Feeding a newborn baby rabbit isn’t easy. Knowing how to bottle feed orphaned baby rabbits can be overwhelming and confusing. The clock and the odds are against you, because the survival rate when bottle feeding baby bunnies is pretty slim. The good news is that it can be done!
You are not alone, because I have been in the same situation myself. However, before you attempt to feed a baby rabbit (including orphans, runts, or abandoned domestic or wild baby rabbit kits), you need to make sure they really do need your intervention. Why? Because it is simply very easy to kill an orphaned baby rabbit if you don’t do it correctly or you FEED THEM THE WRONG FORMULA MIX.
It’s not impossible to successfully hand-feed a baby bunny, but you must have good information and you need it fast!
There is A LOT of really bad information on the internet and if you pick the wrong info to guide you, you don’t get a second chance. I know this, because it happened to me. I lost one of my orphaned baby rabbits from bad information. Most people mean well. Sometimes some of these people happen to be rabbit breeders who don’t know any better and others, well, let’s just say they have no business giving anyone advice on a topic they don’t know anything about!
You need someone who has done both the research and rabbit raising.
I may not be a vet, but I happen to have raised pet rabbits since before the internet was commercialized and when dial-up was king. Rabbits are my absolute favorite animal! Most importantly, I have successfully hand-raised two fat and happy rabbits aka the “Bugglets” from birth. It was really an undertaking trying to find the best practices for this emergency mission!
I researched like crazy online the second I knew my rabbit kits were in trouble! I tried everything good, knowledgeable people had to offer. We held mamma bunny on her back and put the babies on her, but she wasn’t producing milk due to stress. (Just an FYI, there is a shot your vet can give the doe to help her milk come in, but it needs to be done within the first 3 days.) I contacted my local 4-H leader, posted to rabbit Facebook groups, contacted a local rabbit breeder, talked with a volunteer at the animal shelter, and did massive amounts of research online including watching YouTube videos.
What’s crazy is that even though lots of people breed and raise rabbits, it turns out there isn’t much good information out there about this. In my area, rabbits are considered exotics by veterinarians and they only know the basics, basically. I really felt that I was on my own. That’s why I had to put this information out there.
AND, before anyone judges me for being such an irresponsible pet owner, here is a little background. The doe that kindled the babies was a rescued feral rabbit that was captured and came home with me THREE days before she gave birth. She and her new babies were saved from a pest control issue that was likely to involve them being poisoned to death.
I want you to have hope, and I want you to know that you can do this!
Bottle feeding a newborn baby rabbit can be challenging for a number of reasons, but when you are determined it is definitely possible. I had to learn through trial and error. The first thing I tried was a baby rabbit formula recipe that I found on YouTube from a rabbit breeder. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much luck with it. It kept them alive, but they were terribly bony and were not gaining any weight. They just weren’t getting the calories they needed. I was feeding them every 3 hours, but they still weren’t getting enough. It also had stuff in it that didn’t sound very good for rabbits.
Then, I made the fatal mistake of adding a touch of organic grass-fed cow’s cream to the formula to help with calories. Yeah, I really messed that up, and I lost the kit that was initially the strongest of the three! You see, rabbit milk has a really high fat and protein content. (According to a report published in 2006 by World Rabbit Science titled, “Rabbit Milk: A Review Of Quantity, Quality and Non-Dietary Affecting Factors.”)
The problem was, their little tummies aren’t well-suited to digest cow’s milk and they got really bad diarrhea, which is super-dangerous for baby bunnies and pretty darn messy to boot!
Losing one of the three baby bunnies made me feel hopeless!
I started with three and was down to two. I was heart-broken, stressed, tired and scared I was going to mess up it up for the other two, but I still kept going. Then a friend mentioned something I should have done from the start – raw goat milk.
Duh! I knew all about the benefits of raw goat milk, but was too tired to get my brain to see the obvious. After a couple feedings of diluted unflavored Pedialyte, I immediately switched them over to raw goat milk and their diarrhea cleared up. Keep in mind, that raw goat milk contains lots of good enzymes that help with digestion, which is something young kits really need, so I didn’t heat it past 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
But even with the raw milk, they just weren’t gaining any weight.
Those hungry little babies were just not getting the fat and protein content their tiny bodies desperately needed. I needed to up the fat and protein concentration, because goat milk is low in both. That’s when I got the idea to MIX POWDERED GOAT MILK with the raw goat milk.
Being an accounting gal, I studied all the food labels and slapped all the appropriate numbers into an excel spreadsheet. I needed to find the exact amount of powder to add to the goat milk to increase the percentage of protein and fat to the closest it could be to true rabbit milk without going overboard. Let me tell you, it takes a lot of powdered goat milk to bring it up to that level and it looked like a thin milkshake when I was done. I ended up erring on the side of caution and added slightly less than I needed. It was easy to make up for that with extra feedings if needed. Rabbit milk has close to 12% of each fat and protein, but raw goat milk only has about 4% of each. With the powdered milk it increased it up to 8% of each.
I was pretty worried that I might hurt them, and that they might get overloaded on extra vitamins and minerals.
Here’s the thing though, I was pretty much out of options and willing to give it a try.
Here is what happened: I fed it to them. They ate it just fine. They didn’t get worse or sick, in fact, they started to gain weight. Then they slowly started to grow. They were totally runty at first! It was so funny, because they looked like fuzzy little button mushrooms with legs. They seemed normal. After a feeding they would fall asleep in my hand. One liked to “groom” my hand after eating.
Next, their eyes eventually opened, they started “going potty” on their own, and they turned into TOTAL LITTLE PIGLETS. They were great eaters with huge appetites! That is how they got nicknamed the “Bugglets.” (A bugglet is something like a cross between a bunny and a piglet.)
Here is the cool thing. They didn’t just survive, THEY THRIVED!
Our orphaned baby rabbits got so strong and healthy eating my custom baby rabbit formula recipe, that they practically kicked my butt every time I had to feed them! They loved to eat so much I could hardly contain them! Scrappy little Bugglets they were and still are. Said in my best Yoda voice, of course. 🙂
I don’t know if it helped that they were born on St. Patrick’s day of 2017, but it sure didn’t hurt. It is pretty darn lucky that they survived, especially considering their back story.
SO YES! YES YOU CAN SAVE THOSE BABIES!!!
