We found baby bunnies in our backyard... what now?

Question

we found them, they have fur allready and we don't know what to feed them. We know if we put them back in their nest they will die. Help.

PEOPLE, I have no intention of eating the poor things, and we have five kids in our family, the mother will probably never comeback.

Answer 1

1 rabbit, cut into several sections

2 tablespoons butter

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 large leeks, with tops

3 medium shallots, diced finely
6 potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sage
8 cups water

Answer 2

First of all, why do you say they will die if you put them back in their nest? Second, the mother usually only comes 1-2 times daily to feed her young...if you're not sure that she's still coming around, here's a very simple test. Put the babies back in the nest, cover them up with grass clippings and as much of the fur from the nest that you can gather. Then put a few small twigs across the top. Leave the nest alone. When you come out the next morning to check on the nest, the twigs should not be the way you left them which tells you that mom came by. If the babies tummies look sunken and empty, or if they're crying loudly on the other hand, call your local animal shelter and ask for the name and phone number of the nearest wildlife rehabilitator. That person will be the best bet for the baby bunnies to survive. One final note...unlike other animals, mama bunnies are not capable of moving their young around, so if the nest is in an unsafe area, she won't be able to do anything about it other than to cover the nest up (that's how they hide the young) and not to stay around. They also will not disown their young just from being handled by strangers. It doesn't matter how much you handle the babies, the mother will come back and feed them regardless.

Answer 3

If they have fur already, and if their eyes are open and they're hopping around, they are already well on their way to independence. If they're not hopping around yet, don't assume they've been abandoned, because the mother only comes to the nest once or twice a day to feed them. The mother won't abandon them just because you have touched the babies. The best thing you can to do help out is to keep dogs and cats (and lawnmowers!) away until the babies are able to move around freely.

Answer 4

Touching them was a big mistake. Unfortunately, wild bunnies are extremely hard to care for, they are very skittish and can have a heartattack from the slightest out of place noise or movement. The best thing for you to do is to put them back into their nest. Mother rabbits only feed their young at dawn and dusk, that way predators won't have a good chance of finding the young. She is still around, and if you're lucky she will ignore your scent on them and take them back, and go on to have future liters in that den for you to watch grow.

Answer 5

Mommy bunny is around probably. Leave them be. She'll be back.

You just scared her away. She usually hides the nest in tall grass in a corner out of the way. She most likely ran away since she can't carry them away like a possum.

If there is no threat (cats, raccoons etc) put them back where you found them. It is best for them and you too.

This could be a real learning opportunity for your kids. You can teach them to leave bunnies alone so that they can survive in their natural habitat.

Answer 6

Rabbit mothers sometimes leave the nest to eat for her self and then come back. just leave the nest and bunnies where they were and the mother will come back. If you don't, he mother will be deeply depressed and the bunnies will die without her.

Answer 7

Take them to some kind of animal rescue or anything.But if u want to keep them as pets ask the vet or a proffesional person on animals what u should feed them.If u are certain that if u put them back in their nest they will die then DONT plz.

Answer 8

1) you should NEVER touch animals found outside, keep an eye out for mom...if she doesn't return.... 2)Bring them to a wild life refuge center. Baby rabbits are very delicate and well meaning people can inadvertently hurt them. The wild life center will help them until they are big enough to be released.

You don't know what the mother will do, if your child was in the middle of a pack of wolves, would you shrug and say "oh well" and not come back? Take them to a refuge center to people who know what they are doing!

Answer 9

PUT THE RABBITS BACK OR THEY WILL DIE. Mother wild rabbits ONLY visit the nest once at dusk and once a dawn to feed the babies. Wild rabbits are EXTREMELY HARD to raise and they often die.

Answer 10

If they have fur, their eyes are open, and they're hopping around well, put them back. Their mothers wean & abandon them at about 4 weeks. They're still pretty small at this point, but they are capable of living on their own.

Answer 11

They won't die unless the mother is dead. If she has the nest in your back yard, then she's not going to care if you touched them as long as you put them back and leave them all alone.