What to feed a wild baby hare
CARE FOR ORHPANED RABBITS/HARES
CARE FOR ORHPANED
RABBITS/HARES
http://www.orphanedwildlifecare.com/rabbitandhare.htm
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HAVE I FOUND A RABBIT OR A HARE?Although similar in appearance, rabbits and hares are distinguished by differences in their anatomy and behaviour. Hares tend to be larger than rabbits with longer legs and feet. They turn white in the wintertime and are found more typically in rural areas. Hares are born at a more advanced stage than rabbits as well, being covered with fur and having their eyes open. A hare will have her babies in long grasses, fields, or under a bush. Rabbits on the other hand
are born without fur and their eyes do not open until a number of days after
birth.
IS
THE RABBIT/HARE TRULY ORPHANED? Once
the young have their eyes open it is very common for them to come away from the
nest a bit to explore. If you have
found a baby rabbit or hare just sitting in your backyard chances are it is not
orphaned. It will make its way back to
its nest in the evening. If however the
rabbit or hare has been in the same spot for the past two days and is easy to
catch then it likely is orphaned and needs help. It is typical never to see mom tending to her babies, she comes
usually once or twice a day to feed either late at night or early morning. This way she avoids luring predators back to
the nest. If you are uncertain and
perhaps something has happened to mom there are a few tricks you can try to
determine if mom is still coming.
AGING THE RABBIT/HARE: In order to properly care for the baby you have found, it is important to know its age. Consult the chart on the back to assess age.
FEEDING: Orphans that have been without their mother will be
suffering from chill and dehydration.
They must be thoroughly warmed first, and then offered warmed
rehydration solution. Pedialyte is a
rehydration solution that is available in drug stores- it should be heated to
body temperature and offered every couple hours for the first several
feedings. * Rabbits and hares are slow
and difficult to feed, so take your time and be patient, as it is essential for
them to get the required amount.
HOUSING: See chart.
RELEASE: Should occur late in afternoon in appropriate area (where there is suitable habitat for either hare or rabbits) and where there would not likely be domestic predators such as dogs or cats. Hares should be at least 300 grams at release and becoming wild and hard to catch. While rabbits, should be around 200 grams and displaying similar behaviour.
*In some jurisdictions it is illegal to care for wildlife and you should consult your government wildlife agency.
INTERNET SITES: There is some good information on the Internet, but other sites give advice that will kill the animals you are trying to help please be very careful. www.squirreltales.org www.squirrelrehab.  org/rehabinfo/orphaned.htmlwww.rescuedrabbits.org www.squirrelsanctuary.org/ www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html |
Sprinkle baking flour around the nest.
If there are footprints in the flour in the morning then mom is coming. You can also place a string in the shape of
an X over the nest. If in the morning
the X is disturbed then again mom is coming and leave alone. If there has been no signs of disturbance to
the X or flour after a couple of days then they will need to be rescued. 
Formula should be a powdered
esbilac, which is a puppy milk replacer that can be purchased at a vet clinic
or pet store. Mix only enough for 24hrs
and keep it refrigerated. Cow's
milk, human baby formulas, and most pet products (except Esbilac)
are not suitable and will likely cause death. Ensure formula is well heated and kept warm throughout the
feeding as cold formula will cause diarrhea which can lead to death. Feed with a 1ml oral syringe ensuring that
the feeding routine and environment is kept totally quiet. Please do not have more than one person as a
caregiver and do not allow the animals to be handled by any other person. See chart for feeding schedule. Once feeding is finished, wash its face well
with a damp face cloth, as formula dries quickly and causes fur loss. 
RABBIT DEVELOPMENT
|
AGE |
WEIGHT |
FEEDING |
STIMULATION |
HOUSING |
SPECIAL CARE |
|
Birth
|
20 grams
|
2 mls Formula 4 times per
day.
|
- stimulate genital area before and after feeding to induce elimination. - use a q-tip or fingertip dipped in hot water |
-keep indoors in a cardboard box or pet carrier filled with soft, ravel free blankets. -heating pad outside the bottom of the box on lowest setting, heavy towel inside bottom of box to maintain only a slight warmth. If caring for more than one rabbit the heating pad is not necessary |
- wrap rabbit in a soft blanket when removed from box, to protect from drafts. - watch for signs of diarrhea.
