[Help] New rabbiteer, questions about my 15 day old kits

[greenjeans]

I searched high and low, forgive me if this has been covered.

When and how do I introduce adult food to my kits?

I've got 8 15 day old kits, all fuzzy and eyes open, hopping around the nest box all happy. I haven't put anything into the nest box, momma's been a pretty good nurser (this is her first litter!)

When should I start introducing food and water to the kits? How? Should I put a dish of water and a dish of adult pellets into the nest box? Just sprinkle some around? Should I add some kind of a ramp to my (maybe too tall) nest box, so they can hop in and out and find momma's feeder? I've heard oats are good for growing kits (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/11/993251/-Raising-meat-rabbits-a-tale-of-food-independence-almost-anyone-can-participate-in-Part-3), should I put this into the nest box? We sometimes give momma a dish of oats next to her normal pellets.

We give momma fresh greens every few days, when and how should I introduce the kits to fresh greens? I hear this should wait, due to gut flora needing time to adjust.

Thank you!

 

[Susie570]

Normally, when the kits are big enough to leave the nest box, they start nibbling on momma's food with her and this is how they are introduced to solid food. It sounds like your kits are big enough to leave the nest box and I'm surprised they haven't managed to do it yet

 

[Rainey]

Our first kits were born in May (last year) and the adults had been gradually transitioned from pellets and hay to green forage and hay before they kindled. The kits just ate whatever they could reach of what their mother was eating--no problems. I think it would be the same whatever you're feeding the does--the kits eat what the does eat. And all changes in feed should be made gradually. If green stuff is only used as "treats" the suggestion seems to be not to give it to kits when they are first starting solids.
Enjoy them! Two to four weeks is my favorite stage.

 

[greenjeans]

Maybe my kits aren't hopping out of the nest box on their own because I made it too tall? I doubt they could hop back in over the 6" tall front side unless I made a ramp of hay or something.

 

[MaggieJ]

By fifteen days, most kits figure out how to hop out of the nest box. If your box is very deep, put something like a brick in it at the low end so give them a step. Do the same thing outside the box so they can get back in. An alternative that many people use is tipping the box on its side. I don't like that so well because the bedding gets scattered, but it is another way of handling the situation.

I agree with previous posters -- kits should get the same food as the doe, right from the beginning. If you feed greens only a couple of times a week, it might be better to feed less at a time but daily so the kits can develop the gut flora they need to digest fresh foods. Make sure the kits can reach the water too--sometimes a water bottle is mounted too high for young kits to reach easily.

 

[Marinea]

If my kits are slow to get out of the nest box, I sprinkle a little oats or pellets in the box daily until they're out. I usually start that about the time they open their eyes.

Congrats on the kits!

 

[II Arrows]

Both of my does litters are 14 days old today. I noticed from each litter, the bigger of the kits have either been pulled out or mistakenly hopped out already. Today when I got home from work I pulled them all out of the nest boxes and let them roam around the cage. I've seen them sampling hay (free choice) and some of mama's spilled pellets already. That was nice to see. This is my first successful go around with kits so I hope they all do well. should I put a dish with pellets and oats somewhere were they can get to it easily and also should I take the nest boxes out or give it another few days?

 

[katiebear]

I am a nest box turner..I take out the bedding and just put a few handfuls of hay towards the back..my boxes are pretty big so that gives mom a place to get away until they figure out the food dish. I also mount a water bottle down to kit height. I do that at about 2& 1/2 weeks...I put oats and pallets in the box as soon as they start to crawl around when eyes open.

 

[Ncrabbit]

I had kits jumping out of the box at 14 days and when I found them they were nibbling on some pellets. I also notice when I pull the box out and lay some hay down they usually start on that right away. I pretty much let them go for it when they are out of the box.

 

[Sagebrush]

I have permanent nest boxes that I built into the bottom of my maternity cages. I figure once they are actually able to jump out of those they should be good to go on the foods. After they are about 2.5 weeks old I start putting some of the weeds that I pull for the moms down into the nest, cleaning it out daily if need be, though most of the time momma takes the extra from the kits.