6-8 week weaning age- is it a bunch of "hoopla"?

[akane]

No longer drinking milk and ready to live with no adults are 2 very different things. Weaning may not just mean no longer drinking milk. It is beneficial to leave young with their parents are a surrogate for weeks to months (does depend on gestation and rate of maturity) even after they stop nursing.

For gerbils with a similar gestation we leave the previous litter in until the 2nd litter is about ready to stop nursing completely and the 3rd litter is about due. They learn parenting from their parents and help their parents raise the next set of offspring.

The colony rabbits stay with the does as they raise they next litter while the cage rabbits go to join a laid back buck or junior doe ~12 weeks at 4 weeks until 6-8weeks when they join the colony or get separated by gender (or the bucks just get butchered).

With horses we move them from their dams to a pasture with 1-3 older horses who will teach them the rules of being a horse and behaving then return them to their dams when they have their next foal on them or it has been long enough they are very unlikely to let them nurse again.

Guinea pigs we would wean at 3 weeks due to boars being able to breed sometimes at that age and guinea pigs never really rely on guinea pig milk anyway but they always went in with a same gender adult for another 3-5 weeks before going to homes or being caged without an adult.

Puppies are kept with their parents and siblings for at least 8 weeks and it makes training and bite inhibition much easier. It can stop a lot of problems new puppy owners face and even problems that show up years later in the dog's life just by getting discipline and examples from it's parent(s) and siblings.

I would not buy an animal that had been weaned and caged alone as soon as it stopped nursing. It has a major psychological impact. I think this is where the term weaning becomes confusing. Weaning may mean stop nursing or it may mean completely removal from the parents or any adults. The term is used interchangeably.

 

[skysthelimit]

No longer drinking milk and ready to live with no adults are 2 very different things. Weaning may not just mean no longer drinking milk. It is beneficial to leave young with their parents are a surrogate for weeks to months (does depend on gestation and rate of maturity) even after they stop nursing.

For gerbils with a similar gestation we leave the previous litter in until the 2nd litter is about ready to stop nursing completely and the 3rd litter is about due. They learn parenting from their parents and help their parents raise the next set of offspring.

The colony rabbits stay with the does as they raise they next litter while the cage rabbits go to join a laid back buck or junior doe ~12 weeks at 4 weeks until 6-8weeks when they join the colony or get separated by gender (or the bucks just get butchered).

With horses we move them from their dams to a pasture with 1-3 older horses who will teach them the rules of being a horse and behaving then return them to their dams when they have their next foal on them or it has been long enough they are very unlikely to let them nurse again.

Guinea pigs we would wean at 3 weeks due to boars being able to breed sometimes at that age and guinea pigs never really rely on guinea pig milk anyway but they always went in with a same gender adult for another 3-5 weeks before going to homes or being caged without an adult.

Puppies are kept with their parents and siblings for at least 8 weeks and it makes training and bite inhibition much easier. It can stop a lot of problems new puppy owners face and even problems that show up years later in the dog's life just by getting discipline and examples from it's parent(s) and siblings.

I would not buy an animal that had been weaned and caged alone as soon as it stopped nursing. It has a major psychological impact. I think this is where the term weaning becomes confusing. Weaning may mean stop nursing or it may mean completely removal from the parents or any adults. The term is used interchangeably.

I know that I for one don't have the cage space to put 5 wk old kits alone, they are with their litter mates, and in a barn my size, nearly nose to nose with adults.

 

[Bramble Hedge]

:canofworms: Red wiggler, anyone? [/quote]


I'll pass on the wriggler at the moment, but thank you for the offer lol. As for weaning age I think it is when the individual kit is ready, some are little goers :mrgreen: and some can be very slow. :?

 

[curlysue]

I usually leave the dwarfs with the mother 8 weeks because i need too be able too tell what is show quality.i have weaned at 4 weeks because the mother was biting the ears causing damage.i dont sell before 8 weeks.i think being soo small they have a better chance if they are older especiallly with the pet buyers.

 

[Cindi Davis]

Im glad I followed this even though its been open for a while. LOTS Of good Info for me thanks folks.

I wean at 6 weeks, but do not breed back till 2 or 3 months for any of the does, Only because I just don't need to. Im not showing "Much" yet and have a NZ line for that. The meat does I want to just give a break for what ever reason. Also, Cage space is an issue for me so.... Just cuz LOL. 1 doe needs that kind of break as she is older, I think I will breed her 1 more time in the spring and retire her she's been a great girl. I do have 2 doelings out of her last litter and not sure on the current one yet.

I do want to thank all for the info I did read though it was very helpful

 

[grumpy]

Meat production herd only: I'm on a 17 day breed-back cycle. Wednesdays are breeding day in the rabbitry. Meaning kindling will occur on a Saturday or Sunday.

