Hare Preservation Trust

Leveret Hand Rearing

Credit: Penny Little

By HPT Member Susan Sroka

Introduction

Orphaned leverets can be very difficult to hand rear. Like deer, leverets are highly strung by nature, so should therefore be kept in as quiet an area as possible. They won’t feed well if surrounded by noise and movement.

Usually, there are two to four in a litter, born above ground, fully furred with their eyes open. To avoid the entire litter being lost to predators they will separate to an individual resting place known as a ‘form’. The mother hare usually feeds them morning and evening and will call them when she arrives.

In the wild, hares will remain still if they feel under threat and only bolt at the last instant. This instinct is present even at such a young age - so you may experience problems with feeding until they have adjusted to their new surroundings. If possible, wear the same top and use the same towel for your lap without washing them. After a few days the leverets will have settled, so you can then use fresh towels etc. Hopefully, this will limit stress, as they will associate the familiar smell with feeding and safety. As with wild rabbits, there is no need to ‘toilet’ leverets.

Keep the leverets away from domestic noises and family pets, especially cats and dogs. They are a danger to juvenile hares, so once in the wild they must not associate safety with the sound or smell of these animals. Ideally, keep to the same foster mum throughout.

Housing

Credit: Susan Sroka

I used a large 4ft X 2ft cage, lined with newspaper and hay. This was kept in a quiet room indoors. By the end of the first 5 days the leverets had settled and were feeding well. I then housed them in the same cage, but outside in a shed. (If you use a wood construction please bear in mind that the interior temperature can be very high in some weather conditions.) After the morning feed I put them outside in a small run on a grassed area so they could graze. An upturned wooden box (no base) was provided for shelter and they were returned to their indoor cage after their evening feed. A bark covered log was provided for knawing and a large stone or clean brick which has been weathered up. They like to lick the stone/brick for minerals.

Weighing

This is an essential part of hand rearing. This will indicate if the leverets are receiving sufficient milk. At first, weigh daily. Once they have settled to feeding, alternate days will be sufficient. They may lose a few grams initially, but as the feeding pattern settles they should show a daily weight gain of approximately 5 to 20 grams.

Resume daily weighing for 3-4 days when changing a feeding pattern eg. reducing from 3 to 2 or 2 to 1 feeds. This will tell you sooner rather than later if the leverets were ready or not for the change and whether they have adjusted to it. The amount of milk taken in the remaining feeds usually increases, so their weight may stay the same for a day or so and then start to increase. If when you change the feeds the leveret loses weight 2 days running, re-introduce the dropped feed for 2-3 days and then try again. When I have 2 or more leverets I use liquid food colouring applied to the inner ear for identification.

Feeding

Credit: Susan Sroka

Hare milk is very high in fat and Esbilac, a powdered puppy milk substitute, provides the closest substitute. I prefer to use a ‘Catac’ kitten rubber teat, then increasing the syringe size as the leveret requires more milk. As the leveret will suck rapidly I find this gives more control over the amount released, so lessening the chances of inhalation pneumonia. Also for the first 10 days I syringe 1ml per leveret per day warm Avipro micro-encapsulated water-soluble pro-biotic. This helps with gut performance and hydration. A full, round tummy (not taut) and a steady weight gain is a good guide to your leveret having received sufficient food.

A room free from movement and noise is essential.

For the first 1 to 3 days (5 if necessary) feed at 8am, 2pm and 8pm. Mix enough Esbilac for the day, following the quantity instructions on the packet. Strain and keep in the fridge. Warm the amount required for each feed - discarding any left over. Try to keep the milk at a constant temperature by means of a baby bottle warmer or similar. Always check the temperature before feeding. Do not re-heat, use within 24 hrs of mixing and keep the tin of powder refrigerated.

Below is an example of one of a pair of leverets which have just been released. His/her sibling was a little lower in weight and food intake:-

Feed Quantities etc

To transport the leverets to the release site I attempted to use the hay lined pet carrier they had previously been transported in for feeding. It is dark, solid sided with a wire lid and should provide a secure feeling. But after a long break from using this they became panic stricken when placed inside. A hay lined open mesh cat carrier was placed in their run and this time they walked into it themselves. Maybe this indicates that unlike wild rabbits which live and feel safe in small dark spaces, hares by contrast live in and need open space.

Foodstuffs and Suppliers

Esbilac (powdered puppy milk substitute), this is only available by mail order and quite costly. Goats milk has been the next best thing. NO COWS MILK.

Credit: Myrna Brown

Alfalfa Nibbles (dried alfalfa)
Petlife International Ltd.
Minster House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3SP
Tel: 01284 761131

Excel Natural Dried Grass
Burgess Supafeeds
PO Box 38
Pickering
North Yorkshire
YO18 7YH
Tel: 0800 413969

Fresh Greens
Dandelion leaves, flowers and roots. Purple clover, leaves and flowers, white clover leaves only, apparently the white flowers can in some cases cause diarrhoea. Ears of corn/wheat/barley. Parsley, flat and curly. If the above is in short supply, curly kale is a good substitute but in small quantities only. Fresh grassed area for grazing.

Further Information

I am only too pleased to be given this opportunity to share my experience of hand rearing leverets. The above method has worked well for me and the leverets. I would be very happy to receive both enquiries and your experiences whether similar or different to my own.

Email: brackenh@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07885 969527
Tel: 01636 822552