Bottle feeding as a treat

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GGAZZARA71

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Hi. Can't find answer. Can you give an 10 week old bunny , as a TREAT, a little bit of bunny milk , in a bottle? I'm asking because I have raised goats in past and a few over the years, we gave watered down milk, goat formula, in bottle to them. Can the same be done?
 
I agree with Blue Eyes- I think it's about 6 months they lose the enzymes (I'm not actually sure on this, so don't take this as a hard fact :p). Goats are a little less sensitive, since they are ruminants- rabbits have sensitive GI tracts (think more like horses). You can always give tiny bits of fruit as a treat instead!
 
Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, don't mess with it by giving unnecessary treats especially if they aren't a part of a rabbit's diet at all. At 10 weeks, your bunny has been weaned for several weeks, he is a rabbit thus he doesn't drink milk. Moreover, I don't think a rabbit would take to being handled and forced-fed (because 10 weeks old rabbits can't drink from bottles with their sharp long front teeth, you'd have to use syringe and to put it inside their mouth behind their teeth) for no reason kindly. A baby would probably let you more easily than an adult, but when you are putting liquid in their mouth you also take the risk to drown them - it's a reasonnable risk when you have to give medecine to a sick rabbit, but that's it.
I'm saying give the bunny good hay and good quality pellets in reasonnable quantities. Then begin to introduce vegetables one by one over the course of several days for each vegetable. Then if you really feel like your rabbit needs something else as a treat (he doesn't), you can give a piece of fruit once in a while. You can give some grass and a branch of apple tree or hazelnut tree once in a while too. NOTHING ELSE. Giving too many unneccessary things make you risk GI problems, which can be fatal if you're unlucky ; make your bunny fat which will cause problems in the long term (and making a rabbit lose weight is really a challenge) ; or make your rabbit feel fuller than he should be thus encouraging him to eat less hay which can lead to a lot of teeth and GI problems.
I encourage you to look up the House rabbit society website which has very good articles about food quantities and list of pellets / vegetables you can give.
 
At least one of my does'nt wean before 14-16 weeks, I'm not sure about the others. Teeth sure are no problem. They can drink from a bowl anyway, if they like the milk.
When I get the bucks out at 12 the does sometimes grow noticeable faster for some time.

Looks awkward, lots of struggling bunny pieces sticking out of the nestbox in all directions...

But giving some kind of milk as treat, I don't know, they are already happy about solid treats then.
 
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