How does the production of Eastern Cottontail Rabbit milk affect the environment?

Is rabbit milk produced commercially?

No. Eastern cottontails are wild animals, and we found no farming or dairy use of their milk. Any claim that cottontail milk production affects the environment has no basis, because the milk is not produced for people. The only real link between cottontails and the environment is their role as wild prey and grazers.

How do wild cottontails nurse their young?

A wildlife rehabilitation center says the mother feeds her young only twice a day, at dusk and dawn, and visits the nest rarely, so seeing her is uncommon. Do not take a quiet nest as a sign of abandonment. Young rabbits leave the nest at about 15 to 20 days old.

What should you do if you find a nest?

• Check whether the young are fully furred with eyes open. A rabbit larger than a softball that weighs over 4 ounces (100 grams) is independent and needs no help unless injured.
• If the young are smaller, do not give food or water; ask a wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife vet for advice.
• To see whether the mother still visits, lay string or twigs in a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest and check after 12 hours.
• If the string is undisturbed after 12 hours, the mother may not be returning; call a state-permitted small mammal rehabilitator.

How do you protect nests in your yard?

Check the lawn before mowing. The same source advises not mowing within 10 feet of a nest with babies, and says you can cover the nest with an upside-down laundry basket during mowing and remove it afterward.

Can you feed baby wild rabbits milk?

Do not give baby wild rabbits food or water; wrong feeding can make them sick or kill them. Wild rabbit rescue should be done by licensed rehabilitators.