A baby rabbit has entered your life, and you can hear the patter of tiny paws. It's an exciting time, but what do you feed a baby rabbit? What’s the best diet for a baby rabbit? How much should you feed your baby rabbit?
The Importance of Diet for Young Rabbits
What you feed your rabbit has a big impact on their health and well-being. Although young rabbits eat the same types of foods as adults, we need to take into account the different nutritional needs of their growing bodies and the extra sensitivity of their developing digestive system.
Early Stages: Mother's Milk and Introduction to Solids
Like all mammals, a rabbit's initial diet is their mother's milk, which they'll continue to drink until 6-8 weeks old. They first start nibbling on solids (usually hay from around the nest) between 2-3 weeks, and by 3-4 weeks, they'll be eating the same foods as their mum (plus milk).
As rabbits are weaning between 6-8 weeks, their digestive system is adjusting from milk to adult solids, which is a particularly sensitive time, and why rabbits should stay with their mother for a minimum of 8 weeks. This is why you should not get your rabbit from its Mother before a minimum of 8-weeks has passed.
Consistency is Key
One of the key points in feeding any young rabbit is consistency. Baby's digestive systems are much more sensitive to changes in food, and they are more susceptible to digestive-related problems and can go downhill more quickly if they do get sick.
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When you get a rabbit, you should ask exactly what food your baby has been eating and make sure you get a supply of the same brand food to start you off. In most cases, it will do less harm to continue temporarily with a bad diet. If you don't know what your rabbit was fed prior to you getting it, or you can't get hold of a supply, then the safest option is to start with just hay and water.
Mimicking the Wild Diet
A young rabbit will need lots of good food to help it grow strong and healthy. In the wild, they will eat a variety of grasses and succulents.
The Core Components of a Young Rabbit's Diet
The diet of young rabbits and adults is very similar. Hay is the most important component, and this is supplemented with dry food (pellets) and fresh foods.
Hay: The Foundation
Like adults, hay should play an important role in young rabbit's diet. Moving a rabbit onto hay as soon as possible is more natural and will help with their teeth health. Grass hay (e.g., meadow or timothy) is the one food you should introduce from the start, even if your rabbit isn't already eating it. This is the gentlest food on the gut and will provide the fiber needed for the digestive process to function.
Young rabbits can also have alfalfa, which looks a bit like chopped-up hay but is made from lucerne rather than grass. Alfalfa Hay is ideal for a growing bunny as it is rich in protein and calcium and tastes great. Alfalfa hay should be available to your growing bunny every day. Give a chunk of hay roughly the same size as your bunny. If you are feeding alfalfa, it's a good idea to feed it mixed with grass hay. This stops your rabbits from getting so hooked on alfalfa that it's difficult to make the transition to grass hay when they reach adulthood.
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Pellets: Supplementing Growth
Baby rabbits have higher protein requirements to support their growth, so whilst an adult requires dry food around 12-14% protein, for a baby rabbit around 16% protein is ideal. The most popular brands in the UK are Supreme and Burgess. bags, aimed at breeders rather than people feeding one or two bunnies.
It's suggested in some books that young rabbits be given unlimited access to pellets, but doing this can create issues later on. As with people, good habits are often formed when young, and it is very important for your rabbit's future health that they get into the habit of eating lots of hay. It's much more difficult to introduce hay to an adult that has not grown up eating it.
Pellets were designed for commercial breeders to make rabbits grow quickly, but in this situation, little attention was given to the long-term health or lifespan. Remember, wild rabbits grow up just fine on a diet exclusively plant material. You can also give your bunny an egg cup full of pellets once a day whilst they are growing. These are usually alfalfa-based pellets (not containing extra seeds or anything else).
It's difficult to give an exact quantity because it will depend on the nutritional content of the pellets (high or low protein), your individual rabbit's growth, what other foods they are eating (e.g., alfalfa), and their activity levels. I also know, though, it's difficult to estimate, particularly if you're a first-time owner, so as a rough guide, 25g per 1kg of expected adult weight for high-protein pellets and a little more if you are feeding adult pellets.
With this as a basis, you can observe your rabbit and adjust if necessary. If your rabbit is active and healthy-looking and eating lots of hay, you have it about right. If they are not eating much hay or produce soft droppings, then reduce the quantity.
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Changes to dry food brands or varieties need to be done gradually over 7-10 days, by gradually reducing the amount of old food and increasing the new. If you have enough of the old food, it's a good idea to allow your rabbit to settle in before making a change, even if the old food isn't great quality. If you don't have any of the old food, then just gradually introduce the new food over the same period, gradually building up the quantity over 7-10 days.