I wean youngsters at 30 or 31 days of age. I keep an extremely close eye on my does to make sure they don't have problems with swollen udders because of their heavy milk production. Sometimes, I get caught with a doe that has these issues.

Only sell to consumers of one kind or another. Be it, reptile, processor, or folks wanting to breed rabbits. NO Pet rabbits sold.

As long as the doe holds up to this routine, I don't deviate from it. Every once in a while a doe will have a "short" litter. I suppose it's Mother Nature's way of giving them a rest. I'll add a week or two to the breed-back date when this occurs.

Few difficulties have been encountered with this method.

 

[Secuono]

I can certainly see the logic in keeping the kits until 8 weeks so they are well established and better able to handle the stress of a move.

Not only that, but it's the law not to sell any animals before 8wks of age in many States. I don't even give the time to breeders who cannot follow the law about that. If they are blindly ignoring the law, who knows what else they are doing in the rabbitry that is less than acceptable.

Getting more into detail than what the law allows is really not a good idea. Everyone can do as they please with their rabbits and have their own views on things. If they want to wean at 3wks, fine, but boasting about isn't the smartest thing in the world to be doing.
I don't think rabbits are very stable and strong before 8wks to be selling anyway. And if you can't sell rabbits that are ready to handle the world, then you really shouldn't be selling any at all.<br /><br />__________ Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:07 am __________<br /><br />

No longer drinking milk and ready to live with no adults are 2 very different things. Weaning may not just mean no longer drinking milk. It is beneficial to leave young with their parents are a surrogate for weeks to months (does depend on gestation and rate of maturity) even after they stop nursing.

For gerbils with a similar gestation we leave the previous litter in until the 2nd litter is about ready to stop nursing completely and the 3rd litter is about due. They learn parenting from their parents and help their parents raise the next set of offspring.

The colony rabbits stay with the does as they raise they next litter while the cage rabbits go to join a laid back buck or junior doe ~12 weeks at 4 weeks until 6-8weeks when they join the colony or get separated by gender (or the bucks just get butchered).

With horses we move them from their dams to a pasture with 1-3 older horses who will teach them the rules of being a horse and behaving then return them to their dams when they have their next foal on them or it has been long enough they are very unlikely to let them nurse again.

Guinea pigs we would wean at 3 weeks due to boars being able to breed sometimes at that age and guinea pigs never really rely on guinea pig milk anyway but they always went in with a same gender adult for another 3-5 weeks before going to homes or being caged without an adult.

Puppies are kept with their parents and siblings for at least 8 weeks and it makes training and bite inhibition much easier. It can stop a lot of problems new puppy owners face and even problems that show up years later in the dog's life just by getting discipline and examples from it's parent(s) and siblings.

I would not buy an animal that had been weaned and caged alone as soon as it stopped nursing. It has a major psychological impact. I think this is where the term weaning becomes confusing. Weaning may mean stop nursing or it may mean completely removal from the parents or any adults. The term is used interchangeably.

Agreed. =D

 

[Cindi Davis]

Excellent post, Ladysown! of the reasons many people wait till 6-8 weeks is that most move the kits, not the doe, for weaning. In a natural setting the kits would still live in the same area. The move to a new cage puts an added stress on them that does not necessarily occur in a colony or natural setting. If more of us bred for health and kept our rabbits in clean conditions there would be a lot less kits lost.

Ok I had not even thought of that, THOUGH I was going to do just that with this group. Im moving the does out not the kids due to the cage size's they are in. It just seemed easier to take the doe out and put back in a normal cage leaving the kits. Interesting !!!!

 

[fuzzy9]

I've always bred back at day 21, and weaned at 6 weeks. I started weaning at 5 weeks over the winter, and haven't had any problems. I have one doe in particular that has some monsters that I wean at 4 weeks, and they do just fine.

 

[garden lady]

I have not read this thread yet, but going to, but as for dogs, I think people are keeping their dogs for other reasons. I probably would not buy a puppy over 8 weeks, but depends on the situation, but would not sell mine less than 8. They take on habits from people. Best Boxer we ever had came to our house weaned at 6 weeks. His mother was done with him. I have had to hold greyhounds down to let puppies nurse and when they are done with them they are done. We bottle fed to supplement most litters. I have noticed a lot of kittens in the paper or craigslist and they kept them past cute nice stage. I think they get to a certain age and then they do not want them anymore. I do not see how a rabbit would stay with its mother for 8 weeks after seeing these pictures of how big they are, but I am going to read this and see what everybody thinks.

