I use powdered Esbilac milk replacer that I buy at the feed store. I mix one part powder to one and one half parts warm water to make a feeding solution (use distilled or boiled water with newborns). Make fresh solution for each feeding.  I have read some information that says to use KMR (kitten milk replacer, also at the feed store) instead of Esbilac (Esbilac is considered protein deficient and too high in carbohydrates), but I personally haven’t had any trouble using it with older (over two weeks' age) babies.  I have had problems with newborns, however.  The powdered solution tends to thicken with a foamy curd-like substance which rises to the top, which is difficult for newborns to ingest.  The higher carbohydrates probably create bacterial growth in the gut and cause enteritis and bloat.  If I have another case of orphaned newborns, I believe I'll use the canned pre-mixed KMR and keep the excess refrigerated.

Raine Carson, a wildlife rehab. worker, wrote an article for Domestic Rabbits magazine in which she suggested using 1 part Esbilac powder, 1 part MultiMilk powder, and 1 1/2 parts cold water.  Blend very well.  Prepare only enough for 24 hours and refrigerate the unused amount.

Do not feed cow’s milk.

I have read that fresh goat’s milk is acceptable.

Some vet manuals suggest adding a pinch of acidophilus (Probiotic) from the health food store to maintain healthy gut flora. I haven’t tried this, but it may be an excellent idea if you are working with very young kits.

Of course there's always the possibility of actually milking a doe if you have one available that's on a litter, but I sure wouldn't recommend it as a long-term solution.  (You haven't lived until you've tried to milk a rabbit....!)

A mother rabbit only nurses her young once or twice a day. Personally, I feed older babies (three weeks' age) in the morning and early evening only. Many sources suggest feeding newborns every 6 hours, at two weeks every 8 hours, and after 4 weeks every 12 hours. Be cautious of overfeeding, though, and the danger of causing bloat and enteritis.  I suggest feeding newborns every few hours, in small amounts.  It seems to be easier for them to digest in this way.

Newborns will take about 1 to 2.5 cc’s at each feeding. From one to two weeks, they’ll take 4 to 7 cc’s. Two to three weeks, 7 to 13 cc’s, and from three to six weeks, 13 to 15 cc’s at each feeding.  These are only approximate guidelines, however.  You should visually monitor the babies' stomachs to see that they are filling with formula, but not to the point of bloated extension

The formula must be kept warm during the feeding session.  Kits will refuse formula that has gone cold.  Place a small amount of formula in a small glass and set the glass in a bowl of warm water.

You need a one to three cc syringe without a needle.  You can attempt to use a very small nipple (a Catac (brand) nipple, or a nipple made from cutting a 1 1/2 inch piece of #10 or #12 size gastric tube) but personally I haven't found it very successful.

Ah, here is a divergence of opinion. Many sources caution that baby bunnies must be fed in the upright position (with their feet on the ground) to guard against choking on the milk. However, the natural position for babies to nurse is on their backs. While I do agree that the upright position may give the greatest safeguard against aspiration, I personally have found that holding them on their backs at a 45 degree angle gives me the greatest success.

 I do use extreme caution not to get any milk in their noses.  For the first few feedings you will probably have to place the tip of the syringe in the corner of the mouth and depress the plunger slightly, so that just a drop or two of formula goes into the mouth.  Wait for the bunny to swallow before trying again.  Once they get the hang of it I only squeeze drops of milk onto their lips, which they lap up… I do not place the syringe into their mouths and inject solution.  If you see milk in the nasal openings, immediately press it out by wiping firmly from the bridge of the nose down to the lips with a soft Kleenex or rag.  (If you think a baby has aspirated some solution, listen to see if it sounds like it is "clicking" with each breath. Milk in the lungs may lead to pneumonia and you may need a vet to check on it and administer antibiotics.) Just take it slowly, a little at a time.

Dehydration: If you pull up a little pinch of skin and it "tents", or remains extended instead of snapping back into place, and if the baby appears wrinkled with folds of skin, it may be dehydrated. It is not getting enough liquid. You may replace one or two feedings with Gatorade or Pedialyte.

Constipation: Be sure you are wiping the belly/genitals after each feeding. You may want to give a few drops of diluted apple juice if you are sure the baby is constipated.

At about twelve days of age the eyes will open. Place some grass hay into the nest box and the babies may begin to nibble. After two to three weeks of age, give them access to hay, pellets mixed with rolled oats, water, and the formula in a jar lid. They’ll learn to drink and eat by three weeks. Continue offering them formula until five weeks, after which you can wean them off onto regular food.

**Sometimes hand-reared babies are especially vulnerable to developing enteritis when they begin to eat solid foods.  Some research suggests actually collecting cecotropes (the soft "night feces" produced and ingested by adult rabbits) and making a solution by soaking them in water.  Feed this solution to the babies on a daily basis as they begin solids to help maintain healthy gut flora and prevent enteritis (you could mix it with a teaspoon of Gerber's banana baby food or deliver it straight by syringe).  I know it sounds yucky, but you have to realize that the babies would normally be ingesting some of Mom's fecal pellets in the nest, which is normal and necessary to help safeguard their systems.