If diarrhea develops, use an unflavoured pedialyte instead of formula
for 24 hours, then gradually reintroduce the formula.
|
|
1 week |
40 grams |
3 mls. Formula 3 times per day |
- same as above
|
-same as above |
- wrap in blanket or towel while feeding. |
|
2 weeks |
60 grams |
4-6 mls. 3 times per day
|
- same as above - may begin to eliminate on its own. If not, continue as above. |
- same as above |
- same as above |
|
3 weeks |
80 grams |
8 mls. Formula 2 times per day
|
- stimulation should no longer be necesary |
- place rabbits in enclosed plastic cat carrier & place towel over carrier to protect from light and offer security |
- introduce small dish of large flake raw oats & a little pile of freshly picked clover - Offer a small dish of water or drinking bottle |
|
4 weeks |
100 grams |
10 mls. 1 time per day - wean fully in 4th week |
|
-the rabbits are becoming more active and will require more space -find a quiet area of the house to section off a 4ft x 4ft area, include their carrier in this space |
-should be eating pellets and natural foods like freshly picked clover and small tender dandelion leaves (will keep in plastic bag in fridge for a few days). Make sure they have not been treated with pesticides. Always have a handful of timothy (not alfalfa) hay in cage |
|
5 - 7 weeks
|
150 - 200 grams |
weaned |
|
|
- continue weaned diet |
Formula
Formula
HARE DEVELOPMENT
| AGE IN WEEKS |
FEEDING |
ELIMINATION |
|
|
0 to 1 wk Birth weight is 65-80 grams, gaining ~9g/day |
4x/day formula; 3-4 mls |
Stimulate after each feed may not urinate every time |
|
|
1 to 2 wks |
4x/day formula; 4-5 mls |
As above |
|
|
2 to 3 wks |
4x/day formula; 5-6 mls |
As above |
|
|
3 to 4 wks |
3x/day
formula (as much as they want. Introduce large flake raw oats & a small dish of water or drinking bottle |
Stimulation should no longer be necessary |
|
|
4 to 5 wks |
2x/day formula (as much as they want. NB should be taking at least 10 mls/feed before reduce from 3x/day to 2x/day) Continue raw oats and offer freshly picked small tender dandelion leaves and clover (no pesticides) and water |
As above |
|
|
5 to 6 wks |
1x/day formula should self wean during this week |
As above |
NB -
should be taking at least
6-8mls/feed before reduce from 4x/day feedings to 3x/day feedings)Do You Know What to Feed a Wild Baby Rabbit?
Written by The Rabbit Hole Hay Team
Let’s start with the basics about rabbits in general.
Baby rabbits are only fed from their mother a few minutes a day. A mother’s milk is packed with the necessary nutrients that feeding once is more than enough for the little bun.
The feeding normally occurs at night to help protect the babies. The mother rabbit can be seen away from the nest during the day which is why it is important to leave babies in nests alone unless you are confident that the mother has either abandoned the nest for good or has died. So needing to take care of a wild baby rabbit is rare, very rare.
Orphaned Baby Bunnies: Wild
So what do wild baby rabbits eat when they don’t have their mother giving them their nutrient packed milk? Rabbit.org provides this information on what to feed an orphaned wild baby rabbit until you are able to take them to a wild rabbit rescue.
Feeding Of True Orphans
Age + Amount (This WILL vary SO MUCH depending on type of rabbit. It is impossible over the Internet to see your particular rabbit, so this is only approximate.
) Use KMR kitten or KMR kitten plus Goat milk, regular not low fat. Add a pinch of acidophilus (aka Probiotic) to the formula to promote healthy gut flora. Formulas vary depending on region. Avoid Esbilac and any puppy formulas! FEED TWICE A DAY ONLY for healthy babies. It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate. At first, they may only take a few drops at one feeding until they are not stressed and used to this.
- Newborn to One Week: 2 – 2+1/2 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day).
- 1-2 weeks: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day). (depending on bunny..may be much LESS if smaller rabbit!) Newborn babies (if eyes closed) all need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate prior to or following feeding until their eyes open. (Except Jackrabbits do not). *See how to below.
- 2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings).
Domestic eyes open at about 10 days of age. Start introducing them to timothy and oat hay, pellets and water (always add fresh greens for wild ones). - 3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings–again, may be LESS depending on size of rabbit! A cottontail/brush bunny will take so much less!! Half this at most.) Cottontails wean and release about 3-4 weeks and jackrabbits much later (9+ weeks), whereas domestic rabbits are 6 weeks.
- 6 weeks-9weeks for Jackrabbits only, continue up to 9 weeks with formula, gradually changing to a dish for the warm formula, replacing the formula after 9 weeks slowly with a a dish of cup-up tiny banana or apple pieces.
