early weaning

[coffeenutdesigns]

k, so my babies are little over 2 weeks. I plan to early wean so I can dispatch that doe and get one sick rabbit out of my hair. They have been nibbling hay and oats sprinkled in their box. Today I had the cages out on the grass while I cleaned their area and they are having a good time nibbling the grass. I sprinkled a few pellets to see if they'd eat them and they are trying a little bit.

What process do I use to get them weaned in the next week? They are barely over 2 weeks old right now.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Uhm...like four to five weeks is early weaning, I doubt you will have much luck getting them sufficiently weaned by three weeks. I know they are nibbling a lot of new things but they are still pretty dependent on mom's milk. I'd say wait a little longer.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Uhm...like four to five weeks is early weaning, I doubt you will have much luck getting them sufficiently weaned by three weeks. I know they are nibbling a lot of new things but they are still pretty dependent on mom's milk. I'd say wait a little longer.

Kyle, the "early weaning" she is speaking of relates to the "Clean Litter" protocol and is actually weaning at 2.5 weeks. 4-5 weeks isn't really considered early by many. I regularly wean at 4-5 weeks and by then, the doe usually has already weaned the kits herself.

The doe is given ABX for a couple of weeks to lower the bacterial load and then the kits are weaned at 2.5wks onto a diet of rolled oats, hay, some pellets, and water or milk replacer.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I had to cull one of my does due to snot, and she had two kits that were around 2 weeks old- maybe 12 days. I tried bottle feeding them, but they wouldn't go for it. They also didn't seem to be eating the oats or hay. Somehow (photosynthesis?) they survived those first days before actively beginning to eat.

I still have one of them- the other had a seizure and died.

You could try putting a bowl of milk replacer out for them to see if they drink it. Mine preferred water.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

would the goat milk/egg/molasses or corn syrup mixture work for that? I would like to have them totally weaned by 4 weeks, so about a week and a half from now, but there are 8 of them to wean.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Yes, that would work fine.

Do you have a another cage so you can separate them now and bring the doe back once a day to nurse?

 

[Dood]

I would not add a novel dairy product to their diet at this point but would have introduced it once I decided to do an early wean.

It is like regular weaning but you may need to back up a step or just for the kits that cannot hack it.

Move mom to the next cage over and only put her with them once a day. Make sure they have a warm nest, can reach the water and continue giving them free choice pellets, oats and whatever else you offer and I would sprinkle it in the nest so they dont have to find it. Then start putting mom in every other day, watch the kits closely for d'hrea and if all goes well put her in every 2 days etc...

Good Luck.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Well, I will bow to those more experienced than I am but I would worry about the kits developing as well. I guess just not something I'd do. Best of luck though!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Well, I will bow to those more experienced than I am but I would worry about the kits developing as well. I guess just not something I'd do. Best of luck though!

It certainly isn't the optimal way to raise a litter, but the doe has Pasteurella. The hope is to get the kits away before they contract it.

 

[Secuono]

I would wait for 3wks. Mine at that age are chow hounds and come running for any food I bring them.
I'm quite sure I could of pulled them and none would have much issue with it.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I wasn't thinking, but I will have to wait until they are 3 weeks old anyway. I am going out of town this weekend and leaving the kids in charge, they each get a "set" of rabbits to deal with and I don't want to throw any kinks in the system while I'm not here.

 

[skysthelimit]

I had a doe died when the kits were three weeks, did not lose a single kit from a litter of 11.

 

[ladysown]

Having been there, done that a time or two...

This is what I do.

remove the doe at day 17 PERMANENTLY, leave the kits in their own pen, feed the kits hay, oatmeal and pellets. Some people wet the pellets but I find that unnecessary to do. If needed and you have healthy rabbits...you could put some of the poops from healthy rabbits into their water dish. Do check their bums regularly to make sure they are keeping themselves clean.

If needed.... mix some cat probiotics (you can buy dry probiotics at the pet store) you don't need much. Mix that in with the oatmeal to support their digestive systems. you do NOT need to feed milk of any sort.

they will grow slower and look rough at times but they should do just fine for you.

Really safe greens if they are in season for you and use to them in mom's milk/diet are parsley and possibly carrot tops/plantain. Banana tends to set well with wee littles as well.

the reason you remove the doe permanently is that if you put her back in with them post day 17 you are negating the factor of health based early weaning. ALSO...you see any snot or wheezing or head tilt side or held up on the kits not related to messy baby eaters you cull that kit IMMEDIATELY. You don't mess around with it. The only thing you mess with is keeping butts clean and the babies eating/drinking

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

ladysown, have you raised healthy kits from sick does doing it this way? Why is day 17 the magic number? Thanks for all the advice. Winging it here.<br /><br />__________ Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:59 pm __________<br /><br />

I had a doe died when the kits were three weeks, did not lose a single kit from a litter of 11.

what did yours eat?