Fresh Foods: A Gradual Introduction
If you read some old books, you might find it suggested that rabbits are not given any fresh foods until they are 6 months old. This is an oversimplified approach that came about because people would buy young rabbits, often at an age when they should still be with their mum, take them home, and feed them things like carrot or lettuce, and then find that they become ill with digestive problems.
If a rabbit's mother was fed fresh foods whilst she was raising the litter, your baby will have been nibbling those too, and it's fine to continue providing these same foods. If your rabbit has not had access to fresh foods before, then allow them to settle in before introducing new foods so you aren't making lots of changes at an already stressful time. Twelve weeks or two weeks after you've got your bunny, whichever is later, is a good guide.
New fresh foods need to be introduced slowly so your rabbit's gut bacteria can adapt to processing the new food. If you find your rabbit's droppings change from their normal solid round pellets, this is a sign that you may be going too fast or that particular food doesn't agree with them. The other food source to slowly introduce is green leaves.
Leafy greens, except lettuce, are best for rabbits, for example, dandelion leaves, carrot tops, kale, spinach, spring greens, raspberry/blackberry leaves, and herbs such as parsley and basil. Green leaves to try: Basil, broccoli leaves, butter lettuce, cabbage, dandelion greens, dill, kale, mint, oregano, parsley, spinach, watercress, rosemary, carrot tops, and others. For young rabbits' first introduction to greens, it's best to avoid fruits, though these can be introduced as treats later. Start with small pieces e.g.
Keep an eye on your rabbit's droppings; changes in these are generally the first sign that you've gone a little fast with introducing new foods. The most common problem is excess cecotropes - the type of dropping that rabbits usually eat. They are soft and can end up sticking to the fur or squidged on the floor. If your rabbit stops producing droppings, refuses food, or has watery droppings, seek immediate veterinary advice.
Water: Always Available
Water is first for a reason. Dehydration is the most common problem that new bunny owners encounter, and it can be very serious for a baby bunny. Having a water bottle is great, but you also need to provide a bowl of clean water in the beginning. Our rabbits have both and prefer to drink out of bowls. Having fresh, clean water helps rabbits keep on weight and better deal with the stress of a move. A hydrated rabbit is a happy rabbit.
Baby rabbits are getting milk from their mother, but at around 3-4 weeks old, they will start to drink small amounts of water too. As they grow and their diet changes, so will their water intake. Hay is dry, so a rabbit eating hay will want more water than a rabbit eating fresh leafy greens.
Transitioning to Adulthood
Rabbit's grow most rapidly in the first three months of life. At four months, you should begin reducing pellets, and if you are feeding higher protein pellets, changing over to adult pellets. If you've fed alfalfa, it's also time to start decreasing this in favor of grass hay. Your rabbit should be on an adult ration by 6-7 months old. Giant breed rabbits mature more slowly and do more growing than small ones, so you may want to delay by a month for breeds like Giants and French Lops. Rabbit's will continue to grow at a much slower rate for a few more months, filling out rather than getting larger.
Key Developmental Stages and What to Expect
To be a responsible bunny parent, it’s important to know what to expect at the different stages of their development. We’ll go quite in-depth on a bunny’s first six months, but that’s because they have a lot of developing to do so there’s plenty to talk about!
Newborn Stage
A typical rabbit litter will consist of around 6 kits but could be anywhere up to 14. At this time, the tiny floofs rely solely on their mother’s milk, which is rich in fat and protein, and helps develop their immune system and protect them from diseases. As cute as baby bunnies can be, it’s really important to allow their mom (or ‘doe’) to care for her newborns.
Fuzz Stage
The ‘fuzz’ stage is when baby rabbits start to grow a fine layer of fur! Around 10-12 days old, their eyes and ears will open, allowing them to explore more of their surroundings. While their mother’s milk continues to be their primary source of food, you can introduce small amounts of alfalfa hay and rabbit pellets at 3-4 weeks old.
Independence Stage
During this phase, baby rabbits will gain more independence from their mother. While they’ll keep nursing on their mom’s milk, it’s time to introduce more hay and pellets. At 4-5 weeks old, you can start to gently handle them to get them used to hooman interaction.
Bringing Home Your New Bunny
This is the rabbit growth stage at which you’ll likely be bringing home your new addition(s) to the family!