To read more on how to take care of an orphaned rabbit, read the full article from here.
A wild rabbit’s diet varies on the temperature they are living in. When the temperature is warmer, their diet consists of: clover, flowers, grasses and other plants that grow in that temperature. When the temperature is cooler, their diet becomes more sparse including: twigs, bark and remaining greens.
Sounds very different from the Timothy Hay and Orchard Grass that a domesticated rabbit might eat right?
Not sure if your momma rabbit is feeding your new baby rabbits? Do you need to know how to feed your baby rabbits by yourself? Download our Human's Guide to Feeding Baby Rabbits to learn about what to look for in your baby rabbits, feeding techniques, a feeding schedule and more! We pride ourselves on supporting a community of small pet owners who care deeply about providing happy and healthy lifestyles for their pets.
How to feed a hare at home?
Each animal needs its own conditions for a full life. For the well-being of the animal, there are certain requirements for habitat, lifestyle and nutrition. Pets are pampered based on the natural preferences of their wild "brothers". One of the "savages" that people are trying to tame is a hare. When choosing the conditions for caring for a long-eared animal, they rely on a comparison with a rabbit, but these are completely different animals.
Rabbits are more suited to living side by side with humans than hares. Years of evolution have created differences in the lifestyle, pregnancy of rabbits, the appearance of newborns (hares are covered with hair, and rabbits are born naked), which serves as a reason to approach the maintenance of eared at home in a different way. Rabbits are ready for family upbringing, special feeds are sold for them in pet stores, at home they are often treated to grains, while grain in a hare will cause gastrointestinal problems. The conditions for keeping hares should be studied by a person before he takes a forest dweller to himself. nine0003
A person's opinion of a safe place may differ from that of a hare. You should not condemn a hare who left her cubs on the site, or not far from the road. She didn't leave them forever. The mother comes to feed her offspring on average 1-2 times a day, more often at night. Therefore, you should not worry about lonely rabbits at first glance. But if something happened to the native mother of the hares, then you can’t count on another hare, because they don’t feed other people’s cubs.
If a person chose to take a hare home, his duty is to properly feed the baby, pick up milk similar to hare as much as possible and later pick up food. It is required to study what is possible and what is not for the animal. nine0003
Contents
What can a hare do at home?
Cat and dog milk replacer (Royal) is suitable for the first meal, fresh goat milk can also be used. When the baby is gaining strength and weighing more than 700 grams, there is a need for complementary foods with grass, berries, fruits and vegetables.
The choice of herbs is varied, field ones are suitable: plantain, clover, medicinal dandelion, mouse pea, nettle, coltsfoot, yarrow, chickweed, shepherd's purse. Man often seasons his food with herbs that are good for hares, and which are not difficult to find in stores at any time of the year. These include: parsley, dill, cilantro, arugula, basil, spinach, tarragon, rosemary, and melissa and mint added to tea. nine0003
The choice of fruits should not be specific with notes of exotic, ordinary turnips, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, sugar beets, fodder beets are suitable for hares, getting to summer cottages in secret from their inhabitants.
In the plots, long-eared ones find treats in the form of berries such as strawberries, wild strawberries, currants, mountain ash, they can be content with plums. It is not forbidden to treat, now a pet with a banana, watermelon, apricot, cucumber, orange, sweet pepper, apple.
Another food recommended for hares, more familiar in nature - sprigs of aspen, linden, cypress, pine, beech, bird cherry, mountain ash, along with fruits, wild rose, birch, larch, willow, you can give juniper branches, but the berries of the bush are poisonous. Branches are better to choose young and soft.
The slanting barley, sour and the enemy of gardeners - quinoa will be to your taste. In winter, with a poorer choice, you can pay attention to oatmeal, dried fruits, hay, dried berries, herbal granules (not biofeed).
It is important to maintain water balance when feeding any animal. Every body needs water. It should be freely available for the hare, the need for water does not depend on the juiciness of the consumed fruits and herbs.
When feeding hares at home, there may be such an inconvenience as the preference of the hare to eat at dusk and at night. If this can cause the owner severe discomfort, it is better to abandon the idea of going against the nature of the oblique and get another animal. It is worth remembering that even following all the recommendations for rabbit nutrition, you should not lose sight of the need for movement. For a hare, movement is life, you can’t keep him in a cage like a rabbit. Otherwise, the hare will not survive. If it is not possible to allow the hare to move freely around the "possessions", and the love for the eared knows no bounds, it is better to opt for a rabbit. nine0003
Do's and Don'ts for a domestic hare
Under no circumstances should cow's milk be used from a carton. Hare milk with a fat content of more than 15% contains a lot of protein (casein, globulin), 6 times more than in cow's milk and 4 times more nutritious. Methods in the form of adding eggs or cream to milk are not only ineffective, but also detrimental to the animal.
