Weaning questions

[Suzy74]

Hi all! I have kits that are 4 weeks old today. They are all eating straight from Mom's feeder. I haven't seen them nurse in days. Too soon to start the weaning process? Mom seems to be tiring of kits.

My second question is if I can combine kits from different litters in their new cages? Will they get along okay? I have one litter of five and one litter of 6 and three grow out cages.

 

[promiseacres]

I have started around 5 week to 6 weeks, pulling the kits (sometimes just the largest) during the day then returning at night. for a week or so. I take it litter by litter. I raise show bunnies not meat so I want them as healthy as possible and the extra time helps their immune systems. Even if they aren't nursing much the milk still helps. When they are completely weaned (for me 7-8 weeks) I wouldn't hesitate mixing litters so you can get the bucks and does separated, or by size. I keep pellets and hay in front the kits (this helps my does as I reduce their feed so they dry up) .

 

[Tale of Tails Rabbitry]

Weaning depends partially on the kindle and circumstances, however even with my meat rabbits, I never wean them under 5 weeks and rarely before 6 weeks, even if they are eating pellets and hay. I try to leave the smallest ones in with the mother the longest. I keep weekly records of weights and and growth ratios, so I am confident of when I wean. Four weeks is too young for my breed and will cause weight loss or no gain for about a week, as it was reported to me by another breeder friend, who had tried it.

 

[mysunwolf]

Yep, when we kept meat rabbits we weaned at 6-8 weeks and often combined litters up until about 8 weeks--after this age they fight too much for my liking. As others said, wean larger kits first.

 

[mystang89]

I normally start taking mine out around 4 to 5 weeks if I'm doing aggressive breeding but otherwise I'll leave them in for upwards of 6.

 

[Sundragons]

We wean at 5-6 weeks depending on how strong the kits are and overall "feel" about the litter (hard to quantify better than to say that it's a gut check). They stay with us until they're 8 weeks, so we have a solid 2-3 week window to ensure they're thriving after weaning.

I don't have any problems combining kits from different litters in the weaning pens. If they're buns we've decided to keep for our program, they go into a separate pen than the ones we're adopting out, but rabbits are colony animals, so they do fine provided you don't overcrowd them in the grow-out and you keep an eye on them for bullying or injuries/sickness.

 

[Jennifer Hinkle]

I usually start seperating them between 4-5 weeks depending on the kit size and how well they are eating and growing. I have had some I have left in with the mother up to 6-7 weeks. But normally 4-5 weeks, then put them in raising pins and monitor the transition period. If I am going to keep some, then I put them in seperate pens(2-3) in each pen. This has worked for me, but everyone has there own way of doing Things. Good luck.

 

[PhilippaMiles]

I normally start weaning around 6-8 weeks depending on the circumstances. Once the babies are weaned it is perfectly fine to mix litters. I normally keep bucks in one cage and does in another until they're ready for their own cages! Good luck on your babies!