Instructions for bottle feeding a baby rabbits, including my baby rabbit formula recipe:
I will tell you exactly what I did, so you can have a fighting chance for your “bugglets.” Keep in mind that I am not a vet, and you need to run this by a vet if at all possible. And, it may not work for every little baby. Sometimes there are just things wrong with babies and they aren’t meant to survive long.
I used a common sense approach, backed with lots of research and topped with love and hard work.
This is pretty detailed and in-depth, but when you need to feed orphaned baby rabbits IT’S THE DETAILS THAT MATTER, so here it is:
SHOPPING LIST
(Buy what you can locally, since you’ll need most of it fast! If you can’t find it locally, I’ve provided affiliate links to the items you’ll need. It won’t cost you more and I earn a small commission that helps me spoil my rescue bunnies!)
Must haves right away:
Cosmetic sponge wedges
Cotton Balls
Cotton swabs
1 – Half Gallon RAW Goat Milk (Get it as fresh as possible. Look for goat farmers if raw milk isn’t legal in your state)
1 – 12 oz can of Meyenberg WHOLE Powdered Goat Milk
Small kitchen scale that weighs in grams
Miracle Nipples with syringe – get them ordered now! It will take a few days to get them. And most pet stores don’t carry them. (Do try your local vet first, though!)
Must haves for older kits:
Miracle Nipple Mini (at least 2 nipples)
3 – 20 ml luer lock tip syringes
Optional, but very helpful:
Microwaveable bean bag and/or heating pad
Infrared Laser Temperature Gun
Best detailed book I have found on rabbit care so far: Raising Rabbit Problem Solver
It’s got a lot of information on rabbit kits and caring for them.
RECIPE
- 1 C. Raw goat milk
- 56 g Meyenberg WHOLE Powdered Goat Milk (No, that is not a typo, and yes that is a lot of powdered milk!)
MAKING THE FORMULA
Measure out 1 cup of milk into a pint canning jar. In a separate container, measure out 56 grams of the powdered milk. Slowly blend in a little at a time until it is fully incorporated. This will take you a very long time if you don’t use a mini mixer, but don’t wait to start if you don’t have one. Mixing it in a blender on low bursts would probably work just fine, too. Cover with a plastic or metal canning lid and ring. Use a permanent marker on Scotch tape to put the date mixed and date the milk expires on the lid. I usually do this at night so the powdered milk can “re-hydrate” better in the fridge at night.
SETTING UP YOUR FEEDING AREA
When bottle feeding baby rabbits, you will want to get the warm water, cotton balls, old towels on top of a warm bean bag, and cotton swabs set up in a secure area where the baby bunnies can’t fall or get hurt while you feed them. I just sat my stuff on top of the kitchen table so I could sit down.
You are going to want to cut your cosmetic sponge to a point to better simulate the nipple. Just don’t cut it too thin, or it could break off and they could choke! Plus, they have tiny sharp little teeth that can rub on it and cut it.
PREPARING THE FORMULA
Before you start, have your feeding area set up. It is critical that the temperature of the formula doesn’t go above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so the kits will benefit from the enzymes in the formula. This will help their digestion. To be safe, I go for 100 degrees Fahrenheit, because it can keep getting hotter even after you take it off the heat.
Heat a cup or two of water on the stove until it boils. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Using a small plastic cup or bowl filled with a few tablespoons of formula, float it on top (you may need to hold it) and stir. Check the temperature often, because it can heat up rather quickly. Once it is between 98 and 100 degrees, pull it out of the water bath and keep stirring and taking the temp until it stops getting hotter. If you over heat it past 106 degrees Fahrenheit, start over.
HOW TO ADMINISTER THE FORMULA
Once you have everything set up and within arm’s reach, take a baby rabbit and put it in a towel fold to keep it warm during feeding. I set them on the warm beanbag to keep them cozy. Hold the baby in one hand. The correct position is with your knuckles and the top of your hand facing the ceiling and your fingers tucked under the kit – kind of like how you hold a pot handle or bike handle bar. Make sure the baby is in an upright position, and NOT ON IT’S BACK. With older babies, use your pointer finger over their forehead to put them in a “bunny headlock” if they try and squirm forward.
I know this isn’t how they feed on mamma bunny, but it’s important to keep them from choking and getting formula into their lungs.
Next, dip the pointy corner of the sponge into the formula and gently squeeze the sponge until it is slightly wet, but not saturated. Touch the tip to the baby’s mouth and encourage them to latch. Once they get the hang of it, they get really good at grabbing it with very little help. Let them suck the formula out. Now here’s the hard part: You have to gently pull it back out of their mouth to reload it and they are NOT going to want to let go! They will usually hold on tight, so be careful not to tear it. Keep repeating until they are full, but not overstuffed. This is a slow process, so it is less likely that they will over-eat.
Here is what an overstuffed belly looks like compared to a normal fed belly:
The biggest challenge: Keeping milk from getting up their little noses!
When feeding newborn rabbits, the milk naturally wants to travel up their split upper lip and into their tiny nostrils. Yikes! The best thing you can do is pull the sponge out and dab their nose with a clean cotton ball and let them sneeze it out. Let them finish sneezing before you offer more milk. This totally unnerved me, but it was nearly impossible to keep it from happening – just be prepared for it! If you don’t slow down, it can get into their lungs and make them really sick.
IMPORTANT! If your babies haven’t eaten in a while and are dehydrated, start with straight raw goat milk instead of the formula. You can gradually increase the ratio of milk to premixed formula after a few feedings. This will help prevent constipation.
Once they are close to two weeks, you can switch them over to a miracle nipple and syringe for feedings.
They will fight it at first, because they are not used to it, but keep trying. Eventually they take it and will get to a point where they suck it dry in less than a minute. I try to slow them down at this point, so they don’t over eat. They can have digestive issues if allowed to stuff themselves.
Here’s a cute video showing how I feed my baby rabbits!
HOW OFTEN TO FEED
Baby rabbits normally get fed by mom once every 24 hours. It is usually at night or early in the morning. The mamma rabbits can get away with this because their milk is so rich. YOU however, don’t get off the hook that easily. You must play “catch up” and feed 3-4 times a day, until your baby rabbits start to see progress. Once they are growing well, you can cut back to 2-3 times per day.
