Kits & drinking water

[mothergoosemagic]

I had to remove the double pet feeder (feed & water) & replace it with a J-feeder. The kits decided sitting in the dry feed was a nice thing to do.

Now I'm wondering about how they will get liquids. They're not 3 weeks yet, so they're still nursing. A few have begun to nibble on the feed pellets, but will the doe train them to use the water bottle? It is where they can easily reach it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I had to remove the double pet feeder (feed & water) & replace it with a J-feeder. The kits decided sitting in the dry feed was a nice thing to do.

They do like to get into the bowls! :lol: If only they wouldn't poop and pee in there it wouldn't be a problem. I found a little kit in one of my J-feeders for the first time the other day- he was a bit early coming out of the nest, so could fit in there!

will the doe train them to use the water bottle? It is where they can easily reach it.

She wont exactly "train" them, but they will see her drinking and figure it out. I have an automatic system in my barn with valves at about 8" and the little bunnies stand on their hind legs to drink.

 

[skysthelimit]

They can smell water, and they will find it easily.

 

[akane]

Yep they have no trouble adjusting to various bottles and valves. It's best to mention what you've been using when you sell them though. If they have to learn a new water system extra care may have to be taken. More of a problem when they are raised on bowls and transferred to bottles but there's also the difference between ball valves on normal bottles and lever valves on auto systems and top fill bottles.

 

[mothergoosemagic]

UPDATE: Babies have found the water & are drinking just fine. Hard to believe they are already 3 weeks old (today). All are bouncing around in the cage & growing rapidly.

They're all bellying up to the J-feeder, too (18% Manna Gro). They started nibbling last week, but are full on eating now. Once a day, I also crumble a handful of alfalfa hay into the discontinued double pet feeder. They're more eager for that than Mama Sweetie right now.

Sweetie seems less enchanted with nursing them, too. I'm not getting any objection to taking the odd baby out of the cage, and every time she's eating & they attempt to latch on, she shakes them off & goes across the cage. I wasn't planning to wean them for a couple more weeks, but she may decide to do it earlier.

I do have a question about when they can have fresh foods. This morning I fed Sweetie some burdock leaves one at a time so they would be out of reach of the babies. What about mixing a little fresh clover in with their dried alfalfa hay?

I swear I don't remember being this nervous when I had *my* first baby...

 

[MaggieJ]

Regarding fresh greens and kits: if you plan to feed greens it is best to give them access to them from the very beginning. That way they develop the right gut flora to handle them during the period where they are just nibbling solid foods. I think you will have to go very slowly with this litter since they are already well on the way to weaning, but in future just give the greens to mom and let kits learn to eat them naturally.

I didn't know burdock leaves were safe for rabbits. Do you mean Arctium lappa? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium

 

[mothergoosemagic]

Maggie, I'm a little confused by your reply. What exactly do you mean by letting the babies learn to eat greens naturally? Right now, I've been hand feeding the mama small bits of treat at a time so the babies can't reach it.

The mama has been getting green treats since I got her. Various things--romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage, etc. Since I'm critter-sitting a guinea pig, I buy things that are compatible with his dietary needs. They're all on a pelleted diet, so these are strictly treats, i.e. 1 romaine leaf & 1/2 a carrot per day, usually in the evening.

We've finally hit a stretch of good weather, so I've been supplementing purchased greens with some fresh from the yard--grass, white clover, dandelion & burdock are all growing right now. All the critters have been enjoying the change of pace.

Since the babies are starting to eat hay, I thought I might try mixing in a little fresh. I also have a dehydrator, so I can dry the fresh clover before mixing it with the hay.

As for burdock, it probably is the same weed you linked to. It's safe for human consumption, & the pet bunnies we had eons ago loved the stuff. I only give our latest bunnies a few leaves at a time, and again, only as treats.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

What exactly do you mean by letting the babies learn to eat greens naturally?

Maggie raises her rabbits on mostly fresh foods and some grains, so as soon as her kits come out of the nests they immediately start eating fresh foods. At that age they just take a little nibble here and there, while getting most of their nutrition from nursing. This allows their gut flora to adjust to the feeds gradually.

Problems occur when you have rabbits on a pelleted feed and then give them a whole bunch of fresh foods because they don't have the correct intestinal flora to handle it.

The babies can have greens. Just start with a small portion and gradually up the amount.

these are strictly treats, i.e. 1 romaine leaf & 1/2 a carrot per day

Carrots (and fruit) are high in sugar, so should be looked at as rabbit "candy". I would reduce the portion size or give it only once or twice a week.

 

[MaggieJ]

MSD is correct: my rabbits get a diet based on free-choice alfalfa hay with some grass content, small amounts of whole grain (usually wheat) and as much fresh food (mainly weeds and certain tree branches) as the season will allow. They also have access to a trace mineral salt block, since they do not get pellets.

I'm sorry that my reply was confusing. If baby rabbits have full access to greens from the time they leave the nest, they will have not problems handling them. MSD is correct: they develop the proper gut flora during the nibbling stage, when their intake of solid foods is a small percentage of their diet, the rest being momma's milk.

Since you have not allowed this with the current litter, it is best to introduce the greens slowly. Dried clover, however, should be perfectly safe for any rabbits. It's really just clover hay!

I remember that I used to do what you do: hand feed momma her greens to keep the kits from getting them. Then a wise rabbit person explained to me that it is best to start off as I mean to continue. I've never looked back... and never lost a kit to greens in their diet.

Some very safe greens are the following: blackberry, raspberry and strawberry leaves and the lawn weeds plantain and shepherd's purse. These will not cause diarrhea and are in fact all excellent for treating it. See the Safe Plants for Rabbits sticky for more ideas to cut your feed bills and let your rabbits enjoy nutritious, free greens.
safe-plants-for-rabbits-list-t55.html

Edited to add: While you can certainly feed romaine lettuce, carrots and cabbage to rabbits in moderation, I have found that the safest and best choices of greens are those found in the Safe Plants List. Best of all, they are generally plentiful and free.

 

[mothergoosemagic]

Thanks, Mama Sheepdog & Maggie J. Your followup posts cleared my confusion.

re: carrots. The rabbits only get their 1/2 carrot about twice per week. The piggy gets his more often as per his owner's request.

re: yard greens. Didn't have much choice about buying greens until the last couple of weeks. Our normally mild winter turned very nasty this year. We're in the mountainous, western part of Virginia, so we tend to get more snow than the flatter, eastern part. Our last frost date is mid-May, & it's been known to go later than that.

I do vegetable garden extensively as well as forage, so I'm familiar with the edible (human) plants in my area. I still plan to stick with the pellets, but I will be only too happy to feed the buns all the blackberry shoots they'd like! We battle the nasty things every year.