Wild Kits, Surprise / Accidental Litters, Orphans, Kits
Wild Kits
Saving wild rabbit kits is contentious. Whilst they can sometimes be raised successfully and go on to lead happy lives, there is no guarantee that this will be the case and very often they never fully adjust to living in captivity once fully grown. A wild kit once grown, is going to need a specialised home which is set up for and prepared to deal with the unique challenges that living with what is essentially a wild rabbit, brings. These rabbits need an enormous amount of space and enrichment and they CANNOT happily live in a hutch of any kind. We know of a case where even though a wild kit had been hand raised, desexed and had an enormous area provided in which to live, it was driven mad by being in captivity and was determined to escape - resulting in injury and terrible heartbreak for their carer. In addition, many veterinary clinics will not treat wild rabbits - even one that has been hand raised.
Wild kits are undeniably cute when little but even so, a wild rabbit is classified as a pest in NZ and to this end our Govt. has an active agenda to reduce their numbers. It is illegal to release a hand raised wild rabbit back into the wild and indeed doing so would be cruel because not only will it not have the skills it would need in order to survive, it will also be attacked by the wild rabbits it comes across.
If you decide to take on wild kits with the intention of re-homing them once they are old enough, you also need to be aware that they can be extremely difficult to find suitable homes for and that by deciding to raise the kit/s you must understand that you are taking on the responsibility for their future long term happiness and wellbeing.
Desexing can also be an issue for wild rabbits. Because they are so highly strung the stress of the operation can often be too much for them, leading to stress induced death. If they are left entire then their hormonally driven and instinctive behaviours can not only be difficult to manage, but can be an absolute torment for the rabbit.
This following photos are for American wild rabbits, however they still have some relevance for wild kits in New Zealand as well.
If it still needs mum as in photo #2 above, the best option is to find a safe place near where you found them and leave the kit/s in a sheltered spot - perhaps providing some sort of shelter for cover, and the mother will likely find them that evening if she is still feeding them. Otherwise, if they are weaned - as in photos #2 & #3, they will go on their way once dusk falls. If this is not possible, it can be kinder to take the kit/s to be humanely euthanised at your veterinary clinic. If you decide to go ahead and raise the kit/s, there are instructions on how to hand raise them below.
There is also a New Zealand based group that would be a good one to join if you decide to raise and keep your Wildie - Wild Rabbits New Zealand Group
Baby Hare / Leveret vs Baby Rabbit / Kit
It is important to establish whether the baby you’ve found is a Leveret or a Kit because they need very different care and the long term outcomes for each are poles apart.
Raising a Leveret is a difficult and specialised task. You can find a comprehensive guide to raising them - Caring for a Leveret from Newborn to Release Weight in the files of the Wild Rabbits New Zealand Group.
Leverets need a different feeding and husbnadry approach to Kits. If they survive hand rearing (the mortality rate is very high), although initially friendly, Leverets usually become feral once weaned and need to be released once old enough to survive on their own.
For in depth help if you have found a Leveret, please join Wild Rabbits New Zealand Group.
Surprise or Accidental Litters / Orphans
If you discover your Doe is having an accidental/unplanned litter you’ll need to do the following - increase her diet, she will eventually need unlimited pellets (especially when feeding the kits) and feed alfalfa hay mixed with her regular hay. This helps her get all the extra nutrients that she might need and should help to keep her at a good weight.
Be prepared, mums ignore their babies a lot - it's a natural instinct, and her milk may take a day to come in. The kits should be born in a nest that she makes with hay and her fur (she will pull this from herself). Babies are okay to touch but make sure she is comfortable with you, and it is wise to pre-pat her to get her scent on your hands first. When fed, babies tummies are slightly see through and get huge (like they swallowed a golf ball). You don't want wrinkly skinny babies. Some first-time mums are not the best, so you will have to watch her, but feel free to ask for advice etc. Hand-rearing is super hard and has a low survival outcome.
Keep the buck AWAY from her (and have him desexed - please note, he can still be fertile for 6-8 weeks post neuter) before the kits are born as she can get pregnant again straight after giving birth. Once the kits are weaned the Doe can be desexed safely.
At the end of the day, the ultimate outcome of raising a litter of Wilding kits, a litter of Wilding X kits or an accidental litter of fully domestic kits is that you are either going to have to find good homes for all of the kits; which is incredibly difficult, or keep them all.
So what are your options?
As the fosterer of the kits or owner of the Doe, you are duty bound and have a responsibility to find good homes that will care for the kits - hopefully in the manner that aligns with current welfare requirements, and this can be extremely difficult and very stressful.
As callous as it may sound, one of the best options can be to reduce the size of the litter so that there are fewer kits to find homes for. Humane euthanasia by a vet is the kindest way to do this. Due to the potential disposition issues with Wild, Wild X rabbits or if the prospect of finding good homes for any litter is too hard to face and all or some of the kits cannot be kept, then some chose to euthanise the entire litter. Others decide how many kits they can either keep or re-home ethically and have the remainder of the litter euthanised.