WHAT TO DO AFTER FEEDING
Burp them, of course…
Just kidding! 🙂
Newborn bunnies need mom’s help going potty after eating. Since you are now their mom, you get to do this. Using a warm wet cotton ball, gently wipe their belly in a downward motion several times. Then lightly do the same thing to their bottoms. This stimulates them to pee and poo. Be patient, it can take a few minutes.
If you don’t help them do this in the early weeks, they will die. Just be careful not to rub them raw. This can be a challenge if you are having a hard time getting them to go. For me, it helped to stroke their belly more to begin with and then move on to the sensitive parts. But watch out – they are like little squirt guns!
You won’t have to do this forever, just until they start going on their own.
If you do happen to give them raw skin, use a cotton swab to apply some organic coconut oil. This will help protect the area and help the skin heal. You may also notice that their poop looks like little bee pollen granules. I don’t think this is a problem, it’s just what it looks like when they are on formula.
Optional: To help settle their tummies, you can also give them a few ml of fresh organic chamomile tea that has been cooled to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. (I used my 1 ml oral syringes for this.)
CLEAN UP
Clean up is really important! When done make sure to clean all your supplies with hot soapy water and rinse well. Don’t let the supplies sit and grow bacteria. Wash them right away! I also sanitized everything with rubbing alcohol after washing and rinsed again, allowing everything to air dry. You can also sterilize by boiling your items for 5 minutes. Use a clean cosmetic sponge for each feeding. It helps to get everything prepped for the next feeding ahead of time, especially if you have to do one or two night feedings.
SPECIAL STEPS TO TAKE AS THEY GROW
It’s kind of a given that you need to make sure they are kept clean and their bedding is kept dry, warm and clean, but there is also an additional step you should take if at all possible when their eyes start to open. I did this for 3 days in a row. And yes, you are going to love this!
Poop smoothies.
Yes, that’s right. As crazy as that sounds, mom rabbit, and all rabbits for that matter produce two types of droppings. They are regular droppings and “night droppings.” The night droppings are called cecotropes (see-ko-tropes) and are loaded with extra nutrients and beneficial gut bacteria. All rabbits eat their own cecotropes as a way to gain the most nutrition from their food. The babies will eat them when mom leaves them in the nest, and it helps to establish their beneficial gut bacteria.
If you can get a hold of some fresh cecotropes (Sounds fun, right??), you can mix a small amount in their formula and give it to them. It doesn’t take much, and I did mine once a day for three days in a row. Then two weeks later, I did it again. And if you have ever seen the look they give you when you try to feed this too them….
Well let’s just say, it’s the only time I have ever seen a rabbit with the “gag” expression.
Collecting cecotropes is not the easiest thing, even if you have several rabbits. Just make sure it is from a healthy rabbit. From their mom is always ideal, but another rabbit’s cecotropes will still have those good benefits. No other rabbits around? Try getting in touch with a local rabbit breeder.
INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS
You can do all that hard work, and then accidentally kill them with solid foods if you don’t do it right.
I always kept timothy hay in the nesting box, and they started nibbling on that as they got older. This is a great, healthy way to start them on solid foods!
Next, you want to only introduce one food at a time. First, they got to try spinach. Then clean, wild non-sprayed dandelion leaves. Then I gave them chard, which they hated! You can buy a spring greens mix at the store and pick one type of green at a time and see how they do. DO NOT GIVE ANY FRUIT OR SUGARY VEGGIES LIKE CARROTS until they are much older. (4-5 months) Because they had such a rough start, their tummies are better off without the extra sugar right now. To this day one of my babies gets diarrhea when given anything too sweet. Here is a list of approved foods for rabbits. As a side note, it is never a good idea to give your rabbits too many sweets or high-carb, sugary foods.
Additionally, I waited until they were about 6 weeks old before introducing pellets. I did this very, very slowly. I fed maybe ½ teaspoon and waited. If they got mushy poop, then I backed off and waited. Then I tried again a few days later. I would slowly increase how much I gave them and only as they could handle it. One baby adjusted slower than the other and I was worried she would never be able to handle rabbit pellets. Lucky for us, she eventually caught up with her brother!
WEANING
Once your baby rabbits are 7 to 8 weeks old, you can wean them. This is an exciting time and kinda sad too! Once you get into a routine with those feisty little fur balls, it is sooooo fun to feed them. Since my rabbit kits got such a terrible start, I waited until 8 weeks to even start weaning them.
First I cut out one feeding, and then a few days later I cut out another. Once they were down to one feeding, I waited a few more days and gave them a ½ of a feeding for a few more days. Then they were done! There is no exact way to wean, the whole idea is to be gradual and to make sure increasing their intake of solids isn’t causing them problems. If they start to get any mushy stools just slow down.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is extremely rewarding to save baby animals that would surely die without your help! Once you have successfully raised them, you now get to decide whether or not to keep them. For me, it was out of the question to adopt them out to someone after what we went through together, but that may not be possible for you, and that’s OK!
Every time someone hears our story and shows interest in adopting them, all I can think to myself is “Hey, these are my baby rabbits!” Our family is going to enjoy the fruits of my hard work for years to come! The “bugglets” have come to live with us. They are litter box trained, HILARIOUS to interact with and we call them our “dog rabbits.”
I hope this information helps you in some way as you take on the challenge of feeding newborn rabbits. I would love to hear about your success, so please keep me updated on your baby stories!
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning I receive a small commission when you purchase from my links, at no additional cost to you… which helps me spoil my adorable rescue rabbits.
Disclaimer: Jaimie is not the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, a lawyer, a doctor, a veterinarian, or a CPA. Nothing your read in my blog is a substitute for professional advice and doing your own good research. Remember that just because someone has credentials doesn’t guarantee their advice is golden or perfect. Put your smart hat on and do your due diligence. Good luck!
Related Articles:
Baby Rabbits: 5 Signs They Need You to Intervene
The Scoop on POOP: What You Need to Know About Rabbit Doody
The Easiest Way to Litter Box Train Your Bunny Rabbit
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Hey my name is Emily I am hand raising two domestic babies, 1 week old, their mother died and I have been using goat powder and KMR but I just went to a farm and got fresh raw goat milk, they are looking pretty skinny but I’m so scared to overfeed is it ok to feed more than twice a day if their bellies don’t look full at all?
Hi Emily! I am sorry to hear that their mother died. 🙁 Yes, I think it is OK to feed more than twice a day until they start gaining weight and are growing. Mine were skin and bones when I started! I fed mine three times per day and they did just fine. I fed mine early morning, afternoon and in the evening for a while until they were a lot stronger, then I cut it down to two feedings per day.
