Found 3 Baby Bunnies

[Crystalis178]

Hello all! Happy New Year to everyone!

Upon arriving to work this morning, my girlfriend was hovering over a cardboard box in her office. As she informed me, one of our coworkers had stopped by earlier and dropped off 2 baby bunnies she had found near her home. From what I have gathered, their dog had found their nest and pulled them out of it. It sounds like the mother was nowhere to be seen but I'm sure she was just out of the burrow. One of the two babies has an injured eye: The eye itself doesn't appear too damaged if at all but does look red just between its eyelid and it's eye. They have been sitting in a box for about an hour or two cuddled together with some shirts. About an hour later, the same coworker had dropped off a third baby they had found at the same burrow.

Having dealt with raising my squirrel, Scout, just over a year ago, I knew that we didn't have much time to act if we wanted to save them. Hence my visit to the awesomely resourceful SquirrelBoard!

I'll be posting some pictures of them as soon as I can. From what I have gathered from other threads on the SB, they appear to be about 2 weeks old... maybe a little older. Their eyes are open, they are fully furred, and their ears seem up. I haven't had an opportunity to weigh them yet. Generally speaking, they currently seem healthy and unharmed... possibly just a little stressed out over the ordeal. I have read that bunnies are difficult to take care of in comparison to other baby wildlife. Here is what we need to know:

-Is the Goat's Milk Formula suitable for bunnies too? 3 parts GM, 1 part Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 part vanilla yogurt if memory serves me correctly?
-The one with the hurt eye: Is there anything we can do to try and clean/help/remedy it?
-Is there anything we should do immediately to help increase their chances of survival?
-I have been reading threads on the board as well as this site that I followed via a link on the SB. Is this resource reliable in its information? http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm

Thank you so much for all of your help!

[SammysMom]

Hang on, I am trying to get a bunny person for you.

[Nancy in New York]

I will pm you the information that I have scanned in from the Wild Mammal Babies Book.

[SammysMom]

Is it possible to put them back after warming them? What do the other more experienced think?

[stepnstone]

Understanding that a dog uncovered them, it's still a shame they were removed from their nest.
Momma would have come back at feeding time and most likely relocated them herself as I have
seen this happen with my own (lawnmower) experience at finding a bun nest.
If they could be placed back in the nest as described in 2nd chance and carefully watched to see if
momma comes for them, it is going to be their best chance at survival.
Baby buns are not for the novice at all, they really need to be placed with one who is very experienced
in their care and feeding. As with all small babies they do need to be kept warm...

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

If they are potentially 2 weeks old or older, I wouldn't give any formula until you weigh them. If they're over 100 grams each, you want to give greens (clover and dandelions picked in an untreated area) and see if they eat tonight. If they eat the greens and are gaining weight, do not give formula. Cottontails are only fed by their mom 2 times a day, at dawn and dusk. If possible, put them back in the nest and see if the mom comes back tonight, they wouldn't have even missed a feeding.

Cottontail moms do NOT sit on the nest all day, they visit as little as possible so as not to attract predators to the nest. I have never heard of a mom moving a nest and she will not find it if it is moved more than a couple feet. If the finder can keep the dogs away, the babies are gonna leave the nest in less than a week and that is the best thing for them. To see if the mom comes back, you can put two pieces of string in an X over the nest. If the mom comes back tonight she'll disturb the string when she takes the nesting material off to feed the babies and if she doesn't come back the X will still be there and you'll know the babies need help. They stand a much better chance if left with their mom!

Good luck, and if you need any more info. feel free to PM me.

[ques96]

I was alerted to this thread by pm. Thank you Sammysmom. I agree with advise already given. If help is still needed I will be traveling to Fort Lauderdale from Citrus County this Friday and can meet the finder along the way.

[pappy1264]

Just got your message, Sammysmom. Glad help has arrived with great advice!

[SammysMom]

You "Bunny-folk" rock!!! They scare the heck out of me because they seem so fragile. Sounds like their mama is the best choice is possible! Let us know what happens with them please.

[stepnstone]

I have never heard of a mom moving a nest and she will not find it if it is moved more than a couple feet.

