# When do you wean?



## rabbitman (May 8, 2011)

I am not sure when to wean our last litter we didn't wean until a month old, and the baby bred its mom.


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## terri9630 (May 8, 2011)

rabbitman said:
			
		

> I am not sure when to wean our last litter we didn't wean until a month old, and the baby bred its mom.


We wean at 6wks.  Rabbits aren't sexually mature at 4wks old, they don't breed until about 12wks.  There had to be contact with another buck.


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## dewey (May 8, 2011)

Wow, 4 weeks old?!  

Most of mine stay together for 8 weeks.


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## RIRs (May 8, 2011)

So you can bred a female at 12 weeks?


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## rabbitman (May 8, 2011)

4 weeks wow I wan't even thinking that, he was almost as big as his mom so I just assusmed he'd be fine which he was perfectly fine. There was no contact with another buck I am sure of it, they were in a hutch away from all my other rabbits. 
So around 6-8wks I will start weaning them.


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## dewey (May 8, 2011)

RIRs said:
			
		

> So you can bred a female at 12 weeks?


It's possible for them to get pregnant at that age but that's it's way too young.


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## terri9630 (May 8, 2011)

What breed are you talking about?  I can't think of any breed that is near full grown at a month old.


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## rabbitman (May 8, 2011)

terri9630 said:
			
		

> What breed are you talking about?  I can't think of any breed that is near full grown at a month old.


Pure muts, the mother looks like a wild rabbit and the dad is my avatar, the baby turned out orange.


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## dewey (May 8, 2011)

rabbitman said:
			
		

> terri9630 said:
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I'm so confused, lol...so the baby _was_ actually 28 days old, full grown size, and bred his mom?  

Hope you can post pics!


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## rabbitman (May 8, 2011)

I sold the baby on Easter, but I can post pics of the mom she isn't very big neither is the father, maybe when you breed 2 small rabbits you get one big one she only had one.


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## smalltimer (May 9, 2011)

that is strange for a 4 week old baby to be as big as his mom and to be sexuly mature i normaly ween at about 6-8 weeks with no probs:/


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## doubled (May 9, 2011)

Same here, I wean at 6 weeks, breed new does at 6 months, I have New Zealands.


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## norcal (May 22, 2011)

doubled said:
			
		

> I breed new does at 6 months, I have New Zealands.


Is this before they're full-grown?   I have a Chinchilla that is almost 6 months, but not quite as big as her mom.  But, I'm not sure what dad is & was wondering if she will get bigger.   Is it too soon to breed?   We were going to wait until fall......she was born mid Dec.


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## terri9630 (May 23, 2011)

norcal said:
			
		

> doubled said:
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We breed our NZW does at 6-7 months.  They are sexually mature even if they aren't quite full grown.  We have been keeping records of weight gain for the kids 4-H record books and by 20 weeks the does are over 8lbs with the bucks close behind.


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## terri9630 (May 23, 2011)

dewey said:
			
		

> rabbitman said:
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I'd like to see those pictures too.  At 4wks old none of our New Zealands were over 2lbs which is no where near the does 12lbs.


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## doubled (May 25, 2011)

The larger the breed the longer to "Full Grown", NZ take about a year but haveing said that they can get preg. about 5 to 6 weeks---no good, will stunt future growth cause it's still matureing itself. I think maybe someone misread the calendar. But if you do have some that get that big that quick, call a commercial grower and show him, you will hit the lottery. NOTE: I want a couple also........


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