Hello Jaimie, i have two does with litters. One has built a fantastic nest and the babies are warm and cozy. The other doe made a very small nest and has removed all fur from the nest. Earlier I found the babies all separated and cold to the touch. I cradled them in my sweater by the heater to warm them up. Then I put a thick fleece bed in the cage as a warm base and rebuilt the nest. I know she was feeding the babies but one seems super skinny. Following the ideas of some comments here I placed the babies on mom’ s belly to nurse but it seemed they got no milk… I hope they will be ok till the next feeding. Can does withhold their milk if stressed – i.e. when held on their backs? And will a doe be repelled by a new nest? Thanks much for your help.
Hi, Susanna! I’m sure helping the doe relax as much as possible will help. You could try letting the extra skinny one nurse on the other doe by holding that one so it can catch up. You will have to watch the doe that made a poor nest and see how she reacts to your arrangement. She may “re-do” it to her liking. Check the babies a few times a day and monitor to see if she is still feeding them. It sounds like you are doing a good job! I wish you the best!
I don’t think it’s possible to get goat milk around my town or anywhere close by… I can order the powdered milk online but what do I do about not getting goat milk I think they have some in the store but it’s probably pasteurized and might not be any good for my baby
Hi Kay! Yes, sometimes it can be hard to find the raw milk. You might have to do some calling around and a little research. It will totally be worth it if you can find someone hidden nearby who happens to raise a few goats. Here is an excellent article for locating goat milk: http://www.everything-goat-milk.com/find-goat-milk.html If you have exhausted all resources, you can try the pasteurized goat milk from the grocery store. I haven’t done this, but it should be easier to digest than cow milk. If you do go with that option, you can ask a veterinarian about any digestive enzyme suggestions to add to the milk when feeding.
Dear Jaimie,
Thank you so much for this blog post!! It really was a blessing from the Lord! My sister’s rabbit had 9 babies I believe, it’s either that or 8. Well, Mama rabbit happened to get pretty nervous, and took a bite out of one of her babies backs! So, we took it in the house, began hand feeding the little guy. Delicate business!! Anyway, I’ve been helping with some of the feeding of him and been kind of using your formula idea. Well, his poop droppings the last couple days have looked super white looking. Should I be concerned? Also, how much milk do you feed a two week old? Because that’s how old he is, actually a bit over. Sorry! Super long explanation!
I am so glad you found it helpful, Amy! Light colored poop was normal for my baby bunnies and it changed to a darker color as they began to eat the hay in their nesting box as they grew. Because baby rabbits differ in size by breed, the amount to feed can vary. Anywhere from 5-15 cc/ml per feeding (when feeding twice a day) is appropriate for that age. I found the best way is to do a tummy check. They tummy should be full and round, but not tight and bloated. It’s kind of a see and adjust type of thing. I hope he is doing OK! Having an injury is extra to worry about and try to manage!!
I have a 4.5week old Flemish giant that the momma would not take. I found your post so informational and the reason my baby has survived so THANK YOU!
My question now is…. what foods did you introduce to your bugglets first? He has had hay for almost a week now but what’s next?
Hello Amy! I’m so glad your baby bun is doing good and I totally love Flemish Giants! According to the book called “The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver” by Karen Patry, they first need to have their gut inoculated with the proper digestive bacteria by either feeding them some of the doe’s cecotropes or by using Bene-bac. (It’s on page 204) Do this for 2-3 days prior to starting them on solid foods. Otherwise they have a much higher chance of dying. Parsley seems to be a really safe option once they have been inoculated. Always introduce 1 type of food for 2-3 days before introducing anything else to see how they react. Use small amounts. For mine, I think I tried spinach first but later found out parsley was better. Parsley is a natural digestive aid, so that makes sense. One of my bugglets got stomach upset every time I tried to introduce pellets, so that’s why the greens seemed to work better for me in the beginning. Just go slow and watch for any problems.
Hello, I am trying to save a baby bunny as well! Unfortunately there were only two kits in her litter and she ate 1 of the kits so we removed the other. It is only 2 days old and i realize the chances of survival is low but i have to try something. I am having a hard time finding raw goats milk, i have found pasteurized goats milk and evaporated goats milk but that is all. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Sara! I am sorry to hear about your loss and the trouble you are having. The first thing I would do is try to hold mom firmly on her side or back and try and get the kit to nurse, but keep baby away from her except for feedings. If you can get the doe’s milk to come in, you might be able to hold her twice a day so baby can nurse. If the choice is between pasteurized and canned evaporated, I would go with the pasteurized bottled milk first. If you can get your kit to survive the first couple of weeks or so, the next critical step is the gut inoculation with beneficial bacteria either from the doe’s cecotropes, or Benebac. I wish you the best of luck!
I got my Daughter a rabbit from one of those farms that you pick your dinner at, they do the work and walk out with dinner. I Had to tell them no on the killing her, paid the man and my nanny and I went to a pet store, got her comfy pet carrier and such. Also a cage for my Daughters room(even tho shes never in it lol.. ). My Daughter would put her in it for bed time, because she would jump on her bed while sleeping and wake her up. Well a month later and like 2-3 days, Ros comes in saying Millie was having babies… Now Millie and her had grown close. 8 baby bunny’s. Milly didn’t want to mother them. She was more in to her much happier life. So at first we thought we might have to bottle feed… but I said forget that! I breast fed all my kids, she can feed her own.. now I also know it can take a mother a week for her milk to start flowing, but all females make a yellow substance before there milk comes in, it’s so super nutritious that a little goes a long way(colostrum) . So even though millie wasn’t happy, I forced her on her side, and we fed those babies… 2-3 times a day. One of them didn’t make it. But I dont know how the breeders were breeding, so it could have been genetic. But then my Daughter would put the babies with here when millie would be chilling out with her. So millie got taught she was going to feed here babies lol… she still trys to play I forgot, but ros sticks her in the cage with them or pulls them out to her … they are getting so big… also I started them on all the greens, the chew toys… Millie, as we just figured out, the farmer never gave her chew toys so her teeth are to long, so we are trying to get her to chew, but making sure her babies chew is very important… I agree on your comment about the mom bunny that was mean to its baby, but I think training mom is good. Bunnies actually do create family relationships and when separated from spouse can act out…. stress out… great article. Now I Know what to do for babies without mothers!
