How bad is it to wean babies at 4 weeks?

[Legacy]

OK, I know that normally you never want to wean that early but...

I have this momma rabbit I posted about Herehttp://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9987 .

She is showing signs of being healthier, & the babies are 4 weeks and eating food well. I have momma and babies both eating rabbit pellets and calf manna.

I wasn't going to re-bread this rabbit at all because of being puny. But due to a mistake, she got bred yesterday.

I am now trying to decide if it is too much for her to have nursing babies while being pregnant since she isn't very healthy.

The thing is, I don't know that she is still nursing them anymore anyway. I never see them nurse anymore and I saw them nursing a lot a week ago but when I feel under her, I can't feel that she has milk like I can with my other doe. If she is nursing them, it can't be much.

I am thinking I should just move her and the smallest baby to another cage and leave the other babies where they are and continue feeding them calf manna with the pellets.

Has anyone else weaned at 4 weeks with success? I just feel so bad about this.

 

[dewey]

They're most vulnerable starting at 4 weeks old. Mortality can be high.

Are they used to eating hay, too?

All things being great, weaning at 5 weeks is not that uncommon.

If she's not really nursing them anyway, if it was me I'd leave them with her for another 2 weeks. If she is still nursing, after another week I'd leave 2 with her for a day, then 1 for another day.

I'd give the birds in hand the better shot at health, rather than the birds in the bush that are an unknown and may not be carried to term anyway if the doe is not in great health.

 

[Boyd]

I wean between 5-6 weeks old.. but I've had does that I had to seperate kits from at 4 weeks with no bad results. Kits start imitating momma at the 3 week point, and by 4 weeks mostly has it.

I rebreed a doe when her liter is between 6-7 weeks old soo..................

 

[Legacy]

Well this is what I have done. I removed 3 of the 7 kits. I put them in a different cage. for 2 days. They were totally fine and eating well but After 2 days, I traded the ones that I removed with 3 that were still in there. They also are doing well and eating well.

That way, they all still get a little nursing but the momma is only having to feed 4 babies instead of 7. Today, I will cut it down to 3.

I've been continuing giving the momma the calf manna and mixed with rabbit pellets and all the hay she can eat. She is continuing to improve.