An egg can cause frightening salmonellosis and metabolic disorders, an obstacle to the absorption of vitamin B1. Antibiotics that are given in factories to birds can lead to poisoning of hares. Intoxication and poisoning are not immediately noticeable, but only for 3-4 days, however, a knowledgeable veterinarian will immediately detect malaise as a result of malnutrition of the tails. nine0003
Infant formula will not replace rabbit milk, but will only harm the animal (an autopsy shows a greatly enlarged heart, spleen, liver, and intestinal problems after baby food). Beofar dog milk replacer causes diarrhea.
Bread is a universal product that is used to feed the animals you like, but in vain. Flour will easily disrupt the metabolism and lead to the suffering of the animal.
Biofeed for rabbits, let it remain for rabbits, it is not recommended to give such feed to a hare. Coarse fibers quickly clog the gastrointestinal tract, leading to disorders and death
White cabbage, according to cartoon stereotypes, is liked by rabbits, but it is also a forbidden product for long-ears.
It is better to replace cabbage with another cartoonish recommendation - carrots.
At home, hares will not refuse to gnaw wires, furniture, so it is worth removing something useful in everyday life, but harmful to the pet, in an inaccessible place. The same goes for pills, which, if consumed by a hare, can be fatal.
The common table with the animal should be excluded, the hare does not need leftovers left after dinner. nine0003
Nutrition of wild hares
If at home the feeding of a hare depends on a person, then in natural conditions the hare is free to choose the right food for himself, and different hares have different preferences. The white hare, known for its changing white color among taiga forage, gives preference to willow, aspen and birch. The basis of nutrition is connected with the terrain and the predominance of shrubs, so clearings are revived by birches and aspens, and it is with them that the hare living near the Karelian lakes limits itself.
Depending on the geography and the predominance of species of shrubs and trees, the hare's views on food change. The closer to the north, the slower the process of regeneration of forests, and therefore less food for the long-eared. To the south, the hare no longer actively eats willow, birch and aspen; oak twigs and bark occupy an increasing place in the diet. Hare delicacy - terminal soft shoots, nutritious in their structure. In the north, a meager selection of bark makes the hare gnaw at the beavers' houses. Also in the north, the white hare prevents the partridge from being content with the ends of birch and willow shoots, buds, ahead of them in this matter. nine0003
Moose are also competitors in eating young shoots, but at the same time they help the hare by breaking trees and bushes, opening access to trees and shrubs.
Without grandfather Mazay, his wards adapt well to conditions and food resources, despite floods. Brown hares prefer open areas, preferably with nearby fields sown by humans, or in light forests with an abundance of blueberries and blueberries.
Rusaki influence the spread of plants by eating seeds in late summer, not all of which are digestible. Summer herbs: clover, dandelion are essential components of the diet. In winter, finds under the snow in the form of remaining fruits, as well as shoots and bark of oak, aspen, broom, and apple trees bring joy to the hare. The hare has enough strength to search for food under the snow, unlike partridges, which come to the excavation sites after the hares, in search of a tasty and overlooked hare. nine0003
Hares often come down from the forests to watering holes, they start drinking water from about two to four weeks, but for now they do not need to feed on milk.
What a wild hare cannot do
Poisonous plants are contraindicated in nature, which the hare will not eat on his own. Mushrooms, berries that do not benefit the animal will not be in its diet. So at a juniper, a hare gnaws only twigs, leaving poisonous berries unattended. Do not doubt the choice of tailed ones.
The negative human impact on the forest, waste, garbage is eaten by the inhabitants, which leads to irreparable consequences for their health. nine0003
How to feed a hare
The microbiota in cubs is formed as a result of feeding mother's milk and imitating adults: sucking on grass, or eating small amounts of soil. This is important for the health of the hare, so obliques feel great without human care. In the case when a person tries to feed a hare, it is required to follow the rules established by nature. In nature, the female feeds the hare for a short time and 2 times a day; at home, when the hare is exhausted, you can try to feed it more often, once every 2.5-3 hours. As noted earlier, the hare should be fed with substitutes for cat or bitch milk, as well as goat. The powder should be diluted thicker than for a kitten or puppy. Cow's milk and cream should be avoided. Treating condensed milk will not lead to anything good. nine0003
A hare does not always willingly take merciful milk from a person, in these cases it is necessary to take care of the cub with force.