Hi, Monica! I’m so glad you shared your story. It sounds like you got much more than you bargained for with that purchase! Good for you getting Milly to feed her babies! That’s A LOT less work than trying to bottle feed them and better for babies, too. “I breast fed all my kids, she can feed her own…” That seriously made me laugh. 🙂 Glad you made her do her job… hahaha!
So glad I found this article! Found two baby (very young…maybe 1 week) bunnies this morning. Just found the raw goats milk and the powdered milk. The powdered milk has a 1tbs scoop. How much is 56 grams? Want to get something in their tummies but I’m stuck at making the formula. Please help!
Hi, Jennifer! On the back of your can of powdered goat milk, it should tell you the serving size and how many grams by weight it is per serving. If you have the Meyenberg Whole Powdered Goat Milk, it says it is 28 grams per 1/4 cup serving, so it would be 1/2 a cup of powdered goat milk to get you to 56 grams powdered. You then add that 1/2 cup of powdered goat milk to 1 cup of the raw goat milk. I know it seems like a lot, but it’s what worked for me. For the first couple of feedings, you could give them just the warmed raw milk without adding any powder and gradually increase the consistency. They very well could be dehydrated and giving them the plain milk without the powder will help hydrate them without constipating them. You could also cut that recipe in half and do 1/2 cup raw goat milk to 1/4 cup if it makes it easier for you. Good luck!
Hi! So we have a lot of wild bunnies around our house and this time of year is always so fun to watch the babies grow. Sadly yesterday I noticed a newborn (probably born yesterday) alone trying to navigate my yard. I left it because I know the mom had to be somewhere and I wanted to give her a chance to take care of her kit. I checked today and it is still alone, no nest, and super dehydrated. No sign of mama or that mom has been there. I know this sounds looney, but I just had a baby and I have my own breastmilk that I can pump… we are in an area hard to find raw goat milk. Though I can order the powdered milk online it will still take a few days to get here. Am I crazy to try to give this little one some of my own milk?
I found raw goat milk! And a powdered goats milk with colostrum because I doubt it got any mom milk and may need the extra nutrients? Yay!!!!!!
That is GREAT news, Alena!! If the kit is dehydrated, you could start with the raw, warmed milk without the powder for the first feeding to help prevent constipation. That will give the powder added to the new formula mix time to fully hydrate in the fridge. If you are worried that it needs colostrum, mine didn’t have it at all, but you can always add a small amount of powder to the first feeding. Then increase the amount for later feedings. I wish you the best!
Hi, Alena! You are right to be looking out for the kit. The mothers won’t move their babies back to the nest like a cat or a dog, so it sounds like it does need your help unless you have located the nest. You are not crazy for wanting to help with your own milk. No mother wants to see any baby suffer and sometimes you have to work with what you have on hand!
Thank you!!! Little kit made it three full days… sadly last night it did pass in my hands. I tried my very very hardest and it did seem to be super healthy but took a turn for the worst out of no where. It was making great bowel movemnments, but it being SO young and only one kit I knew it was a long shot. Thank you so much for your advice! I feel like it made it longer than it would have otherwise.
I am really sorry to hear about the kit, Alena. You did a good thing trying to save it, and it may have had other issues beyond your control. You are welcome for the advice!
Do you think it’s okay to do fresh farm goat milk and KMR powder?
Hi, Chasitee! I haven’t tried the KMR with the goat milk. The fresh farm goat milk will be wonderful, but the KMR powder isn’t formulated for herbivores. For the recipe I came up with here, it is calculated based on the composition of powdered goat milk. If you decide to use KMR powder, you will want to calculate the correct amount of fats and protein to increase your formula up to the percentages rabbit kits need (taking into consideration how much the fresh goat milk already has on average). You could also compare the serving size and percentages on the label and see how close it is to the powdered goat milk. I have read that others use the KMR for feeding baby rabbits, but I don’t know what kind of success rates they’ve had.
UPDATE: After looking closely at the KMR label, I don’t advise using more than the recommended dosage by a vet since it has a lot of added vitamins that are more than likely synthetic. (Plus added probiotics.) It could cause problems due to an overdose.
Okay thank you! One of my 8 kits just died this morning, and even though I have seven left, I still feel so discouraged. Like if it happened to one, what makes me think it won’t happen to the rest. I’m not sure how to calculate the fats and protein, and I’m not sure if they’re getting enough or not. Another problem is that I got my KMR at the local vet, and it doesn’t have any nutritional label on it, neither does it have ingredients.
Also, how much approximately should the kits be drinking per day?
I am really sorry to hear that, Chasitee. I understand how you feel! I thought I’d have to watch each one go, one by one and it could happen at any time. I took a closer look at the KMR powder that is sold online. (I’m not sure if it’s identical to what the vet sold you but I figured it might be close.) I do not advise feeding the KMR powder in a larger amount than recommended by a vet or stated on the label… for two reasons. 1) It’s made for kittens, not rabbits. Plus a lot of highly processed garbage in it in my opinion. 2) It has a long list of added vitamins and probiotics. It could cause complications from a vitamin overdose and some, if not all, of vitamins are probably synthetic. The goat milk powder only has added Vitamin D3 and Folic acid, which was an overdose risk I was willing to take since my kits were so close to death anyway. If you can, see what the vet has to say. If you don’t get a good answer, you can always use straight fresh goat milk and feed more often to try and get them up to the needed fat and protein. As far as how much to feed them, it depends on their age and breed. With mine, I fed them until their bellies were round but not bursting. With the sponge feedings I really had no way to measure what they were getting. Sorry I don’t have an exact answer there. Don’t give up hope! The two I bottle fed that are pictured above are fat, happy and laying in the living room flopped enjoying life. They have already lived through two birthdays.
The raw goats milk we have has 10g of fat (16% DV) and 9g of protein per 1 cup serving. Not sure how you figure percentages, but how did come up with goat milk having 3% of both? We did purchase the powdered goat milk but I’m afraid to use it after reading the labels. The raw goat milk doesn’t appear to be low in protein and fat content. I could see adding a little but the powdered milk has 8 grams fat and 7g of protein per 1/4c of the powder. a half cup of powder would then be 16 g fat and 14g protein. I just want to make sure these numbers jive with your calculations.
Hi, Nicole! Excellent questions! Let me break this down by question to hopefully make things clearer.
