help, i have the little mammals petlac but have no idea how to make it up for rabbits, i know rabbit milk is incredibly nutritious. Do i mix it like on the tin or do you make it more concentrated?

 

[ladysown]

I have saved LOTS of three-week-old kits. All you need is grass or hay, oatmeal and a sprinkling of pellets. No KMR or milk is necessary.

Other safe greens are thistles (of all sorts, for little buns I aim for prickly lettuce), raspberry canes, plantain, strawberry leaves (tame and wild), and chicory. Google them, learn what they look like, and expand your repertoire for caring for buns!