help? 4 week old babies adopted!!!

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ILovemyAlice

ILovemyAlice

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My friend adopted 2 baby newzealand rabbits if thats how you spell it....they where weaned at 4 weeks and she is worried they were to young but they eat and drink on there own.

Arent baby rabbits suppose to stay on there mothers milk untill 6 weeks old?

Arent they suppose to get some kind of "vitamins" out of staying on there mothers milk?

Cant you just give them sometype of KMR kitten milk to help them?

I hopeI dont sound stupid for asking this.
 
Actually it's best until they are 10 weeks old! They are WAY too young to be away from their mama..... and the gut has some changes around 5 weeks I think.....

I'm moving this to the Nutrition area so we might get some better info!
 
KMR isn't the right thing. I hope someone who has encountered this before will chime in. I just remember hearing that KMR isn't rich enough.
 
I wouldn't supplement them at all. It might be worth giving them some Bene-bac, if you are in the US (if you could put your country in your profile that would be great :) )

I would push the hay and whatever pellets they were on before.

How are they in themselves?
 
Rabbits do eat by 4 weeks and can technically make it without their mothers milk (sometimes...)
The main issue as I see it is that their immune system isn't properly developed. They should be living in the same cage until they are 8 weeks where they have the same bacteria flora. So even if they do make it now, rabbits taken from their mother and into new homes too early have a higher risk of falling ill as adults ):
A vet once told me this, so I've never wanted to move a rabbit under 8 weeks. Hope they will make it though.
 
Maybe give them a probiotic like benebac.

if you look through posts in the rabbitry section there are several threads recently re. bunnies too young being adopted out. It might help you to read them

it is my understanding that despite the fact that they are not getting the same immunity as other rabbits that stayed with their mothers longer that there is little that you can do other than go on...give them probiotics, hay and pellets (no veggies)
 
Probiotic would be good, you could also mix up some cecals from another bunny with some KMR and syringe feed that to them to get the beneficial gut flora.
 
In this thread they talk about feeding cottontails KMR with goat's milk. http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=46345&forum_id=1
However, if they are eating solid food, just keep them on that.

The bird bene-bac appears to be the same as the mammal one, with the exception of one of the bacterial species in it. The mammal one would be optimal, but bird one would probably be ok. If you have a feed store nearby, they sell a product called ProBios which is the same thing but meant for horses.

I would only give KMR as a way to give them cecals from another bunny.
 
I know our member Naturestee did this with an orphaned domestic. This link is what I was thinking of: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html See "How much to feed?" section. Also this link: http://www.kindplanet.org/rabbitbabies5.html

And here Naturestee talks about doing it with her orphan Dora: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=44206&forum_id=8&highlight=baby+cecal Dora's brother was also orphaned but did not survive due to an overwhelming GI problem. Naturestee then gave Dora some of the cecals and that seemed to help her survive through the though stuff.

Another member with baby cottontails: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=21321&forum_id=1&highlight=baby+cecal

This link talks about adding adult fecal pellets to the water, but I think the cecals would have more of the necessary bacteria than the fecals: http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
 
ILovemyAlice wrote:
the old owner weaned them cause they were eating food.
I hope the rabbits make it.
So is there any thing they can have that can help them?
Click to expand...
Arg. People like that make me so mad:X
That's almost like sending and infant into the world once it starts eating. :nerves1
Sadly this is the case of many Norwegian pet stores as well.:pssd:
 
Input from my limited experience, yet I hope a bit of this will help.

We were contacted to help a small 3-week age est. kit/juvey found abandoned in a park in Schofield, Wisconsin. The shelter photo of this baby New Zealand White is shown in the December '06 SRR newsletter if you'd like a visual reference. Angela and Maureen are mentioned in that newsletter! :)

Little tykette (Nibbles) survived without her mom at this age, luckily. The baby came in with warbles, and was treated. So who knows how long this young rabbit was dumped or living (precariously) in the park?

We also fostered 4 NZ/dutch mixes at age 5 weeks when surrendered to the shelter. At 7 weeks I withdrew them from mom (named Ballerina, who gave birth to them at 6 months old) because she'd run from them when they approached to nurse. ~ She'd had enough of their teeth grips and enthusiastic nursing I perceive!!

All did well. Maybe rare cases in each youngster I've cared for? Same for the 16 street babes that came in with abandoned females in 2006. Many were separated earlier than certain books advise.

From my limited experience with abandoned or removed-from-mom babes before 8 weeks old, they can survive. I supplemented minimally with greens and veggies for all, earlier than the books dictated. No adverse effects. Good luck to you as caregiver. Feel free to PM.


 
I bought the KMR today.
How many times a day should i give them the KMR with cecal?
And I still cant find out how much KMR and cecal to give them .Can i give them 1 teaspoon KMR and 2 teaspoons water and the cecal mixed in?
Thanks.
 
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