Adding that I read through and I guess I will see. Lulu is lucky she only has 5, so that would make a difference. She may not be bothered with these babies at all. I had a greyhound that had 3 puppies once and I left them a lot longer than I normally would and she did teach them things and she loved the puppies and did not want them to leave. They were weaned. I cannot wait to see what Lulu does with these 5 popples. She is not like what I read where they look like they do not pay attention. If Lulu hears a dog bark, she sits up and if one of the other rabbits moves too then Lulu runs back and checks on her babies. When I am filling water dishes or food, I look down the line and sometimes Lulu is in the back with the babies and comes back when I get close to her door, but she seems tired and I am going to start a thread about what she should eat.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

My breed back depends on the year and how many rabbits i need in the freezer for the year and also the doe condition. I dont breed in the cold anymore. I only breed a doe 3 times a year. So my breed back on them is 14 days. And ween the babies 5 weeks . But i move the doe not the litter. Less stress on the babies.

 

[AnnClaire]

OK,I have tried several ways of raising the kits ... I do sell some as pets, but most are butchered or replacement stock, and one doe is still quite standoffish and lunges at times.

The most successful litters were the ones that I pulled full time from the doe at the end of two weeks. These kits were then kept in the house overnight for socializing and moved to the runout pen in the morning. I would put the junior doe in and the whole mob would nurse on her, then I would put in the senior doe and same thing. Then, they would spend the whole day in the runout pen with the 11 older siblings (5 weeks older), the 3 adult does and 9 kits from 2 litters.

I also find that no matter the age difference between older kits and younger kits, as long as several adult does are in the pen, there have been no injuries to the youngest kits even when the does get to charging around and acting snarky to each other. I also provide a log that the kits can get under and play on top of and have seen them duck under the log to get out of the way of the does.

I also don't seperate the bucks until they are at least 12 weeks or if they start showing dominance, then they go in with one senior buck until he gets after the most dominate junior buck, then he is back to his cage.

 

[skysthelimit]

Weaning at 3 weeks does not equate to selling before 8 weeks. How did we get to that?

__________ Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:18 am __________

On a 14 day breed back schedule, the kits are out by the time the next litter is due. That does not mean they get sold, nor does it mean they have no interaction with adults. Hollands are left till 8-12 weeks. Most kits here don't live past 8 -12 weeks, so there is little need for extra socialization. The commercial meat breeds I raise are never sold as pets.

 

[DevonW]

I believe it is a bunch of hoopla. I had a doe die with a three week old litter all 13 of them survived without any help from me. I purposefully weaned a litter at 3 weeks all 6 of them survived and I still have one of them (the rest are getting tanned right now) they weren't stunted or malnourished because they were weaned "too early".

I find by 6-8 weeks they're just to big to be in the same cage as their mother. Trays fill up too fast with poop, a lot of food is wasted and not evenly distributed between everyone in the cage.

I believe weanling enteritis has more to do with problems with mycotoxins in hay and grains, and unsanitary conditions more than it has to do with age during weaning.

Granted I still wouldn't sell a rabbit to at least 8 weeks because I'd like to keep back the picks of the litter for my breeding program.

 

[skysthelimit]

I believe weanling enteritis has more to do with problems with mycotoxins in hay and grains, and unsanitary conditions more than it has to do with age during weaning.

Or a weak genetic line. I moved a litter at three weeks because the doe was bred back immediately, they have been fine. A litter from another doe, they were in with her till 8 weeks, and I lost kits in the cage with her, and another after separation, all before 12 weeks. I culled that doe because this is not the first time this had happened. I get a sick kit with every litter from her not matter what I do.

 

[Peach]

I believe the earliest I've weaned was 4 weeks and have had no problems. I've seen them nurse well into the 8th week,but that's usually if I hadn't looked at the calendar for a while. Not a problem for the most part because they have spacious cages. I just weaned a Mini Lop litter this week @ 7 weeks because I realized that it was about that time as I was going through them. I haven't checked mom for a while to see if she is producing milk, but I left a few of the smaller ones in with her just in case. I won't sell or buy until 8 weeks, but weaning young isn't a problem as long as you don't try to sell them off at the "cute stage".

 

[skysthelimit]

but weaning young isn't a problem as long as you don't try to sell them off at the "cute stage".

I think every stage is cute.

 

[Peach]

People that come to see and not buy (looking to see if a rabbit is right for them), occasionally try to convince me to sell them a rabbit at 4 weeks because they don't want to miss that part. Of course I don't sell to them, but usually they go off to someone that will sell them something at that age despite the reason why I told them I wouldn't in the first place. I hate people so much when they are just like but I NEED on ASAP. Do you think this is a fast food restaurant?

 

[Bad Habit]

My doe seems to stop nursing around 3 weeks. She'll hop away and grunt when any of the babies try to get under her to nurse. When I take her out at 4 weeks, I swear she sighs with relief.

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't even let people see anything under 8 weeks, and usually I only bring out kits I plan to sell, and only show pictures of available kits on my website.