CARE | DIET

can rabbits drink milk?

By Christine

Milk is an ideal drink. Often, it is the primary source of nutrition for most baby mammals. So we can’t blame you if you think it’s safe, even healthy, to give it to your bun

But can rabbits drink milk, or would this nourishing beverage do more harm than good?

The answer depends on several things.

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Do Baby Rabbits Need Milk?

Like most mammals, baby rabbits or kits need milk at birth and for several weeks afterward. Without it, they won’t survive.

Should Adult Rabbits Drink Milk?

Buns are herbivores, so they thrive best on hay and other plant-based food. Kits need milk to survive, but it’s a different story when it comes to adult rabbits. Upon reaching maturity, they become lactose-intolerant.

Can Baby Rabbits Drink Cow’s Milk?

Those new to rabbits may think of cow milk as the best substitute to rabbit milk. This is not the case, and you shouldn’t give cow milk to rabbits.

Milk from cows is not suitable for rabbits. Kits can’t digest it and might even die from it. Rabbits have sensitive stomachs, especially when they’re young and can’t process the substances in cow milk.

Risk with Cow’s Milk

Cow milk can harm rabbits because of the following reasons.

High Lactose Content

Contaminants

The Presence of Hormones

Antibiotics in the Milk

When Baby Rabbits Can’t Drink Milk from Their Mother

If the mother bun rejects her kits or has died, you’ll have no other recourse but to provide the baby bunnies’ nutritional needs. Instead of cow milk, you can give the motherless kits alternatives to rabbit milk.

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