Food for 2-week old bunnies?

[Thumperina]

Hello everyone,

Mom is nursing them but not too often. They look like they could use something else. I ordered Sherwood forest that they said I could give starting at age 2 weeks but it hasn't arrived yet. I also have Calf-Manna, is it OK to give it to bunnies?

I have some Kaytee forty-diet for Juvenile rabbits but it doesn;t say at what age I could start. Please, recommend me something!

In general, how to givepellets to bunnies? Put it in the small bowl? We have a hutch lined with hay (I put alfalfa on top of prairie hay), another part of it has wired floor (hardware cloth with 0.5 inch mesh,,, is it all right for their tiny feet? )

What is the best way to introduce water? I have water in a small bowl but I don't think they drink. A water bottle that hangs upside down?

Are they supposed to eat mom's poop? Sorry for the question but I thought I heard about it.



Thank you!

 

[Thumperina]

Also, how to give veggies to lactating mama in the hutch without giving bunnies the chance to eat them? They are too young for veggies.

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

At 2 weeks old their food really is moms milk. I would take out the dish with the water because you dont want any to fall or hop in and drown, so only the hanging water bottle thing. keep alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets available to mom and babies all day (i get my pellets from Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food online). when the babies are ready they will start to pick and eat at them on their own. remember, bunny moms only nurse once or twice a day and its usually done when you arent watching. as long as the babies have full bellies I wouldnt worry at all.

make sure there is a resting board in the hutch and not just wire floor.

veggies, does mom have free time? if she doesnt, I think she should be allowed some free time to get away from the babies for a bit. when she's on her free time, feed her the veggies.

i never gave Calfmanna to my babies, only mom.. i'm not sure if babies can eat that or not

 

[Thumperina]

MyBabyHasPaws, thanks for your reply.
A good thing you mentioned about not keeping water bowl in the hutch. But this is all the mom drinks from. Something to think about.
As for the babies, should I teach them to use water bottle or they will figure it out? I am expecting babies food from Sherwood Forest, I hope they would eat it (more concerned about the mom eating it thoug. Today got a sample of MS from them - none of my rabbits eating it). A shallow bowl for the baby pellets?
MOm has free time, I just can't be sure but this is when she will want to eat her veggies and can't chase her around offering food all the time. Veggies get bad pretty fast in the hot weather.
There is wooden floor in the part of the hutch covered with hay - this is where they stay most of the time. Another part has wired floor.

 

[Thumperina]

Are greens (like broccoli, kale, green lettuce, etc) considered veggies? Buns are 5-6 weeks old now and they always try to eat parents' veggies when they get to it. They also eat grass/plants in the yard like crazy.
Is it OK for them?



WHAT TOYS can they be interested in this age? Thanks!

 

[Imbrium]

yeah, greens count as veggies... best to hand-feed the mother so the babies can't get any. mine nibbled on grass from 7-8 weeks until 12 weeks even when I brought the hay manger outside, but we were only out there for an hour or so a day so they didn't eat that much of it.

as for toys... http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3155603 was a HUGE hit with mine when they were smaller (they've outgrown it now and I had to get them the bigger one). it's only $1.75 at my local store as opposed to $6.99 online, so I'd check the stores first if you're near one.

they also love http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4199423, got their first one at 7-8 weeks and devoured it in a week... second one (a week or two later) only lasted three days

cardboard boxes were also a huge hit with my babies

 

[kitsu4tail]

Thumperina wrote:

Hello everyone,

Mom is nursing them but not too often. They look like they could use something else. I ordered Sherwood forest that they said I could give starting at age 2 weeks but it hasn't arrived yet. I also have Calf-Manna, is it OK to give it to bunnies?

I have some Kaytee forty-diet for Juvenile rabbits but it doesn;t say at what age I could start. Please, recommend me something!

In general, how to givepellets to bunnies? Put it in the small bowl? We have a hutch lined with hay (I put alfalfa on top of prairie hay), another part of it has wired floor (hardware cloth with 0.5 inch mesh,,, is it all right for their tiny feet? )

What is the best way to introduce water? I have water in a small bowl but I don't think they drink. A water bottle that hangs upside down?

Are they supposed to eat mom's poop? Sorry for the question but I thought I heard about it.



Thank you!

i just give mom extra green food, the babies will nibble at it when the see mom do it, her milk (and i do think they eat moms poop to) will adjust the babies belly's to the food she eats.i keep a bowl of water on the other side of the cage so when they are big ennough to walk al the way over the will be big enough that they wont fall in.

 

[Thumperina]

thank you all!
if greens (a bit of them) don't visibly harm them, are they still bad? What is the point of waiting till 12 weeks?

 

[Imbrium]

I honestly have no idea, was wondering that myself but figured the house rabbit society folks knew more than I did about it, lol. (though I admit I've cheated slightly in the last week... just seemed too cruel to let my 12 week old lop stuff her face with veggies and not occasionally sneak one to my 11 week old lionhead)

if it does have an effect on them, I'm sure there's a difference between a stolen nibble from time to time and deliberately offering them veggies on a daily basis.

 

[Imbrium]

back to the toy topic, I got a new one today...

http://www.petco.com/product/6558/Petco-Ferret-Fun-Ball-And-Wagon-Wheel.aspx?CoreCat=MM_Ferret_Toys


they're very small, which makes them great for tiny bunnies, and mine love stuff with a bell in/on it. they like to push the ball around and the wagon-wheel toy's spokes are small enough and spaced widely enough apart that my little 12-13 week old bunns can easily pick it up in their mouths and toss it around - I think a six week old bunny would be able to do so as well.