1) How I came up with goat milk having 3% of both fat and protein:
That’s a typo, so good catch!! It should say 4% and I’ve changed it. Thanks for being polite about it. 🙂 To calculate the percentages of fat and protein in raw goat milk, I calculated the 10g of fat and 9g of protein percentage using the weight measurement of a cup of goat milk, which is 244g. (Source for weight: http://convert-to.com/742/goats-milk-values-conversion-and-nutritional-facts.html)
10g/244g = .04098 or 4.098% fat
9g/244g = .03689 or 3.7% protein
2) The raw goat milk doesn’t appear to be low in protein and fat content:
I totally agree, but rabbits have extraordinary levels of fat and protein in their milk compared with other mammals. The study I referenced showed domestic rabbit milk is close to 12% fat and 12% protein. (Source for rabbit milk composition: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50841088_Rabbit_milk_A_review_of_quantity_quality_and_non-dietary_affecting_factors)
As I calculated above, goat milk has 4.27% fat and 3.846% protein. So in other words, rabbits need close to 2.9 times the fat found in goat milk and over 3 times the protein.
Crazy, right?!
3) Why I added so much powder to the raw goat milk:
Here’s how I calculated it…
One cup of raw goat milk weighs 244g with 10g fat and 9g protein.
A half a cup of powder weighs 56g (a half cup is equivalent to 8 tablespoons of powder and 4 tablespoons of powder weighs 28g). It has 14g of fat and 16g of protein.
FIRST, ADD WHAT YOU HAVE BY WEIGHT
Total weight of the raw goat milk plus the raw goat milk powder: 244g + 56g = 300g total weight
Total weight of fat in both: 10g + 14g = 24g fat
Total weight of protein in both: 9g + 16g = 25g protein
THEN, DIVIDE TO GET YOUR TOTAL PERCENTAGES
24g/300g = .08 or 8% fat
25g/300g = .08333 or 8.3% protein
This is about double what the raw goat milk by itself has, but still not 12%. To make sure they got enough fat and protein, I fed them three times a day in the beginning and no less than twice per day as they grew older. Mama rabbits many times only feed once a day or sometimes twice a day. That’s the reason their milk is so rich. Kits go long periods between feedings and still manage to grow at a fast pace.
If you only add ¼ cup of powder, this is what you will be feeding them:
244g raw goat milk + 28g powdered = 272g total weight
10g fat from raw milk + 7g fat from powder = 17g total fat
9g protein from raw milk + 8g from the powder = 17g total fat
17g/272g = .0625 or 6.25% percent each fat and protein
There is nothing wrong with deciding to add 28g (1/4 cup) powder instead of 56g (1/2 cup powder) to your cup of raw goat milk, because you are still giving them more than what they would have otherwise.
Just take into consideration your situation and what you think is best for your kits. Mine were nearly starved to death and were not gaining weight at all when using raw goat milk alone. They had lots of catching up to do. 🙂
Thanks so much for the break down. I really appreciate it. Its not that I didn’t trust you, I just wasn’t sure how that was calculated and I like to know these things. Mine were 10 days old when I started feeding them, and they were starving and very skinny. We did just the regular goat milk for 3 days with a 1 cc eye dropper, filled a few times. They quickly started taking more. None went in their noses as the drops are tiny and manageable for them. they gobbled it up. I also liked that I could measure what was going in their tummies. My 14 year old daughter could do it very easily. I then added a 1/4 c. powder with the 1 cup milk just to see how they would do. Better. I had to feed them every 3 hours before and now they seem more content. They started eating hay and feeding 3 times a day after concentrating it. Today I just added in the 1/2 c. as I trust its the right thing to do after seeing the math.. I love the miracle nipple, started using it yesterday. One has it down but I love that it does not require they suck to get milk. They can just lick it as they were doing before and they still get fed. So far so good. Mine are jersey wooly babies and they love to snuggle and sleep after they eat. Granted there are only 2 kits but its very little work for all the warm fuzzies they give me. Sweetest things ever! Thanks for the info.
I’m really glad you asked, Nicole. I was debating whether or not to put that in the post, since I was worried to drag the post out any longer. That’s amazing to watch the addition of the powder working like that! I love the miracle nipple, too! My bunnies would have shredded the sponges as they got older, so the sturdy controllable flow with it is very nice indeed. You babies sound ADORABLE, and I totally agree about it being worth it. Those are some of the best memories.
Hey!
We have a truly orphaned baby cottontail. Our cat killed it’s family and we have been caring for it using your recipe for the past 6 days. However, it’s losing weight slightly. I weigh it every morning and it’s consistently lost a gram each day. Any ideas before we lose this kit 😞. I bumped up to feeding every 2 hours yesterday and yet this morning it was weighing only 35 grams. Another slight loss from yesterday’s weight. Should I add more powered Meyenbergs? I’m doing the 1 cup raw goat’s milk with 58grams of the powdered goats milk you recommended too. Thanks for any ideas. We are trying everything to save it. It’s eyes opened 2 days ago 🙂
Hi, Kay! I understand your frustration! There are a couple of things that might be causing this. First, if he is not being kept warm enough, he may be burning through a lot of calories trying to keep warm. Or, he might have something else wrong with him. You could try weighing him before and after his feeding to see how much he is getting. I strongly recommend calling a vet and/or a wildlife rehabilitation expert and talking to them so you can give them the details and get their advice. Here are some additional resources you may find helpful: http://www.wildrescuetexas.org/wildrabbit.html and https://www.denherdervet.com/what-should-you-do-if-you-find-a-baby-rabbit/
do you have to use Meyenberg goats milk
Hi, Lindsay! You can use another brand if you want, just make sure there aren’t a bunch of additives or fillers. Also, double check the serving size, fat and protein content because the recipe will need to be adjusted if it’s different.
Hello!! I’m trying to save a cottontail rabbit who is about 4-5 days old. Just one! My dog unfortunately killed all the rest when they were in their nest 🙁 I have goats milk… is it the same measurements if I’m adding KMR powder to the milk?
Hi, Aryn. I personally would not feed the KMR powder in a larger amount than recommended by a vet or stated on the label… for two reasons. 1) It’s made for kittens, not rabbits. Plus a lot of highly processed garbage in it in my opinion. 2) It has a long list of added vitamins and probiotics. It could cause complications from a vitamin overdose and some, if not all, of vitamins are probably synthetic. The goat milk powder only has added Vitamin D3 and Folic acid, which was an overdose risk I was willing to take since my kits were so close to death anyway. If you can, see what a vet has to say. If you don’t get a good answer, you can always use straight fresh goat milk and feed more often to try and get them up to the needed fat and protein.
