Baby Bunny Update

After many long hours of nursing five baby rabbits, I have come to realize a few things.

#1: Baby rabbits are one of the most difficult animals to care for.

#2: It is very difficult for baby animals to survive without their mother's first milk (colostrum).

#3: No man-made synthetic formula can cut it... a baby fed formula has a significantly lower chance of survival.

All said and done, all of our baby bunnies have passed on. We followed all instructions given and kept them alive for a lot longer than we initially thought we could. At one point I even called a woman skilled in the art of nursing baby rabbits (she owns a rabbit sanctuary), and she said it's hit and miss with these babies. She shared that sometimes a couple baby rabbits will survive, while in other situations, no baby rabbits survive.

Needless to say, this also gave me even more insight into the world of mother's milk vs. formula. I see this all the time: babies who are fed a formula from birth have a weaker immune system and tend to be sick more often. Babies who are fed their mother's milk tend to have stronger immune systems and can fight off disease better. On top of that, babies who are fed colostrum are better off than those not. In my opinion, this is a must for all babies (even if the mother doesn't plan on continuing to breastfeed).