This may sound cruel, but if you think about it, it is actually merciful as you are ultimately preventing the rabbits potentially leading a less than ideal - and potentially awful, life. If you need proof of how difficult it is to find really good homes for kits, just have a look at TradeMe to see how many rabbits are listed for sale, how many are also being given away/discarded, and call some rabbit recuses, SPCA etc and ask how many rabbits they are trying to find homes for - the numbers and neglect are utterly horrifying.
OKAY! So on to feeding orphans ...
The links below provide general info but the formula info/recipes for feeding orphans may not be not all be applicable to NZ. Information specific to NZ is also included.
Surprise Litters
“Many people purchase or adopt rabbits from sources that do not insist on spay/neuter beforehand, and even though the unsuspecting folks are assured that "they're both boys" or "they're both girls", and that the mounting behaviour they observe is "just play" so, we get surprises. If you come out one morning to find that your rabbit has given birth to a litter of babies, there are several steps you must take to ensure her health and the health and survival of her babies.”
Surprise Litter of Babies! What to do now? - by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
Orphans
Before you take the baby domestic rabbits into your care and attempt to bottle feed them, please consider...
Unless the mother rabbit is known to be dead, there is a good chance that she is feeding her babies, even if she seems to be ignoring them. A mother rabbit does not constantly tend to her babies the way a mother carnivore does. Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies.
Care and Feeding of Orphaned Domestic Rabbits - by Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
“Feeding a newborn baby rabbit isn’t easy. Knowing how to bottle feed orphaned baby rabbits can be overwhelming and confusing. The clock and the odds are against you, because the survival rate when bottle feeding baby bunnies is pretty slim. The good news is that it can be done!”
The info in this link: below, uses the author’s own formula based on raw goat’s milk. It also includes comprehensive advice about how to feed using a sponge, then moving on to a nipple once the rabbit is older, and weaning.
How to Bottle Feed Orphaned Baby Rabbits with Formula Recipe - by Jaimie Listens
A General Guide to Hand Rearing Kits
*Rabbit kittens can require hand-rearing if they are true orphans due to maternal death, or because of mis-mothering or lactational failure of the doe.
*It is important to remember that Does only suckle the kittens once to twice every 24 hours, at night, for a period of only 5 minutes or so. The rest of the time she will leave them in the nest and ignore them completely - this is a survival strategy to avoid drawing the attention of predators to the nest. However when hand raising the kits will usually need more frequent feeding.
*Does with a new litter can take 24 hours to start lactating. Mis-mothering can be diagnosed if the kits have not been fed for 48 hours. Unfed kits will have thin abdomens and wrinkled skin.
*Hand-rearing is difficult and time-consuming, especially if the kits are under 7 days old. It should not be undertaken lightly, but successfully raising an orphan is enormously rewarding. The most common causes of failure and death are aspiration pneumonia pneumonia due to inhalation of milk into the lungs, and diarrhoea due to the failure to establish a normal gut flora.
Housing
*Kits under 7 days will need to be kept at 27-30°C.
*An incubator, heated hospital cage, heatpads or the airing cupboard can be used.
*Place kits in a box lined with hay, maternal fur if available, or soft cloths or fleece veterinary bedding.
*Temperature can be lowered after 7 days if the kits are thriving.
Milk Substitutes - Information specific to New Zealand
Wombaroo - Rabbit milk replacer is the gold standard for hand-raising kits. It is highly concentrated (30-40% Dry Matter) with a high fat (40-50%) and protein content and very low sugar content (5-10%). In New Zealand the only commercial product available is Wombaroo. This is available from some veterinary clinics, online from Christchurch Rabbit Rescue (contact CRR via their website to enquire) & Yardlands. It is worth noting that sourcing this product can be difficult due to supply chain issues.
Raw Goat’s Milk - is a good milk substitute for orphaned kits but is not readily available to most people. It is lower in fat and protein than Rabbit replacer milk.
UHT Goat’s Milk - the brand brand most recommended in NZ is Living Planet Goat Milk - Whole Milk. This can be found in supermarkets.
Vitapet Pet Milk - can be used as an emergency measure until you can (hopefully) source Wombaroo. This can be found in supermarkets.
KMR Kitten Replacer Milk - Many have reported successfully using KMR to raise kits. Available from most veterinary clinics and online.
Enriching Non Wombaroo Milk Substitutes - All milk substitutes (except Wombaroo), are lower in fat and protein than a Doe’s milk or Wombaroo. However this can be addressed. Here are some ideas -
* Add some powdered whole goat milk. This is regarded as a safer option than adding cow’s milk cream. To 1 cup of milk add 56 grams of powdered milk. A mini mixer or blender will make it much easier to blend properly. This information is sourced from the following blog - How to Bottle Feed Orphaned Baby Rabbits with Formula Recipe. Follow the link for more in depth information.
or
* Very cautiously increasing the volume feeds slightly.
or
* Many have found that the addition of an egg yolk beaten into the substitute milk at a ratio of 1c milk to 1 egg yolk is successful.
