Is it okay to move kits and doe to a new cage ?

Jasminebunny · Jun 14, 2020

Is it okay to move my does 9 day old kits to a new cage ?
She's turned 6 or turning 6 ( i think..) by the way .

hotzcatz · Jun 15, 2020

She needs to stay with the kits until they are about 6 weeks old and completely weaned. If you wanted to move all of them to a new space, it may upset the doe, or it may not. It all depends on the doe. I've had to move a doe to a new space with a young litter, but usually I try to keep them in the same nest box where they were born for the first month. But, everything is different depending on the situation.

Jasminebunny · Jun 15, 2020

I wanted to move them all ,as her current cage is too tiny .
I'm not changing nest box .

So shouldn't move ?

Preitler · Jun 15, 2020

Well, I would avoid it if there's not a good reason for it. But it can be done, doe needs time, rest and privacy to adjust though, I just show her where the nest is 2 or three times by dunking her nose into it, then stay away. No meddling.

When I moved nests - from tunnels in the garden to the hutch - I confined the doe to that part of the hutch for at least a day, until I was sure she fed them, those were newborns though. There's the risk involved, due to stress of being moved, that she abandons the litter. My meat mutts are pretty cool about stuff like that, but there are less resilient rabbits out there.

Any way to give access to a run around the cage? Warning, kits get through and into tiny spaces when they start to venture out.
Since I don't know what "tiny" actually means I can't tell if you should move them or not.

Didn't you plan to reduce your headcount of bunnies?

Jasminebunny · Jun 15, 2020

Preitler":2nzx8zs1 said:
Well, I would avoid it if there's not a good reason for it. But it can be done, doe needs time, rest and privacy to adjust though, I just show her where the nest is 2 or three times by dunking her nose into it, then stay away. No meddling.

When I moved nests - from tunnels in the garden to the hutch - I confined the doe to that part of the hutch for at least a day, until I was sure she fed them, those were newborns though. There's the risk involved, due to stress of being moved, that she abandons the litter. My meat mutts are pretty cool about stuff like that, but there are less resilient rabbits out there.

Any way to give access to a run around the cage? Warning, kits get through and into tiny spaces when they start to venture out.
Since I don't know what "tiny" actually means I can't tell if you should move them or not.

Didn't you plan to reduce your headcount of bunnies?

Tiny ,is 36 inch . ( i did think it was a little tiny when it came.. i think.)
I couldn't put a run around the cage , in the way of my dads room.

I'm rehoming right now .
Keeping around.. maybe .. 2 breeding does and 2 breeding bucks . ( around 6-7 in total )
Does that sound okay ? <br /><br /> -- Mon Jun 15, 2020 6:36 pm -- <br /><br /> Also , baby was half walking , half crawling , is that normal ?

Preitler · Jun 15, 2020

Since it can't see and not run yet, yes, and it should be in the nestbox.

Keeping around.. maybe .. 2 breeding does and 2 breeding bucks . ( around 6-7 in total )
Does that sound okay ?

How would I know? The picture I got from your posts isn't really consistent enough to comment on that, and I got a hunch that it wouldn't do much anyway. If your parents are ok with it, it might be. Breeding rabbits indoors can be a messy affair.

BTW, that's pretty much my setup, 2 breeding does, 2 retired ones, a young buck and my two house bunnies. Lots of work. Since breeding does should be bred at least once a year to keep them in shape and things working I have 2 litters of 8 now. Well, the 6 week old litter is down to 7, one kit had an accident, got stuck with one rear foot and almost tore it completly off, had to kill it last friday. One of those things that come with the joyful experience of breeding rabbits, part of the reponsibility that comes with it.
Can't sell any of the remaining 15 with a good conscience since that young buck I got this year has some immune system issues, doesn't stop sneezing, should have culled him weeks ago, *sigh*, doesn't get easier with time. All rabbits around here carry some bug, some have a sneezing episode now and then when stressed but recover, that buck does not and he and his offspring need to be culled, can't let that problem spread or make it other peoples problems.
Although things like that happen I would miss breeding rabbits, and crawling through the underbrush, wet to the bone, picking up my 3 Houdinis that keep getting out of the fence every day...