After disturbing the nest I came across with mowing, I rounded up all the babies and packed them back into their nest recovering it with dry grass. I held a vigil at my door until way past dusk waiting to see if momma would come back which she did. She first uncovered the nest and laid over it which I assumed she was feeding, she then scattered the nest out and led her babies into the woods stopping periodically for the stragglers to catch up.
Had I not have been watching this I would have had to assume they either left on their own or something got to them, but I actually watched as momma led them off.
If this is unusual then I feel privileged to have witnessed such an occurrence.

I have also seen this happen with a mouse nest I had disturbed except with that incidence
momma carried them off one by one.

[SammysMom]

Oh Step, thank-you for sharing that story! What a cool thing to witness!!!

[stepnstone]

You "Bunny-folk" rock!!! They scare the heck out of me because they seem so fragile. Sounds like their mama is the best choice is possible! Let us know what happens with them please.

I couldn't agree more!
When it comes to buns I'm looking for the "bunny folk" too!

[Crystalis178]

We plan on weighing them tonight when we have access to a small enough scale. Our co-worker who found the bunnies by her home said that her dogs destroyed the nest and that if we were to put the bunnies back to wait for their mom, the dogs would likely get them again. They don't seem too keen in cooperating with us on that front so reuniting with the mom seems not achievable.

My girlfriend called and contacted a local animal rehab location at Florida's Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. The representative told us to leave them in a dark area and just bring them in tomorrow morning. They told us not to feed them. Would it be a good idea to bring them there? I don't want them to go hungry... It's a bit of a drive for us but if it would be our best bet, we'll take the trip.

The information given about how to help them has been super helpful. Thank you all so much for the valuable information and support! I have enclosed a photo I just took of the three of them. Hopefully it can help in identifying how old they might be by looks.

[SammysMom]

It looked like in this thread it said to offer greens. If they eat them they don't need formula. Is it possible for you to offer that? I always worry about centers that we don't know are definitely safe.

[stepnstone]

Knowing their weight would really help with aging them,
they are at least 2 weeks but I suspect they are older then that.
Do they react to sudden noises/sounds?

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Great bunny reuniting story. I have never heard of that, but makes sense if the babies were older. These guys look old enough to be weaned, I'd offer clover and dandelion tonight picked in an untreated area.

[Crystalis178]

We decided it might just be best to bring them to the local wildlife rehab center. This is where we'll be taking them unless anyone thinks it may not be in our best interest to do so: http://www.tcwild.org/

The bunnies do react more to direct stimulus than sounds though we have done our best to keep things quiet for them. When touched by us or each other, they jump and flip about. I was able to hold each of them close to calm and keep them warm tonight. They were very sedate after being held close and one actually fell asleep in my hands. I'm about to head outside into the dark to find some grass for them to nibble on. I was considering offering them water too. I just really didn't want them going 24 hours without anything. We were unable to weigh them as the scale we thought we had is in another location (2 hours away).

Any further thoughts we should consider before we make the trip tomorrow morning?

[stepnstone]

We decided it might just be best to bring them to the local wildlife rehab center. This is where we'll be taking them unless anyone thinks it may not be in our best interest to do so: http://www.tcwild.org/

I no nothing of this center but from reading their link
I noted this among other's :

Representative Cases from Baby Season:
cottontail rabbit nest revealed by lawnmower- 1 baby killed, 3 others rescued

Obviously they do handle and care for buns. If you are apprehensive you can
always call them and inquire what their procedures are as far as taking in and releasing orphaned wild buns.
At any rate, putting them in experenced hands is the best choice and I thank you for extending yourself for
their welfare.

[Crystalis178]

We dropped them off at the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center this morning. I spoke with the staff there and they seemed knowledgeable about the matter. They are going to give them Fox Valley in the morning and probably release them in the next few days. They said they were healthy and well fed by the mother and just about old enough to leave the nest. That's about as happy of an ending as we could have hoped for!

[stepnstone]

We dropped them off at the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center this morning. I spoke with the staff there and they seemed knowledgeable about the matter. They are going to give them Fox Valley in the morning and probably release them in the next few days. They said they were healthy and well fed by the mother and just about old enough to leave the nest. That's about as happy of an ending as we could have hoped for!

Can't claim a lot of knowledge on buns but I do know the wilds become
releasable rather quickly and those guys did look to be about ready to me.
Being healthy was a real plus...

Did the center say about how old they were? I'm guessing around 3 weeks?

Thank you for caring for them and about them to see that this does come
to a happy ending. Your one of the special ones to really care about our wildlife!