Hi, how do you stop diarrhea?
Hi, Nedda! Diarrhea is serious and it depends on what is causing it. For my baby rabbits, the addition of cow’s cream to the formula caused it and removing it and moving them to the goat milk is what probably stopped it. One of my kits died after getting the diarrhea. Before transitioning them to the goat milk, I did give them a couple feedings of unflavored Pedialyte. Another thing that may be helpful is giving Bene-bac. I have not personally tried this, so I cannot attest to whether or not it would be helpful. If the kits are older and getting it, either their gut wasn’t properly inoculated with digestive bacteria or they are getting too many carbohydrate-rich foods. Another possibility is disease or infection. It would be best to talk to a vet knowledgeable in rabbit care right away to determine what may be going wrong in your situation. As for older rabbits, there is a diarrhea protocol in the book “The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver” located on page 254.
Stumbled upon your blog when researching how to hand feed baby rabbits. Doe wasn’t taking care of them. Long story short we found them nearly starved and began hand feeding with KMR. all but one died within 4 days. Trying your recipe but with store bought goat milk bc I can’t find any raw. A friend had some but the kid weaned so no more milk. 🙁 The baby is 10 days. Eyes aren’t open. He’s so tiny. 41 g. We feed him every 4 hours as much as he’ll eat. He lost a gram last night. He is active and seems strong but won’t gain weight. What can I do? Our local wildlife rehab was no help to us. I’ve nothing left to try really. I added heavy cream to the formula bc I have nothing to lose. So far no diarrhea. I also added bene bac every other feeding. Help?!
Hi, Sue! I am really sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds like you are doing everything in your power to save him. The bene bac is good and so is no diarrhea. As far as I know, you are doing everything that can be done. Just keep giving it your best, and have comfort that regardless of the outcome you will know that you did everything in your power to help. It’s really hard, but all you really can do is to just keep trying. I wish you the best and totally understand the stress you are going through.
Hi Jaimie! In an emergency situation, is evaporated goat’s milk better than nothing? Thank you!
Hey, Emily! You bet it’s better than nothing! I think it’s better to try and fail than to never try at all. Good luck!
Just thought I’d add our experience.
Bottlefed one “meat” rabbit after realizing that a. his mama lacked all maternal instinct (he was already the only survivor) and b. finding him a frozen solid little bunny-cicle after wiggling away from where the nest should have been. (Mama didn’t build a nest. We gave her a 2nd chance and lost all those kits as well. So she’s a pet now.) We had tried to reintroduce him into the colony and it didn’t go well. So inside he stayed!
This little guy was bottlefed straight-up goat milk. Pasteurized, because that’s what we could find. We did bring cecotrophs from the adult rabbits into his box (and into his bottle…) for a while. He was slow to grow, but he’s now 3 months old (!) and a frisky little boy. He was slow to grow in all the fur right behind his ears, but otherwise has no visible delays or issues. Started him with hay, kale, pellets, and quickly went into all the “regular” veg our rabbits eat as he had no trouble at any point along the way!
Being a singleton, we did use a heat pack (microwavable rice on) that we would heat up a few times a day and put in the box with a towel nest on top for him. (I would only do this if there was just 1 or 2 babies…we overheated a larger litter that we tried to save. Clearly I was in panic mode and not thinking of how much heat they produce to keep themselves warm outside! Learning curve…)
All this to say, there’s always hope and sometimes you’ve just got to use what you’ve got!
I’m so glad you shared your experience! It’s definitely a balancing act and a learning curve! I TOTALLY agree with “… there’s always hope and sometimes you’ve just got to use what you’ve got!” That’s my philosophy, too. That’s a great idea using a rice bag. I love those things. Especially when they help save those the singletons. 🙂
Hi Jamie, I have 2 wild baby bunnies, eyes are open & can run fast. Their nest was run over by mower, 1 passed away, 1 got cut alittle about the face but he’s a fast little bigger & 1 even tho he drags his hind legs he scoots really fast. They ran out of the best but kept doing it. It got freezing cold out so under the deck was just cold dirt so I brought them in, in a box of straw fearing esp for little one with paralysis. Then mom showed up really late and they weren’t there. Next day put them out in tiny nest barely below ground , they kept jumping out running away so I brought them in again now I’m afraid mom won’t come back anymore. And we’re having a freeze front. So, I laid some Timothy hay in the box but their gonna need milk or water. Can’t let them go another day without so I only have evaporated milk on hand and I give it to them and if so should I dilute it or not? I really need to help these babies, bad enough poor mom’s probably frantic for them, I’m between a rock and a hard place. The one dragging his hind legs was from weight of tires on mower hot him, hoping maybe temporarily going to try therapy motion on him (I’m retired trauma nurse) he doesn’t cry out in pain or like he’s hurting, he’s all over the place. Just need to know about their drinking and gaining weight. Thank you
Wildlife here doesn’t respond so I’m not going there.
Hi, Donna! I hope you got the email I sent you a few days ago. And, I hope things are going better! Sometimes you have to use what you have and just do your best. If they won’t eat anything else, you can try the evaporated milk diluted to see how they do with it. It sounds like they are in good hands with you having experience as a trauma nurse. I couldn’t get much help from the “experts” around where I live either and that was so frustrating.
Hello,
This article helped me and my family so much! Thank you for writing this. Our dog found a nest of baby rabbits and we found a dead mother, so we decided to take in the four babies. We found them yesterday (April 10). We used your recipe for the milk and they seem alright with it. After feeding them, we rubbed their bellies and bottoms. But we haven’t seen any poo or pee yet. I checked the cage where we have a little nest, but nothing. The babies don’t have their eyes open yet, I suspect they are around 4 days old. Should they even be going yet? What can we do to help them out more?
Thanks
Hello, Ceona! I’m so glad my article helped you guys! You will have to help them go potty if they are really young. The trick is to keep gently rubbing their bellies and bottoms until they go. It can take a while and you have to be careful not to rub the tender areas raw. I used to do a rolling motion with a cotton swab to keep the friction on their skin down to a minimum. In a few days they should be going on their own, but that’s one thing you want to make sure they are doing.
