My daughter recently aquired a baby rabbit about 3 or 4 weeks old. The rabbit is SO cute and very well tempered(so far) and Brianna handles her with care. My question is: The people that GVAE Brianna the baby bunny told us to litter her, water her, and feed her the green weeds from outside in the grass. I was wondering if the occassional lettuce or cabbage and celery thing would do as well? I would also like to know if feeding a 4 week old bunny pellets from the store is a good thing too? Thank you in advance for any help you can give me. OH BTW I would like to know what to wash the bunny is? can I use an no rinse cat shampoo I have on her or is that no advised?
Drea74 Wrote:My daughter recently aquired a baby rabbit about 3 or 4 weeks old. The rabbit is SO cute and very well tempered(so far) and Brianna handles her with care. My question is: The people that GVAE Brianna the baby bunny told us to litter her, water her, and feed her the green weeds from outside in the grass. I was wondering if the occassional lettuce or cabbage and celery thing would do as well? I would also like to know if feeding a 4 week old bunny pellets from the store is a good thing too? Thank you in advance for any help you can give me. OH BTW I would like to know what to wash the bunny is? can I use an no rinse cat shampoo I have on her or is that no advised?
Three to four weeks is too young to be separated from its mother. Dwarf breeds generally shouldn\'t be weaned until they are between 6-12 weeks old. Large breds can be safely weaned at 6 weeks. And the only reason they should be weaned at an earlier age is when the mother starts attacking the babies. Which in that case she should be moved to a bigger cage, or culled from the breeding herd. What I am trying to say, is that getting a baby that young is not healthy for it. Because they are still nursing at that time.
It sounds to me like the people you got it from don\'t have a clue about raising rabbits period. Those are known as backyard breeders, or raisors. BYB\'s and raisors generally have good intentions. But they really don\'t know what they are doing, or how to breed rabbits.
Its going to need rabbit pellets. Purina rabbit chow, and manna pro are a couple of good ones, to name a few. You can usually find those and other good ame brands at local feed mills. I would give no more then a cup a day. Make sure she has plenty of water at all times. Personally I wouldn\'t start introducing leafy greens till the rabbit is at least six months old. You can give the rabbit grass clippings as a treat. but make sure its not treated with any chemicals. Treated grass will kill the rabbit. If you want to feed roughage i suggest giving a handful of timothy hay every other day. Never feed cabbage. Cabbage can give your rabbit GI related problems, and can actually mess up the rabbits system or even kill it.
Do not bath your rabbit, unless it really really needs it. Some cat shampoos have flea control chemicals added to them that can poison your rabbit. Shampoos and bathing will also dry out the bunnies skin. There\'s a rabbit shampoo on the market called classic coat that i use on my rabbits. You rub it into the coat, then rub it away with a towel. Most arba rabbit show vendors carry that stuff. For a white rabbit, you can use a vinegar water mixture to help keep it clean. Mix half and half into a spray bottle. Mist the bunny down. Then whipe it out of the coat by running your hands from head to tail till the bunny is dry. Theres also another one alot of farm stores sell thats called bunny bath. Ive heard its pretty good for bathing pet rabbits. But should not be used on the bunny unless it really needs it.
Since that baby is that young, it might be a good idea to have it examined by a rabbit savy vet. And keep a good look out for any signs of stress or illness.Young baby buns are very prone to illness and early death if weaned early.
One of the best foods for young bunnies is old fashioned oatmeal for humans. Feed it dry right out of the carton. It is a bland type of food that provides nutrients. I would personally not feed any rabbit weeds except maybe as a \'treat\'. There are not the nutrients that they need in weeds - a good pellet would be better. Babies tummies are so sensitive, I would not be too quick to add new foods to it\'s diet. Pellets, oatmeal, unlimited grass HAY and plenty of fresh water would be best for right now. Give it time to settle in and for the stress to settle before throwing all sorts of new things at it. Adding a small amount of apple cidar vinegar to the drinking water will help to keep the ph of the stomach on the acid side where it belongs ( I use 1TBS per gal of water with my rabbits). Under stress, the ph can shift and that can cause enteritis. If you have any willow trees in your area, willow branches - leaves and all - are a wonderful food for all rabbits but especially for young bunnies. It can help to calm the tummy and they seem to really love it. I give all my young rabbits a small branch of it every day. You can not feed too much willow.