handraising baby domestic rabbits

Question
QUESTION: Hi Dana,
we are currently handraising 4 dwarf lop bunnies that the mum rejected(her 1st time she didn't have a clue once they were born)I have read with much interest your article on hand raising.The babies are now 9 days old and I wanted to try and clarify how much of the special poop they need to mix in with their formula.What is the right age 14 days or 21 days and it should be done for 2-3 days running is that correct?
Thanks Karen

ANSWER: Dear Karen,

You don't need much cecotrope to "seed" the intestines of the babies.  And actually, when babies are being nursed by their mother they are constantly being exposed to cecal flora.  So you can start exposing them by putting fecal pellets and cecal pellets (if available) from mom into the enclosure where the babies are being kept.  They will walk on them, lick their paws, and be inoculated naturally.

You can also add some to their food, but they won't like it!

It would not be a bad idea to keep up the colostrum while they are transitioning to solid food and getting the new bacteria, since they don't have mom's antibodies.  But this doesn't have to be an exact science.  Constant, low-grade exposure will probably do as much as one big bolus of nasty cecotrope goo.

Hope this helps.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Dana,
I am in Australia and we are using a product to feed them called Wombaroo Rabbit Milk Replacer.We also have a product called Impact which is a powdered colostrum but as the babies were already 48hrs old when we started hand feeding them,the Colostrum powders instructions said to use in the 1st 48 hours.Do you mean we should give it to the babies anyway?Also mum is pregnant again so will the cecotropes be ok for the babies,they seem small but are gaining weight gradually
Thanks again Karen

Answer
Dear Karen,

I'm sort of a fan of adding a bit of colostrum to the milk until the babies are eating solid food regularly, and have been well-seeded with normal, healthy rabbit GI flora.  It won't hurt, and might help.

Except that it can be a bit expensive.

Hope that helps.

Dana