Nipples & Syringes - The best feeding nipple is a Miracle Nipple. These are available from various sources including Christchurch Rabbit Rescue. In the short term to see you through an emergency situation, a makeup sponge or a 1ml syringe with no needle can be used. These can be obtained from a pharmacies.
Remember - once the immediate/emergency feeding needs are met with one of the options above, the best long term milk substitute for raising kits successfully is Wombaroo Rabbit Replacer fed via a syringe with a Miracle Nipple
Feeding regime
*Commercial preparations are recommended and should be prepared as per the manufacturer's instructions. Some suggest adding a probiotic such as ProN8ure to the milk replacer - following the manufacturer's instructions, to reduce the chance of scours/diarrhoea.
*Made-up milk can be stored for 24 hours in a refrigerator. Milk should always be fed at body temperature and should be tested on the back of the hand before it is given.
*Attention should be paid to maintaining good feeding bottle hygiene.
* Nursing bottles with teats available for kittens, a make up sponge, plain syringes or syringes with a Miracle Nipple can be used. Teat or sponge feeding carries less risk of pneumonia cause by aspiration (breathing milk into the lungs). If fed by syringe you cannot generally revert to teat feeding as the suckling reflex is lost after about two days. When using a syringe, administer the milk very slowly to minimise the possibility of aspiration (breathing milk into the lungs).
* The kits should be held on the lap with the head gently restrained between the thumb and second finger, and the first finger placed on the top of the head. If using a syringe, this should be gently inserted through the side of the mouth behind the incisor teeth. Stop between mouthfuls to allow swallowing. Once accustomed to being fed, the rabbit will refuse milk when it is full.
* A wild Doe will feed her kits 1-2 times a day only. However when feeding a milk replacer we usually need to give more frequent feeds. This can vary between 3-6 times a day. Four times a day is usually adequate with a break of 6-8 hours overnight. Volumes to be given will also vary between individuals. It is vital to weigh the kits daily before feeding and increase the volume and/or frequency of feeds if they are failing to gain weight.
*After each feed, the perineum should be wiped with a damp clean cloth or cotton wool to stimulate urination and defecation. This will need to be done until the rabbit is about 10-14 days old.
*As a rough guide, new born kits consume about 2 ml/day, increasing to:
Day 4 - 10 ml/day.
Day 7 - 13 ml/day.
Day 10 - 15 ml/day.
Day 14 - 22 ml/day.
Day 21 - 27 ml/day - starting to nibble hay and use water bottle.
Day 27 - 30 ml/day - eating hay.
Day 30 - 20 ml/day - well-established on hay.
Day 35 - weaned - eating mainly hay, and small amount of concentrates and wild plants/vegetables.
A water bottle or very shallow water bowl should be introduced when the kits are about three weeks old. Probiotics should be added to the water.
Weaning
*Normally nearing weaning age a kit will eat its mother’s cecotrophes which colonises its gut with the bacteria needed to start digesting foods other than milk. A hand raised kit cannot do this so is especially vulnerable to weaning enteritis.
*One way to introduce the needed probiotics/bacteria to the kit’s gut when they are nearing weaning age is to introduce some Critical Care to their milk substitute.
*Weaning is a critical period and it is vital that only hay is introduced at first. The young rabbits should be well-established on hay before small amounts of pellets and fibrous grass/weeds are introduced.
*Introducing vegs, fruit and other carbohydrate and protein rich food sources can induce serious digestive disturbances, diarrhoea and ultimately death as they cause adverse alterations in the cecal pH and microflora. The feeding of hay and use of Critical Care may help prevent this occurring.
Material based on content from VetStream, with edits.
How to Determine a Rabbit’s Gender
To sex rabbits, you need to carefully hold them so they are in a sitting position, then with your free hand (or hands if you have a helper which I recommend), push on either side of the area so that the bun’s ‘bits’ pop out.
The following pictures are of two rabbits who are 9 weeks old. Rabbits can be sexed earlier than this if you are experienced enough, but the smaller they are the harder it can be to see.
MALE - on the left
Males tend to have their testicles drop at 10-12 weeks of age so it is important to correctly sex your rabbits and separate until everyone is desexed. Please note that a male can get females pregnant for up to 8 weeks post being desexed - unless the female has also been done in which case she is sterile straight away from the surgery. Males can also get females pregnant through wire mesh, so be sure to separate any entire rabbits well as they will jump and dig to get to each other.
FEMALE - on the right
Note that females bits don’t pop out fully (be sure that you are applying enough pressure so it fully comes out, otherwise you might mis-sex a male as a female). It also has a small Y in it, rather than a donut (like males have). Some call it a taco for the female and a donut for the male.
Copyright 2019 - Jen Herd/Westley’s World. Latest edit 06/2025