Bunny help anyone?

[Sottinger]

A friend of my daughter has newborn bunnies she is going to raise. The vet told her to feed fox valley squirrel formula, one full syringe every 4-6hrs. Didn't say what size syringe or if it's 32/40 or 20/50 FV. I know nothing about bunnies but I have FV 20/50 and 1cc and 3cc syringes to give her with a miracle nipple. Anyone experienced with bunnies to better advise? This was pretty vague instructions.

I looked up the formulas and 32/40 is the one which specifies cottontails in the description. I don't have any to give her as I don't use it. What is the main difference? Can she use the 20/50 even though they're newborns?

[Milo's Mom]

Bunny formula
1/2 C goatsmilk (3 lg scoops powder to 6 scoops of water)
KMR-1/2 C
3cc heavy whipping cream--for older bunny add extra cc
1/4 tsp probiotic
1 1/2 tblspn colestrum

Rest 6/8 hrs before feeding

Personally I'd never put a fv product into a cottontail. I've posted this recipe and the step by step process multiple times over the years. Try doing a search.

Feed 2 times daily 12 hours apart
10 percent of body weight is amount to feed
Weigh at least every other day

[kcassidy]

A lot of us are having great success using FV Skunk formula and you don't have to go crazy making up a magical mix.

Bunnies are very very hard to do and I've been involved in a great discussion about them and how to be successful I'll list the key points that is working for more than one person

1. Keep them in a dark tote with no see thru sides. They are easy to stress, super duper stress
2. Only one person should handle and feed them. Handling should be minimal
3. Should be fed 2x a day every 12 hours. only feed twice a day, as much as they want (they are twice daily gorge feeders naturally, and this cuts down on handling stress, which is the greatest danger to them)
4. It is pretty important to get the morning poop of an adult rabbit for them to ingest. If you can't get it you should add Benebac to the formula. I saw that someone mentioned feeding LA200, I've never heard of this, but this facility has a 90% success rate. This is CRITICAL and without it you will fail. They will look fine and you'll be so happy and then one day you'll walk in to check on them and they are dead. No joke.
5. This is a new one for me - Use the Miracle Mini Nipple, it might take 2-3 days to get them using it, but keep trying. I used to tube feed eyes closed but unless you know how to do that already I wouldn't do it.
6. She also told us: Healthy intakes with eyes closed are never fed on intake. They do better if they are given 12 hours to get hungry rather than fight them right after transport stress.
7. Related to above, you should make sure the first thing you do is hydrate.
8. Also related to above, Skunk formula should be mixed at 1:1.5, that is powder to water

Once their eyes open you start feeding them solids, Clover picked it from the yard. kale will also work, I also keep fresh timothy hay in their cage and of course fresh water
When eyes open I stop pottying and move the heating pad to only cover half the container, I eliminate the heating pad 10 days after eyes open

Good luck and let us know how they do