Pellets for 3 week old bunny - how much?

[Chii]

Hi,

I'm fostering 3-3.5 weeks old orphaned baby bunny. He stopped drinking KMR formula ~2 days ago.
He's eating hay, drinking water and I give him Burgess Excel pellets. He can eat about 10g in 12 hours.
He's feeling well, binking, eating, drinking and pooping normally.

I think he could eat about 15-20g of Burgess Excel pellets per day, but I'm not sure if he should be given that much.
Should I give him only a specific amount of pellets, or give him as much as he wants?

Thank you in advance!

 

[ladysown]

this age, let him eat as he desires as long as he is healthy.

Have you tried putting the KMR in a bowl?

What type of bunny is it? If a cottontail, you should release him as soon as he is eating and drinking well. sooner is better than later.

 

[Chii]

Thank you! I also contacted HRS by email and they advised unlimited pellets, too, said he may be having a malnutrition and has a lot a catch up to. I just gave him 10g of pellets and in about 30m 5grams are already gone. He ate some hay, too.

The thing with KMR is, that it is not clear whether he responds well to it and shelter has weaned him 2 days ago, because his brother died because of diarrhoea after drinking milk. Everybody got scared.

He is not a cottontail, but a domestic rabbit. I attached his picture. Someone left a box with 6 different size/color babies, about 10 days old (eyes open, ears stood erect on 2nd day at shelter).
There are no rabbit savvy vets here or rescuers. I volunteer at shelter when there are rabbits, but I never handled a baby rabbit before so I couldn't advice them except for printing all HRS recommendations.

It was days later we found out that almost all babies were "peanuts" - had development problems that looked like dwarf gene related issues and they just died randomly. I took in the last two babies to foster, but the smaller one (also peanut) died last night.

This baby is all what is left from litter, but he seems to be growing normally, he eats a lot and poops a lot (small round droppings) and drinks a lot of water.

He was breathing with a noise so I gave him inhalations of chamomile tea and keep him warm all the time. Now I hear him sneeze or noisy breathing very very rare. He is very active, binky a lot. I give him simethicone and tummy massages.

Hope he will be able to make it.

 

[ladysown]

really safe foods for young bunnies.

PLAIN uncooked kitchen oatmeal.
grass hay (rather than alfalfa hay) it's easier on young bunny tummies.
GRASS.. .just plain go to your lawn and pick it grass. NOT lettuce, or veggies or other such stuff just plain grass...not as much as he wants, just a few to tempt and transition.
Pellets.. as much as they want.