Teenage Years
During a rabbit’s teenage years, they’ll undergo significant changes in behavior and their hormones will be a bit all over the place (not too dissimilar from us hoomans!). Give them bunny-safe chew toys to satisfy their need to nibble. A rabbit reaches sexual maturity around the 4-6 month mark, usually with males getting there earlier than females. So discuss this with your vet to find out more about what to expect and the procedure.
Finally, a teenage bunny will transition to solids. Good amount of high-quality alfalfa pellets - for calcium and protein. Fresh leafy greens - Introduce them at around 3 months old, offering a variety of different options like arugula, parsley, and rocket.
Transition to Adulthood
Between the 6-month and 1-year mark, rabbits make the transition from adolescence into adulthood.
Creating a Comfortable Home
Your rabbit will be more than excited to explore their new space, but give them a couple of days to get used to the smells and sounds of their new home. We suggest homing them near the most active part of your home, especially if it is a single rabbit. Near the living room or kitchen works well. To help them adjust, you want to make sure that you are providing them with the comforts they need to feel safe.
Choose a space that can be dedicated to your bunny. Rabbits like to have a “home base” where they can find their food, litter box, and favorite toys. An open setup is fantastic, but make sure their space includes tunnels and hides or caves (these can be as simple as cut-up cardboard boxes) so that they can take some private time if they need it. The absolute minimum space requirements for a cage are four hops across in one direction without running into any obstacles, like the food bowls. Horizontal space is more important than vertical space - meaning multiple levels may be nice, but they really need more flat space to be able to do zoomies and binkies. A 4 ft by 6 ft space is the minimum requirement for exercise. There are many suggestions for cages and pens on our Rabbit Care Page.
Establishing a Feeding Schedule
Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they are most active in the morning and evening, sleep the late part of the night, and take naps throughout midday. We feed our rabbits first thing upon waking in the morning (usually shortly after dawn, but they will adjust to your schedule!) and then let them out to play for a few hours until they start acting sleepy. They generally cuddle and nap for most of the day and become active again in the late afternoon. We serve a full rabbit dinner at 6 pm. This schedule is what they are familiar with, but of course, will adjust to whatever schedule your family follows as time goes on. This is just a guideline for an easier transition.
We feed the rabbits twice a day, once before breakfast and again around dinnertime. For each meal, we provide 1/4 cup (per rabbit) pellets. We suggest Oxbow Young Rabbit Food as the best option for young rabbits. Timothy Hay or Orchard Grass should be provided at all times, and they should be hungry enough to eat it during the day. Do not feed your bunny vegetables, fruit, or any fresh treats. Instead, use dried forage blends while they are still young. We wait until bunnies are three months old to start fresh greens and veggies, so it will be up to you to introduce these new foods slowly.
Once you are sure your rabbit is settled into their new space, you may start to add fresh foods slowly over a period of several months. Start with leafy greens, adding more each day, then vegetables. Finally, you may add small pieces of fruit as treats - about the size of a blueberry. Any sign of mushy poop or a dirty bum, and you should back up and provide ONLY hay and water until it has cleared up.
Litter Box Training
We litter train all of our rabbits as they are growing up with their mother so they will be primed to continue that learning with you. We start the training by moving their hay feeder above a litter box so that when they are munching, they are sitting in the box. Do NOT buy the small corner litter boxes. They are not nearly big enough, even for a small rabbit. Try something along the lines of a cat litter box instead.
We fill our boxes with an inch of kiln-dried pine litter from Southern States, but you can also find many options at pet stores in the cat litter isle. Pine pellets, crushed walnut shells, wheat pellets, and recycled paper all make fantastic litter options. Then we remove bedding and litter from the rest of their enclosure. They want to use the bathroom on something absorbent, so by removing litter from everywhere else, they are encouraged to use the litter in the box. It might help to remove blankets and soft beds while training.
You may find it easiest to let them go in a cage for a couple of days before setting up a box. They will generally try to always use the same corner. Place the litter box in this corner.
Monitoring Health
The most important thing to watch for in baby bunnies is diarrhea. It is common for there to be a slight case brought on by the stress of the move. Keep a close eye on your rabbit and make sure they are eating and drinking water. They should ONLY be given hay and water (in a bowl) until the diarrhea has cleared completely. Then you may start slowly adding in other foods starting with the pellets we provided you. If you notice that your rabbit is extremely lethargic or not eating or drinking for more than 12 hours, contact us or your local vet for advice.