Hi Jaime. I just brought home 4 kits from the barn my horse is at. The mom was throwing them out of the nest and biting them. A couple have an ear bit off and they all have other bites. They were in a nest beside the water tank. So I couldn’t just let nature take its course. She was hell bent on killing them. So I picked up some kmr and am back to being in wild animal rescue mode. Haven’t had to do this for several years. You have alot of good information. I’ve raised several litters of kittans and one bunny. I dont think the kits with the worst bites will probably make it but I hope they do. Anyway, thanks for the good info and I’ll let you know the outcome.
Hi, Mary! How sad for you and the kits!! It sounds like they are in good hands and I really hope they pull through. I can only imagine how busy you will be trying to both feed them and care for their injuries! My heart goes out to you and I will be waiting anxiously to hear how things go. Please do post an update when you feel the time is right. Take care and best of luck!
Hi! my doe just had a suprised litter she doesn’t seem to know what she’s doing she hasn’t ate her placenta and im getting worried its been 2 day! I’m taking care of the kits because they weren’t getting anything to eat they look so scrawny out of the 4, 3 look alright they are going to catch up but I’m more worried about the 4th one its very very scrawny I was Checking up on the kits and they seemed hungry so I took them out and try to bottle feed them with the KMR formula they took as much as they can get but in the middle of it the smallest out of the 4 looked like it was dying kinda like a stroke and I know that look I lost one of my 2 week baby rabbits like that i couldnt really tell how my 2 week bunny died i think maybe she went in gi stasis or food poisoning I started to panic I didn’t know what to do i gave it cpr patting its back the kit wasn’t moving It seemed like it was choking on this fluid that seemed to be green? Thats the color I got on the cotton qtip I’m going to try this formula i hope the kit gains weight i only feed 2 times a day like I read on the internet but it didn’t seem enough so I’m going to feed them every 2 hrs but I’m scared I might over feed but they need to catch up i don’t want to go to sleep I’m scared the kit might die they seem to be cold kinda not really would a heat lamp work?
I didn’t mention it in the post but the kit is ok but I don’t think it’ll last long
Hi, Jessica! It’s probably worse to over stuff them when feeding. For mine, feeding more often worked better. As far as heat goes, it has to be something that they can move away from. Personally, I would be afraid to use a heat lamp and prefer a heating pad. If it’s all you have, you can try it. Just make sure it’s not to close and very well secured so it can’t be knocked over. If you are getting green fluid out of the kit’s nose it might have an infection. Your best bet is to contact a vet if you can. I’m sorry you are having to watch him suffer!
We found a baby bunny tonight. We think best was attacked, other babies found weren’t lucky and mom is gone. We think it’s about 2 weeks old. I am getting goats milk tomorrow I was just wondering if they could have any water? It’s hot here and I just dont want it to dehydrate.
Thanks!
Hi, Cate! It should be OK to give it water if you think it might help. Since they feed only once or twice a day, he should be fine waiting if the water isn’t something he will take. Good luck to you and your little orphan!
This was very informative I enjoyed reading through this. I have 7 kits to care for and had some questions so that i’m prepared. If constipation were to happen what would be the solution for it? Is that what the tea is for?
Hi, Alexis!
The chamomile tea is to help settle their tummies. As far as constipation goes, I never had that problem with mine. I would think making sure they are hydrated would help and probiotics like benebac might help. Usually if rabbits are constipated, it’s from a blockage formed when ingesting hair. I wouldn’t think babies would have that issue when they are nursing age. If it does happen, a phone call to an exotics vet may give you more options. Good luck with your 7 babies!
We rescued a mini Rex from her momma who tore apart and killed his siblings. I don’t have raw goat milk but I do have the powdered goat milk. Do you think it will hurt to mix the powdered goat milk with human breast milk and feed that to the baby bunny?
Hi, Jill! Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that! I can’t say for sure about the human breast milk, so it’s ultimately up to you. I remember seeing a video of a cat nursing a baby bunny with her kittens, but I don’t know the outcome of that story. I’m not sure if it will make a significant difference if the milk is from a carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore. It’s possible the reconstituted powdered goat milk alone will work, but I personally don’t see how human milk would be harmful. If you can get the human milk to work, it would definitely make for a fun story! I wish you the best of luck!!
Rhank you so much this has been incredible. Our mama suddenly died when kits were 3 days old. Our kits just reached 10 days old this morning and their eyes should be opening soon. Last night one of them after eating it’s normal 6cc suddenly looked bloated I stroked and stroaked but couldn’t get it to go. This morning even after going all night it didn’t look like it had a hungry tummy it still looked bloated so I only let it drink 3cc. I did get it to go and it peed a ton and had about 12 droppings. Is there anything that can help it being bloated? We don’t have raw goat milk so it’s on a mixture of the pasturized and powder. But I also have condensed available to me.
Hi, Amber. I fed mine a small amount of fresh chamomile tea to help keep them from having gastrointestinal distress, so you could try that. I would definitely make sure they aren’t getting too much until things clear up. You could try feeding less but more often. Another thing that might really help is the probiotics provided in Bene-Bac. They are going to need some kind of probiotics and good bacteria to populate their guts anyway that will keep them from getting diarrhea as they transition to solid foods.
I have started your recipe for 3 babies that are turning 3 weeks. Sadly their Momma died right after they turned 2 weeks. They LOVE the goats milk, more hesitant when I added the powder, but still eating. Do you feel that acidophilus or probiotics should be added to the mix for their flora to be thriving even more? I have been so nervous since becoming Momma to these babies and I want to do what’s right and best for them. Thank you.
Hi, Corrine! I know what you mean about being nervous! It really is a new challenge to take on. The best one I’ve heard of is Bene-Bac powder. Pet stores sometimes sell it. It’s beneficial bacteria specifically for small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. I’m really sorry to hear about your mama bunny! Hugs to you and I hope your babies do well!
Hello. Thank you for such informative context on raising newborn kits. I just like to ask how long can your homemade formula go? I mean how to know its expiration date.
Hi, Shinehah! You are welcome! When I make formula, I make enough for 3 to 4 days at a time. However, I believe it would last up to a week if you are using fresh goat milk. I would go by the expiration date on the fresh goat milk. It should last at least as long as the date printed on the container. As for the powdered milk, the opened can can last several months if stored properly in a cool, dark place. Once the powdered is mixed with liquid it should last up to a week in the fridge.