ah, but understand this.... It doesn't matter the age of the rabbit that you sell. You can sell an 8 week old kit, a 4 month old youngster, or a 2 year old senior... and they literally ALL could get enteritis and die. EVERY single one. So the possibility that they MIGHT get sick and die isn't sufficient reason to not sell a rabbit. The seller of the rabbit should be getting their "to be sold" rabbits into condition to be sold before they sell them.
For some herds that means meaning kits at 6 weeks so that they can adjust to feed without momma providing supplementation to their diet.
For other herds, it means keeping kits with mom until either mom is saying "I want to be bred, get this bothersome youngsters away from me", and selling those kits right off of mom.
For yet OTHER herds... the process might be different. Such as slowing adding a variety of feed to their diet to get them ready for pet homes. Or keeping them with mom until 8 weeks, weaning for a couple of weeks, and then selling kits at 10-12 weeks.
The law might (or might not) matter to the individual rabbit owner. And understand, that not everywhere has an 8 week minimum age requirement.
Every herd is different, every owner has a different method that time and trial has taught them (hopefully).
I USED TO sell rabbits at five weeks and only lose one or two of them per year.
over the past 20 years.... more and more people are insisting that rabbits have to be 8 weeks or older (as we've been more and more influenced by many stateside laws)... so now I don't sell until they are 8-9 weeks old... and my losses in the course of year haven't changed.
But where I live.... the government doesn't have a minimum age requirement, so if I want to sell at 6 weeks I can. AND it doesn't influence the outcome.
I know that if I purchase a rabbit I want it under three months or over six months. That between 3-6 months age is prime time for brought in rabbits to develop enteritis in how I raise rabbits. I dunno why, I just know that it is.
Perhaps the question should be...
HOW DO YOU prepare your rabbits to move into a new home? As opposed to what age do you insist rabbits be before they move into a new home?
For some herds that means meaning kits at 6 weeks so that they can adjust to feed without momma providing supplementation to their diet.
For other herds, it means keeping kits with mom until either mom is saying "I want to be bred, get this bothersome youngsters away from me", and selling those kits right off of mom.
For yet OTHER herds... the process might be different. Such as slowing adding a variety of feed to their diet to get them ready for pet homes. Or keeping them with mom until 8 weeks, weaning for a couple of weeks, and then selling kits at 10-12 weeks.
The law might (or might not) matter to the individual rabbit owner. And understand, that not everywhere has an 8 week minimum age requirement.
Every herd is different, every owner has a different method that time and trial has taught them (hopefully).
I USED TO sell rabbits at five weeks and only lose one or two of them per year.
over the past 20 years.... more and more people are insisting that rabbits have to be 8 weeks or older (as we've been more and more influenced by many stateside laws)... so now I don't sell until they are 8-9 weeks old... and my losses in the course of year haven't changed.
But where I live.... the government doesn't have a minimum age requirement, so if I want to sell at 6 weeks I can. AND it doesn't influence the outcome.
I know that if I purchase a rabbit I want it under three months or over six months. That between 3-6 months age is prime time for brought in rabbits to develop enteritis in how I raise rabbits. I dunno why, I just know that it is.
Perhaps the question should be...
HOW DO YOU prepare your rabbits to move into a new home? As opposed to what age do you insist rabbits be before they move into a new home?