You can collect milk in a syringe without a needle for 10-20 ml, it is convenient for feeding. Gradually, you need to increase the dose, and feed less and less. Warm food, not from the refrigerator, is more useful for the digestive tract system. To avoid problems with the stool, you can massage the abdomen with a cotton swab.
In the first week, the milk teeth of hares change, if during this period the animal tries to eat grass, it may not have enough milk. The norm of milk is 100 ml per day. On milk substitutes, you should keep the hare for up to one and a half months, introducing other foods into the diet after 14 days (preference for legumes and soft branches along with leaves), but leaving the milk base. By 20 days, you should drink from coccidiosis and helminths. By a month or two, the hare should be completely transferred to adult food. nine0045 born. In addition to proper nutrition, you do not need to deprive the baby of warmth (heater).
Experts can also easily determine the age of a hare from a photo.
The minimum weight for switching to more rigid food from milk substitutes is more than 600 grams.
When deciding to feed a hare, a person needs to track the weight gain of the animal, the norm is 30-70 grams per day. For example, at birth, a hare weighs a little over 100 grams, by day 20 600, after a month about 950 grams.
You need to understand that a hare is not a cat, even the most experienced pet lover, sometimes unable to leave a hare. The cat itself will not be able to feed the rabbits, its milk contains pathogenic substances dangerous for the eared, and the difference in the approach to feeding the offspring is significant. So hares rarely eat, quickly and a lot, kittens can lie with their mother for a long time, slowly sucking milk drop by drop. A single serving of cat's milk is not enough for a hare.
When meeting cute fluffies, it's best to walk past. The mother hare will feed them, so the animal will have more chances to survive. According to statistics, only 5 out of 100 survive next to a person.
But if a person decides to take a hare home, one should approach his feeding and maintenance with special responsibility. If the error is recognized within 24 hours, it is not too late to return the hare to its place, or contact the specialists. nine0003
Irina Ivanishchena
I am engaged in professional breeding of hamsters and rats on a permanent basis. I know things about them that most people don't. Always open to constructive discussion What to do?
The best help is to pass by
Many, seeing little lonely eared ones, rush to "rescue" them without fail. This cannot be done! Remember, the hare does not abandon her offspring, does not go far and feeds him several times a day. She boldly rushes into battle against any predator that offended rabbits, but is afraid to appear in front of a person. nine0045
1. If you took a hare, you can return it to the same place where you found it within 24 hours.
But only on condition that the hare is full, healthy and does not “smell” with extraneous odors. At the time of return, there should be no birds, dogs, cats and other animals around.
2. You can not return the hare under the nearest bush or to any other place, except where he was found. Voluntarily, no foreign hare will feed him!
3. It is undesirable to return the hare if more than a few days have passed. Often, rabbits "migrate" from the nest, following their mother. nine0003
4. Do not touch them to take pictures, cuddle or just look. Excessive attention to a wild hare can expose him to predators (ravens, rats, foxes, cats, dogs, etc.).
5. Don't take the hare home! Even if you can grow it, it cannot be returned to nature, and care is very time-consuming and expensive.
You can help a hare if he:
- Exhausted
- Wounded
- Attacked by crows, dogs, cats
- Located in a dangerous area (city, suburban area, cultivated field, fire, etc.
)
If the hare is near the road or out into open areas, just carefully drive him into thick grass or bushes.
Rabbits can be fed only with dog, cat or natural goat milk substitutes. It is undesirable to use cow or cream.
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Do not feed with store-bought, infant formula and add condensed milk/honey to food. nine0003
An older hare (from 2-3 weeks old) can be supplemented with herbs, grass, branches with leaves, hay and good quality rabbit food. Milk is the basis of the diet up to 1.5-2 months.
A hare can be kept in a cage or a box at first, a grown and adult hare cannot.
Use diapers, rags, straw, hay, wood chips as bedding. Granular filler is prohibited. For newborns, a heating pad under the side and a tummy massage are required.
If you do not plan to keep the hare for his whole life (about 10 years!), then contact the specialists. Do not give rabbits to petting zoos, sanatoriums, rabbit breeders or centers with a bad reputation! Do not try to grow up and release him into the wild! This is certain death! Do not bring rabbits to regular zoos, where they often serve as food for predators.
