[danger]

We found 6 baby rabbits in our yard while mowing. Thankfully the mower went right over the nest and they scattered after, so no diced bunny stew tonight.

My daughter wants to keep them. I could build a hutch outside for them when they are bigger. From what I've found on the net so far, I'd estimate the age to be 3 to 4 weeks. I grabbed a small cage and supplies earlier tonight.

Most of my neighbors have dogs, and there are several wild cats, so I feel somewhat bad letting them go. Of course if I keep them, they'd probably end up on the dinner table at some point.

Anyone keep wild rabbits?

 

[ackbob]

shouldn't be any different than domesticated rabbits -- just feed them and protect them and you have stew....... might want to consider havign them checked for tularemia and/or babesiosis

 

[Rasputin's Cake]

You may want to bathe them to make sure they don't have fleas and whatnot.

 

[boomerscaboose]

A few tips perhaps...

Hi Danger...

I'd be curious as to whether you know or can find out if any of your neighbors raise rabbits to see if any escaped. We've been raising rabbits for about two years of so and on a couple occasions early on the wire cages I built had spaces I thought would stop escape but alas, baby bunnies everywhere. Luckily we caught them all.

Also, not bad advise on checking out for diseases if you have money to burn but keeping them away from other pets for a week or so would likely show any developments in anything bad arising.

This might be a good experience for both you and your kids and will make you a hero in their eyes. Remember after 12 weeks they can get pregnant so sexing them is important before then and separating the boys from the girls.

The easiest way to do this is to have your wife or older child stand facing you and then you take the rabbit and while holding it around the chest, flip it upside down and immediately move the face up head under the armpit of your choice and cradle the rabbits back with your forearm on the side that you put it's head under your armpit. They usually don't kick much if at all when they can't see.

Your assistant, because at least one of your hands is holding the rabbit's chest while your other hand is holding the rabbit's lower rear torso area from underneath so your assistant needs to gently push down on the fuzzy protrusion about in the area where you'd expect a belly button to be. I was surprised initially that the genitals were a smidge further up the torso than I expected.

You're assistant, or you if you're very coordinated, gently pushes down with finger and thumb in each side of the fuzzy mound and if it's a boy it's penis will be obvious and protrude. The girl's parts protrude also but not as much and after comparing a couple it will be obvious which is which.

I'd wait till they are about six weeks old as it's more difficult to tell the younger they are.

They normally are weaned at about eight weeks so three to four weeks is kind of dicey but they might make it. You should get actual rabbit pellets and don't give them greens till they are a bit older. Indigestion can kill baby rabbits and their digestive systems aren't ready for much more than nibbles at that young of an age. Just handfulls of grass and greens will result in dead babies.

This why it would be a happier ending if you discovered you had a neighbor with rabbits or could capture the momma rabbit.

Another tidbit here, if it's truly a wild rabbit they cannot be bred with domestic rabbits. They are genetically different. On the other hand, a lot of domestic rabbits do get loose and become feral so you don't really know what you have.

 

[danger]

Update: I let them go. They were eating good and looked perfectly healthy, but they were extremely unhappy. I can't imagine that they would have calmed down much, and probably wouldn't have made good pets.

I made a shelter area for them under the wood pile, and we'll put some food out if they stay in the area.

Meanwhile, after a trip to Tractor Supply, my daughter picked out a domesticated bunny that makes a much better pet.

 

[letsgetreal]

You suck,,,,,,,,,,who let's babies loose? Best they got chopped up........so, what meat breed did your daughter pick, so your dog can eat?

 

[tater65ss]

These are my rabbits that I picked up. Mainly for the manure for my garden and the flowers. I will breed them and sell the offspring but not quite sure on how many I will eat. I like rabbit but I don't want to get burnt out on it.

 

[letsgetreal]

These are my rabbits that I picked up. Mainly for the manure for my garden and the flowers. I will breed them and sell the offspring but not quite sure on how many I will eat. I like rabbit but I don't want to get burnt out on it.

Those are new Zealand whites(meat rabbits, not pets)........they will produce about 5-6 babies( if you're sure you have a male and a female).........at 12 weeks, they can be put in the freezer.......have separate cage for the male and female( not side by side) and a nest box for mom.

 

[|eric|]

well hum rabbits looking for advice thats new :

 

[tater65ss]

Those are new Zealand whites(meat rabbits, not pets)........they will produce about 5-6 babies( if you're sure you have a male and a female).........at 12 weeks, they can be put in the freezer.......have separate cage for the male and female( not side by side) and a nest box for mom.

mine are californians. I was told by the vet when I had them checked ofr disease that the only difference is they stay a little smaller than the New Zealands. There are 3 of them, the 2 together are females and the other is the male. Im building a new hutch for the females this weekend that has a nest box for each. I double checked (by sexing them) what I was getting.

 

[53convert]

have to be careful about picking up wild game. In some states and with some game animals that could land you in trouble with the game rangers.
No Kidding

 

[paleryder]

If you keep them be sure to look closely at them each day..if they get a little poop on their fur wash it off or flies gather on them and lay eggs..the maggots do great damage to them...its called fly-strike good luck

 

[dannybear]

search how to care for a wild rabbit on instructables.com i would post a link but it wont work

 

[vgun]

Somehow I missed this post when it came out.
Danger--you made the right decision by letting them go.
I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and I can tell you that wild rabbits are a lot different than the domestic ones. Wild rabbits are one of the toughest baby mammals to raise.
The mom rabbits do abandon them when they are only about 20 -24 days old.
They are still really tiny at this point and very vulnerable to predators but are good at hiding.
It may also be illegal to keep wildlife as pets in your state --I know it is here.
Good job though danger--you did the right thing

 

[rover10]

I have rasied and released wild rabbits - my dh ran over a nest in the yard just before a hard rain - they were floating in water when we pulled them in. We use milk with sugar in it. The best is straight from the cow with a little sugar. In the last 15 yrs. I have had 8-10 of the babbies.

 

[Chin]

I love rabbits....

grilled with lots of BBQ sauce! LOL

 

[random_weed]

Nobody mentioned Snakes! Snakes love baby rabbits. If you have alot of wild rabbits around, you can count on snakes too!

 

[Crutch]

Wire cages hurt the bottom of rabbits feat. Rabbits don't have the padding like cats or dogs.

So add a mat or bedding for them to walk on, to at least rest their feet.

My Random Rabbit Advice.

 

[Pwillia]

Growing up we had a pet rabbit that was allowed to run around the house and in and out a dog door. They can be quite smart animals. Ours enjoyed koolaid to the point if we left a cup at the level it could reach it would drink it.

Not sure about domestic rabbits not getting pregnant by wild rabbits. Ours ended up getting pregnant and it had to be a wild rabbit.