How to Feed Wild Rabbits

If you love wild rabbits, you might find it hard to resist feeding them as they pass through your garden. You could also come across orphaned or abandoned baby rabbits in need of food. Feeding wild rabbits is a rewarding experience, but you should follow specific guidelines regarding their diet and safety to ensure the rabbits in your yard stay healthy and happy.

Choose Seasonal Foods. Wild rabbits' eating habits change with the seasons. The food available in autumn and winter differs from that in spring and summer.

• From early spring to late summer, wild rabbits primarily eat grass, clover, wildflowers, weeds, and other plants growing in gardens. You can create a rabbit-friendly area in your yard or garden and plant some of these plants during these months. Alternatively, you can place hay, clover, and other foods in an area where you've seen wild rabbits gathering.
• In late fall through early spring, you'll need to adjust their diet. They switch to eating shoots, twigs, bark, leaves, and any fresh plants they come across. You should leave these plants outside in winter if you want to feed wild rabbits during this time.

Place hay and dry grass in a rabbit-friendly area. Rabbits absolutely love hay and dry grass. If you don't mind letting rabbits into your yard, you can create a small area where they can feed in the garden. Since rabbits prefer eating in spots with shrubs and small trees for cover, create a dense grass patch in a corner of your yard where wild rabbits can visit.

• You can allow the grass to grow to a certain height in your yard. Alternatively, you can spread dry hay or place hay bales in this area.
• If you are a garden lover who enjoys wildlife, consider removing the fence around a particular area of your garden. In this area, you can plant tall grass, clover, weeds, and wildflowers that rabbits enjoy, and place hay troughs there. This will attract wild rabbits to your garden for a meal.
• If wild rabbits feel safe in your garden, don't be surprised to see them eating hay all day long.
• Keep in mind that placing food like this might attract other wild animals besides rabbits.

Provide fresh fruits and vegetables. You should feed rabbits at least three different types of green vegetables, one of which should be rich in vitamin A. You can give wild rabbits items found in your garden, such as:

• Mustard greens (rich in vitamin A)
• Amaranth (rich in vitamin A)
• Kohlrabi leaves
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Mint
• Oregano
• Chives
• Dandelion flowers, wild daisies
• Clover
• Kale
• Pea pod shells or other beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli (only leaves and stems)
• Coriander
• Dill
• Carrot greens
• Celery leaves
• Watercress
• Although carrots are the most well-known food for rabbits, they actually contain too many carbohydrates and should only be given in small amounts (occasionally half a carrot) and always in smaller quantities compared to other leafy greens.
• Avoid feeding rabbits vegetables that cause bloating: broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Rabbits cannot expel gas from their digestive system, which can accumulate and lead to severe health issues, even death.
• Do not introduce a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables all at once. Start with a small portion mixed with hay or grass. Gradually introduce new vegetables while observing the rabbit's feces for signs of abnormality, such as diarrhea or soft stool.
• If you spot baby rabbits in your yard, avoid feeding them vegetables as rabbits under six months old should not consume these foods.
• Always wash fruits and vegetables before feeding them to rabbits. If purchased from the supermarket, they may be contaminated with pesticides that could harm wild rabbits.

Feed rabbits pellet food. Pellets designed for domestic rabbits can be a great supplement to the wild rabbit's diet. Pellets that contain mixed seeds are optimal for wild rabbits' health. Offer them pellets in moderation and mix them with hay, grass, and vegetables. Always remember that pellets are concentrated food, and wild rabbits may not be accustomed to digesting them. Since wild rabbits do not rely on pellets for survival, just like domestic rabbits, they should not consume too much of this food type.

• Look for pellet food at pet stores. You can estimate the weight of the rabbit and consult with staff to determine the appropriate amount of pellets to offer.

Ensure the rabbit is truly orphaned. Often, when discovering a rabbit nest or a group of baby rabbits, we mistakenly assume they are orphaned. Most baby rabbits taken from the wild won't survive, so it's important not to bring them home unless you are certain they have been abandoned by their mother.

