Wild Rabbits

[MRNpoultry]

Hey,

My dad found a baby rabbit earlier today, then I found 3 more later. There eyes are open. I would guess they are about 2 weeks old. There are about the same size as the palm of my hand. I found there nest but it was all messed up. What do I feed them? Do they need water or milk. Is there anything else I need to know about taking care of them?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[coffeemama]

I'm wondering why you took them? Their mom is probably close by and looking for them. Wild rabbits have very special diets and super sensitive digestive systems. It just wasn't a good idea to take them.

 

[MRNpoultry]

Like I said the nest was all messed up. I haven't even seen a rabbit over there before.

 

[NHN]

You would not see the mother. They do not stay near the nest. I found a nest where a cat had attacked the babies and all but one was dead. I managed to keep it alive for 1 week. Very, very hard to keep wild rabbits alive.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Very hard to keep these wild babies alive. I would either put them back where you found them or find a wildlife rehab. center that would raise and release them.

 

[Birdman18]

Hey MRNpoultry,

Your located in Gibsonville, NC ??

The reason i ask is because i have property there and plan to move there one day. I cant believe we are so close. My cousins are just across the road from me. Where in Gibsonville are you?

I've seen wild rabbits in this area all the time, their Eastern Cottontail rabbits. The rabbits should be ok. What i know about them is that the mother only checks up on the babies once a day usually in the morning or night then she leaves. I remember reading somewhere that once the babies open their eyes there able to take care of themselves, they know what their doing. If i were you i would just leave them where you found them. Theres a good chance the mother will find them but the babies will just fend for themselves.
Hope the bunnies are ok.
Good Luck!!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You're very kind & caring to want to provide for these baby rabbits, but the best thing to do would be to put them back where you found them. Do it with as little handling as possible, and do it right away. If their eyes are open they're already old enough to take care of themselves. But wild baby rabbits are very very difficult to keep, they very easily die of fright.

 

[Picco]

Rabbits only feed their babies once or twice a day and they are very secretive about it. Wild rabbit babies are nearly impossible to raise, even for the experienced rehabber. You need to put the babies back where you find them. The mother will come back looking for them. If you keep them they will most assuredly die.

 

[mimi4bye]

Picco is right. Mother buns only feed their babies once or twice a day. (Even domesticated buns) Believe it or not it is difficult for predators to find them. The mother only visits a few times a day because she is heavily scented and it is easier for predators to find her. It is natures way. Many times people feel as if the baby buns have been abandoned, but this is not the case. I would try to return them as soon as possible. Having a daughter who raises rabbits for FFA, I can tell you that trying to raise orphaned bunnies is extremely difficult. They have very sensitive systems and can waste quickly.

 

[ky chicks]

I researched this myself when we found a nest of bunnies while mowing the yard a couple of years ago (none were injured). The nest was all messed up from the mower, and we were afraid that once we picked them up and the nest was destroyed, they would be abandoned by the mother. What I learned is that the mother will come back (morning and evening) to take care of them even after handling. Also, if their eyes are open, they are pretty much capable of surviving on their own. We put them back where we got them, and they were all fine. We saw them around the yard every once in a while. Good luck with yours!