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My rabbit isn't feeding her babies. Should I feed them or keep warm?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 7 months old | 4 lbs

My Rabbit isn't feeding milk to her babies since they are born(Today around 3 a.m) it's been more the 15 hours she hadn't fed them yet... What should i do? Can i feed them with cow, buffalo or goat milk ? Or should i just let them sleep? And do i need to keep them warm?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Strydom, DVM

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 21st, 2017

Does are usually great mothers and will take excellent care of their babies. Keep in mind that baby bunnies can safely go 1 - 2 days before getting a full ‘meal.’ This is a protective mechanism since in the wild the doe might need to stay away from the nest for a while to avoid leading predators to her kits.

Mother rabbits only ever feed their kits once a day, rarely twice, and that for just 5 to 10 minutes. In this short time frame, the kits get their whole day’s milk supply. So, if you never see the doe go near the nest box, but the little kits have round tummies, everything is fine. You don’t need to help nature along. The doe is doing her job while you’re in bed asleep.

If you find that she is not feeding them at all after 2 days then refer to this link to an article on how to raise orphan bunnies. There is a recipe you can use in their to make formula.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.
Vote Icon39Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 21st, 2017

    I think you need to be prepared for the fact that you may need to bottle feed them. However, keep in mind that rabbits only feed/nurse their young 1-2 times a day. I would give her about 48 hrs before starting any intervention. She may be feeding them when you aren’t around or she may have increased anxiety with you there, especially if you are handling the babies. Good luck!!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Mallori Kaminski, BVSc

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 19th, 2017

    Rabbit's milk is very rich, and she will only feed them once a day, usually overnight. Otherwise she ignores them, this is a protective mechanism so she doesn't lead predators to the nest. You are unlikely to see her feeding, but you can check the kits in the morning and they should have nice full bellies and be relatively settled. It's very rare for a bunny not to feed her babies, so you shouldn't need to intervene.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on November 21st, 2017

    Rabbits nurse very infrequently. Usually only once a day or so. Rabbits are also one of the species that do not do well at all with milk supplementation. The best option for rabbits is to leave them alone as much as possible for the first 1-2
    Weeks. The less stressed Mom is the better she will mother. Best of luck and have fun watching those babies! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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    3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Food & Nutrition
Are my 11-day-old baby bunnies getting enough care and feeding?
That's fine, as long as they are kept warm. Does (female rabbits) typically nurse once or twice daily. The kits (bunnies) will begin munching on hay within the next few days. They can eat alfalfa (until 7 months of age), timothy hay or oat grasses and fresh vegetables in addition to a commercial pelleted diet.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
How can I tell if my bunny is feeding her 3-4 day old babies?
You can check their bellies. At that age, you can see a white band which is their tummies full of milk. Rabbits will only nurse once or twice daily unlike cats and dogs who nurse multiple times daily.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Newborn rabbits are active, does this mean they're not eating?
Thanks for your question about your bunnies, and I am sorry to hear that you have lost a few of them. Also, thanks for the photo - it was very helpful. From what I can see in the picture, these bunnies are doing well. The things you are looking for are great - they have round bellies, they are warm, and they are clean. You can see in the photo that there is a more pale area visible on the belly - this is the stomach and it is full of milk! It is referred to as the milk line. This is a good thing to see on the bunnies, and when this is present it indicates that mom is doing a good job with the feeding. Please keep in mind that it is not uncommon for mother rabbits to only visit their babies once to twice per day. After the babies are weaned, I would recommend having the mother spayed as uterine cancers are very common in female rabbits. I hope this answers your question, and good luck with the new babies!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My mama rabbit isn't feeding one of her newborn bunnies. Help!
If the mama rabbit is refusing to nurse the little bunny I would recommend taking that bunny away from the others and trying to bottlefeed it. Or you could remove the other bunnies and try and let that one feed on its own for a few minutes. You can give it a couple hours but if the Mama is still refusing to feed that bunny you will probably have to bottlefeed it.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My rabbit had babies, what's the best milk for orphaned kits?
Kitten milk replacer (KMR) or goat milk should be fed to nursing kits (baby rabbits​). Feed twice daily. Be aware that bunnies can be very difficult to hand raise. Follow the link for more information. http://rabbit.org/faq-orphaned-baby
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Newborn rabbit not feeding. Mother ignoring it. Can I hand-raise?
There may be something congenitally wrong with this one which is why the mother isn't nursing it and it is not thriving. If you want to try and hand raise it you can but it is not easy. I will refer you to this link on how to hand raise and orphan. ( https://rabbit.org/caring-for-orphans/ )
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Is human baby formula safe for feeding a week-old baby bunny?
1/2 Cup evaperated milk 1/2 Cup water 1 egg yolk 1 Tablespoon Corn syrup Kits should be fed every 6 hours for the first 2 weeks, then every eight hours the third week, and every 12 hours on the fourth week. After that the kits should be eating a good amount of solid food, and they should be drinking water. If they seem to be doing well on pelleted food, discontinue the formula. Otherwise, feed once a day until they are six weeks old, or until they to well on solid food. Feed a good quality grass hay starting at four weeks, and do not feed any moist foods such as fruits or veggies.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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