• Baby rabbits are often alone because mothers sometimes leave the nest during the day and return at night. If you see the babies huddling together, they may not be orphaned and the mother could return in the evening. You should leave them alone.
• In general, you should only conclude that a baby rabbit is orphaned if you are sure the mother has died. Your dog or cat may have disturbed the nest or killed the mother. You might also find the mother dead nearby. In such cases, you can confirm the baby rabbit is orphaned and intervene.
• If you find a baby rabbit younger than 10 days old outside the nest, it may have been separated from its mother. It could have run off out of fear or been carried off by a crow and abandoned. It is likely injured and may not survive. You should take it to a vet or a humane society, as this is the best chance for the baby rabbit to survive.
• If the baby rabbit appears healthy and plump, it likely means the mother is still caring for it.
• If you want to be sure the mother is still nearby, make a mark by crossing a few strands of string over the nest. If you check the next morning and see the string disturbed, it means the mother visited overnight.
• Baby rabbits that appear cold, weak, dehydrated (with wrinkled skin that doesn't bounce back when gently pulled), or injured are often orphans. However, because baby rabbits are especially difficult to care for, you should contact wildlife conservation centers.

Contact a rescue team. As soon as you find an orphaned baby rabbit, contact an animal rescue group immediately. The baby rabbit needs care from experienced rescuers to increase its chances of survival. Only 10% of orphaned rabbits survive their first week. You should not attempt to rehabilitate the baby rabbit on your own unless you have experience with rescue and rehabilitation, along with the necessary emergency equipment.

Learn about baby rabbit feeding. If you're unable to reach a rescue team right away, you should start caring for and feeding the rabbit to increase its chances of survival. Goat milk is the recommended food for baby rabbits. If that's unavailable, puppy and kitten milk replacement (KMR) powder is also a good option.

• You can buy milk powder from pet stores.
• Do not use cow's milk or baby formula (Pedialyte) to feed baby rabbits.
• If the baby rabbit is cold before feeding, you should warm it up first.

Determine the correct amount of milk for feeding the baby rabbit. The amount of milk needed depends on the baby rabbit's age.

• If the baby rabbit is 1-2 weeks old, it needs 5-7 cc/ml per feeding and should be fed twice a day.
• If the rabbit is 2-3 weeks old, it needs 7-13 cc/ml per feeding and should be fed once a day.
• If the rabbit is 3-6 weeks old, it needs 13-15 cc/ml twice a day. You can start offering solid foods like oats at this age.
• Never feed the baby rabbit too much. Stop feeding when you notice the rabbit's belly is slightly round.

Encouraging bathroom habits. After feeding a baby rabbit, encouraging urination and defecation is important as it helps maintain a clean digestive and excretory system. To assist with this, gently wipe the area around the rabbit's anus with a moist cotton ball until you notice the rabbit eliminates waste.

Build protective fences around your flowers and vegetables. If you want to feed a wild rabbit in your garden, it's crucial to guide them on what is safe to eat and what isn’t. Establish a designated area in your yard with their favorite foods and create a fence to protect the rest of the garden.

• A strong fence is the best option to form a barrier around the garden. Thin steel mesh is sufficient to prevent rabbits from jumping in. Ensure the fence posts are securely buried in the ground to stop rabbits from digging underneath.
• Threatening objects like scarecrows, ribbon strips, or balloons can scare rabbits and prevent them from entering your garden. Windmills, often used to deter moles, may also work for rabbits.
• Avoid using industrial pesticides, especially near food meant for the rabbits. Wind can carry pesticide residue into nearby areas, and if ingested, rabbits may become ill or be more vulnerable to predators.

Rebuild the rabbit’s nest if pets destroy it. When keeping wild rabbits in your yard, they may build nests for their young. Dogs or cats can easily disturb or destroy these nests. If this happens, you should restore the nest to its original state.

• Return the grass, straw, and dry hay the rabbit used for its nest back to its original place. If the hole has collapsed, dig a new hole approximately 1 meter deep and line it with straw and grass.
• If you notice fur from the mother rabbit scattered around, collect it and place it back in the nest. This will help the mother rabbit find her young if the nest has been moved or is no longer in its original location.

Take the rabbit to a veterinarian or a humane society if injured. Often, wild rabbits can be hurt near your home, either by pets or other predators. You can place the rabbit in a cage or box and take it to a veterinarian or a rescue center where it can receive proper care before being released back into the wild.

• Leave a portion of your grass or garden in its natural state with native plants to offer shelter and food for wildlife.
• If you have pets at home, avoid letting them roam freely while feeding wild rabbits. Most household dogs and cats will act as predators and become aggressive when encountering unfamiliar animals.
• It's important to prevent wild rabbits from becoming dependent on human feeding.

• Caring for orphaned wild rabbits without proper knowledge and experience could result in more harm than good. It's recommended to take the orphaned rabbit to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center.
• Pesticides are extremely toxic to rabbits.
• Certain vegetables (e.g., broccoli) can cause dangerous digestive issues for wild rabbits.
• Be aware that in some countries, keeping wild animals without proper permits is illegal.