Young rabbits are full of energy and will need plenty of space to exercise! They’re also tenacious diggers and chewers so they can be real troublemakers when left to their own devices. Keep an eye on your bunny’s general health, such as any noticeable changes in eating, pooping, or energy. Discuss parasite control with your vet, including regular checks for external and internal critters (such as fleas and worms).
Enrichment and Play
Rabbits need exercise! They love to run and hop around, so give them an extended space for a few hours a day, and they will be sure to entertain you with “zoomies” and “binkies.” This means crazy fast sprints and acrobatic sideways hops! It can be inside or out. There are endless options when it comes to cages, play yards, xpens, or simply free-roaming your rabbit. Every family and situation is going to have a different solution, and that is perfectly okay as long as the rabbit is getting healthy exercise.
We use cotton rugs or waterproof highchair mats (shown below) to protect the area where the bunny lives while litter training and to give them some traction for running. There are also many delightful rabbit toys you can find online. Ours love the wicker balls and plastic stacking cups the most. You could also collect hardwood sticks and pinecones from outside where you know there are no pesticides used. Box tunnels and homes are also great and inexpensive toys. Rabbits love to run through cat tunnels, the longer, the better. Woven hides or tunnels are fantastic too as they serve a dual purpose, hiding and chewing.
Caring for Orphaned Wild Baby Rabbits
Sometimes domestic or wild rabbits are truly orphaned. Remember that both the domestic pet rabbit and wild bunny moms only feed their young usually once in the middle of the night. Don’t assume the mom is not caring for them if you don’t see her nurse them. In the rare situation that you have an orphaned domestic bunny, such as when a domestic rabbit mom is sick or refuses to care for her young, you will need to feed the babies.
Hand-Feeding Techniques
Start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Feed only with the bunny sitting upright. Point the syringe down towards the bottom or side of the mouth. In the rare situation that you have an orphaned bunny, such as when a domestic rabbit refuses to care for her young, you will need to feed the babies. Use KMR kitten or regular goat’s milk. An eye dropper or 3 cc syringe can be used to feed.
Domestic buns with closed eyes should be fed 2-3x/day (but only 2x/day for wild bunnies), and the number of feedings gradually decreased until they are weaned. If their eyes are still closed, you need to stimulate their bottoms with a warm moist towel after feedings to help them to pee. (Domestics are weaned about 6 weeks; wild bunnies are weaned about 3-4 weeks for cottontails and 7-9 weeks for jacks). Bloat is commonly associated with too frequent feedings. If you have questions, their phone is 800/323-0877.
For WILD rabbits, use KMR KITTEN formula- never puppy formula or Esbilac. If you can’t find it, use Regular Goats Milk (found in the carton at your grocery) or KMR, NOT Esbilac. Provide a soft nest area in a box with clean towels, and cover the babies so it is dark. Do not provide extra heat if the room temperature is at least 65 to 70o F because excessive heat can be fatal.
You can use KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) available at most pet stores for the handfeeding formula. The following is a guideline for the daily amount to feed a wild bunny or a domestic bunny. Domestic buns with closed eyes should be fed 2-3x/day, (2x/day for wild bunnies), and the number of feedings gradually decreased until they are weaned. (Domestics are weaned about 6 weeks; wild bunnies are weaned about 3-4 weeks for cottontails, and 7-9 weeks for jack rabbits). Bloat is commonly associated with too frequent feedings.Wild bunnies should be fed kitten KMR or KMR and regular Goats Milk. Do not use Esbilac for wild rabbits. It is okay for domestics.
Feeding Chart and Important Considerations
Rabbit Wt (gm)Av. Feedings/DayAv. AgeAverage Formula IntakeNewbornup to 5cc KMR or goats milk (½ of this each feeding)1-2 weeksto 10-15cc KMR or goats milk (½ of this each feeding) (depending on bunny..may be much less if smaller rabbit)2-3 weeksto 26-30cc KMR or goats milk (½ of this each feeding) (Eyes open at about 10 days of age. If you have a healthy adult rabbit at home and you can collect cecotropes (the soft green droppings that the rabbit usually eats) then these can be mixed with the KMR to give the baby bunny normal bacteria for its intestinal tract. Only one cecotrope per day for 4-5 days is needed. This is particularly important for rabbits under one week of age.
After each feeding, for the first 10 days of life or until their eyes are open, it is important to gently make the bunny defecate and or urinate to keep the intestinal and urinary system running smoothly. Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water after eating, and gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine and keep stroking until the bunny stops. This stimulation is required for all domestic rabbits and wild cottontail or brush rabbit babies.