Offspring feeding time
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Rabbit does do not feed their
newborn rabbits often. They come to the nest only once or twice a day.
Feeding time is short a few minutes at most. The portion of milk taken in by
healthy newborn is sufficient for the next 24 hours. The rest of the day, the
newborn stay deep in the nest, and keep warm by cuddling together. After
about 22 hours, they become active and will move together to the surface of
the nest. The doe stays in the vicinity of
the nest, but will enter it during feeding time. This does not relate to a
lack of maternal instinct, but this way she avoids attracting the attention
to her nest and avoids signals for carnivorous or prey animals. After
carefully checking the environment, she will enter the nest carefully and
place herself over her offspring, to allow them to feed.
MediRabbit.com,
after a photograph by Karen Comish Week old rabbit drinking milk During the feeding session, the
suckling rabbits attach within 3 to 9 seconds to a nipple, successfully. During
the feeding time, the kits change place and nipple at intervals of about 1
minute. This remains unchanged till they reach the age of 15 to 20 days
old, when attachment to nipple covered with saliva was more rapid, in
comparison to those without saliva. “5 day old bunny feeding”,
video by Linda Baley. A newborn crawling over the belly of the doe, moving from one nipple
to another to feed. After 3 to 5 minutes, the doe
leaves the nest. The kits will urinate, then burry again together in the nest
for 22 hours. Chemical composition of rabbit’s milk (after Coates et al., 1964.
Brit J. Nutr, 18, 583-586):
Vitamin content (mg/ml) of rabbit’s milk at different stages of
lactation
At the age of 10-15 days, kits start
to nibble solid food, e.g. pellets, and/or hay more and more, and in bigger
quantity. This does not mean that the newborn can be weaned yet.
Indeed, the maturation of
gastro-intestinal system is not yet finished. During the first weeks of the
life of newborn rabbits, the stomach and anterior portions of the intestine
remain mostly sterile (devoid of intestinal bacterial flora). This is unique
in the animal world. The pH of the doe’s milk ranges between 5 and 6.5. This
level of acidity allows bacterial survival, as well as growth and
colonization of the intestine and cecum. Rabbit milk is also rich in C8 and C10 fatty acids that have
bacteriostatic properties, inhibiting growth of bacteria in the digestive
tract, of the newborn. These molecules are sometimes referred to as
"milk oil", and their activation needs two parameters: milk of the doe
and stomach of the suckling. This protects day-old newborn against the growth
of pathogen bacteria and, thus, prevents the onset of necrotizing enteritis
or generalized sepsis. Bacteria that are absorbed at the time of birth and
via the milk will survive the passage through the stomach and intestine and
will accumulate in the cecum and the final section of the digestive system
(colon) and rectum. At the age of 10-15 days, newborn
rabbits become strong, inquisitive and leave the nest. They start nibbling
solid food (hay, fresh vegetables, pellets) as well
as the hard feces of the doe. Up to the age of 6 weeks, young rabbits
gradually decrease milk intake. As a result: - The concentration of C8 and C10 fatty acids (milk oil) decreases
in the anterior digestive system; - The pH of the stomach drops
from about 5-6 down to 1-2, becoming a barrier for colonizing bacteria and
killing ingested bacteria; - Microorganisms that were
ingested previously and survived in the cecum and lower portion of the
intestine and rectum will start to multiply. Translocation (spread) of intestinal
bacteria from the rectum up to the upper portion of the small intestine
(duodenum) becomes possible. When the right bacteria are present, proper
digestion and fermentation of solid food becomes possible. This process takes
a few days to weeks. The different stages of bacterial
colonization of the digestive tract are very important, but also very
delicate. Indeed, microorganisms that develop inside the GI tract depend on
the type of diet, hay, stress. Colonization of yet sterile portions of the intestine
by pathogen bacteria such as Clostridium sp. will lead to organ
failure, necrotizing enteritis, diarrhea and (fatal) enteric trouble or
sepsis. It is therefore important to
keep the newborn rabbit with the nursing doe up to the age of 8 weeks, and
not separate them earlier at 6 weeks or even younger. Once the complex
microbial flora has colonized the GI tract, it will help prevent the
development of pathogen bacteria. Acknowledgements Many thanks to Karen Comish and Linda Baley
for the permission to use their material. More information Anderson LC, Rush HG, Glorioso JC. Strain differences in the susceptibility and
resistance of Pasteurella multocida to
phagocytosis and killing by rabbit polymorphonuclear
neutrophils. Am J Vet Res. 1984; 45(6):1193-8. Coates ME, Gregory ME, Thompson
SY. The composition of rabbit’s milk. Br J Nutr.
1964;18:583-6. Dinsmore JE, Jackson RJ, Smith SD. The
protective role of gastric acidity in neonatal bacterial translocation. J Pediatr Surg. 1997;32(7):1014-6. Glass RL, Troolin
HA, Jenness R. Comparative biochemical studies of
milks. IV. Constituent fatty acids of milk fats. Comp Biochem
Physiol. 1967; 22(2):415-25. Harcourt-Brown F. Textbook of
Rabbit Medicine. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, 2002, p 55-56. Ogawa M, Shimizu K, Nomoto K, Takahashi M, Watanuki
M, Tanaka R, Tanaka T, Hamabata T, Yamasaki S,
Takeda Y. Protective effect of Lactobacillus casei
strain Shirota on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia
coli O157:H7 infection in infant rabbits. Infect Immun. 2001;
69(2):1101-8. Schley P. Rabbit milk -
composition and withdrawal of samples, Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 1975;
88(9):171-3. Van Camp JM, Drongowski
R, Gorman R, Altabba M, Hirschl
RB, Coran AG. Colonization of intestinal bacteria
in the normal neonate: comparison between mouth and rectal swabs and small
and large bowel specimens. J Pediatr Surg.
1994;29(10):1348-51 |
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