911!!! Orphaned baby rabbit

Question
My fiance was mowing and came across a VERY small baby rabbit. Too small to be away from it's mother. We searched and searched for it's nest but couldn't find it. We live in the country so there's a lot of land. There were a few hawks circling and we have a large dog, so for fear of it's life we decided it would be best to take it in. I have it in a large hamster cage with bedding. I have the cage covered. I need to know what I should be feeding it, how often, and what procedure to follow. Should I handle it? How do I find out how old it is? Please hurry with your answer because I fear it may not live. Thanks!

Answer
You are not alone in thinking that a small rabbit is too small to be away from the nest, but I think you are wrong.  Bunnies leave the nest as early as 3 weeks old as a matter of survival.  The fact that you cannot find a nest or a mother makes me believe that what you have found is a bunny who has gone off into the world.  Bunnies that are too young to leave the nest can't physically leave the nest and certainly wouldn't be so far away from it that you can't find it.  The fact that you only found one and not a litter leads me to the same conclusion. If the rabbit you have is furry, has open eyes and moves around well on its own and is large enough to fill the palm of a lady's hand it is not an orphan and should be left to live in the wild.  

If you do have an orphan it is illegal in most states to raise them without a license and I would be at risk for prosecution by telling you how to raise it.  

If you still believe you have an orphan you should contact your fish and game department and ask for the number of a licnesed wildlife rehabilitator.  Only someone with training and experience will be able to help a truly orphaned bunny.

brenda