selling 3 wkrs!

[lissapell]

I stopped at a local feed store for a few items for the buns and they were selling bunnies. I went over the check out the lovable bundles of fluff to discover they were only 3 wks old! I was so upset. There eyes were still squinky. They were sooo tiny. The guy was talking about selling them that young so they bond properly with a child.

 

[Bad Habit]

I can't believe people do this. Seriously, it's not cool, and those breeders who are selling their babies to the store that early just give every other breeder a bad name.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Poor little bunnies! Did you tell them to give them oats and hay so they at least have a chance?

 

[Dood]

I cannot believe so many people still believe you have to practally bottle feed a baby to get it to 'bond' to you!!!

People want puppies at 6 weeks so they'll 'bond' to them

They want kittens at 5 week so they'll 'bond' to them

SHEESH!!

As some one who has bottle fed and fostered way too many baby animals, TRUST ME, they don't 'bond' to you any better and actually they tend to turn into little hellions since they think they are human and not animals!

Nearly every dog or cat (and a lot of rabbits) I have owned since I was 14 has been adopted/rescued/saved after it was 8 months old and they still bond to you, and many times these traumatized animals bond so closely they get insane separation anxiety whenever you go to take a leak!

Give the kids a break and let them be rabbits, dogs, cats, horses, etc... before we start turning them into furry humans.

What do these people think the word 'bond' means? The rabbit will be like a long eared Lassie and save Jimmy from a well?

People are SICK SICK SICK

 

[lissapell]

Poor little bunnies! Did you tell them to give them oats and hay so they at least have a chance?

I mentioned how they appeared to not know what to do with the pellets. He said they just are not hungry right now. He was advising people against giving oats b/c it is not nutritionally balanced for a rabbit. They had hay all over the cage. I did screw up a few of his sales tho. I told 2 moms if they bought those rabbits at that young age they would most likely die very shortly. They should still be nursing at at least weaning at that age not on complete pellets.

 

[Secuono]

Aww, those poor babies will most likely die...that's terrible!
What's the legal selling age of rabbits in your state?

 

[Miss M]

He was advising people against giving oats b/c it is not nutritionally balanced for a rabbit.

Grrrrrr... of course it's not nutritionally balanced! It's not supposed to be! You give it to rabbits for a few days to help transition to new food, as part of a feed mix, to help with tummy troubles, or you give it to babies that are too young to sell, because some numbskull decides they don't need Mommy any more!

My parents, not knowing any better, bought me a bunny for Easter one year (some 30 years ago). It fit in one hand, and was so tiny and cute. I had no idea until a couple of years ago, when we started raising meat rabbits, how young that rabbit was. It might have been three weeks old... at the most. Like I said, it fit comfortably in one hand. It was about the size of the bunnies I raise now that are about 2 weeks old.

This was no dwarf breed bun, either. She grew to be a 20+ pound bunny, and she was not fat. She liked to chase the cat around. He didn't appreciate it.

We were so upset when we realized how young she was weaned! Of course, this was long after she died. I can't believe to this day that that little bun survived!

 

[lissapell]

Aww, those poor babies will most likely die...that's terrible!
What's the legal selling age of rabbits in your state?

I dont know that there is one..

 

[Secuono]

I emailed someone in Mississippi about what age rabbits can be legally sold. I tried Googling it, no luck.
Unrelated, found that dogs may be able to be sold at 7wks in VA...not happy with that.

 

[Zab]

Our legal age here is 8 weeks for rabbits and dogs, 12 for cats. (Because cat's needs their mothers to teach them to deal with frustration and such, which happens at their third months). I do't know if it's a legally set age or if it's just a very strong recommendation... but I don't knw a single sale site that allows ads where the animal is sold before the proper age. You can say ''ready to leave feb 5th when it's 8 weeks'' and advertize at 2 weeks, but you can't advertize at 2 weeks without saying that they'll leave home at 8.

Most of my animals has bonded well enough with me, except a few that just didn't click with me. They bonded to others later on though. My both cats are horrible :lol: I wish Cleo could be more independent, like Bau..and then Bau is annoying as ever anyhow because she wants contact and foods and entertainment as soo as she's indoors.

 

[SarahMelisse]

It amazes me that people don't look into the care of an animal before purchasing one.

 

[Peach]

People will do anything to make money. Even worst, people will only listen to what they want to hear! I advised a girl at a pet store to not purchase some 4 week olds at the Petland near us and she purchased them anyways. Then I had her calling me over and over because her rabbit started having an overflow of diarrhea then died. It was too "CUTE" to not buy them. Please. Some people bring it upon themselves. Then there are the salesmen that would sell their own mother that do not help the situation.

 

[AmysMacdog]

That one of the good things about Georgia is they do have laws for the minimum age you can sell baby animals.
Before they did that, I saw 3-4 week old rabbits for sale all the time. I was lucky to have good rabbit mentors starting out or heaven forbid, I could have turned out like that.
As it was, while working for the vet one time before the laws, someone brought in a puppy for its first vaccines and it was put in the kennel, and I looked at that puppy and read the cage card, openned the door and checked the puppies teeth to get an idea how young it was. The puppies teeth were barely breaking the gums and its ears were still closed!!!! Upset I took the puppy up and showed one of the vets, she shook her head in disgust and told me she'd let the owners know and educate them on how to take care of such a young pup. They went home with puppy formula and cans of Science Diet puppy food. The pup grew up fine but if they hadn't come the first day they had it, it probably would have turn out sad.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I was at an auction one day-- the auctioneer looked in the cage, and asked-- "Anyone know if these are old enough?" I was quite vocal in my reply-- NO WAY-- need at least two more weeks with mom! They went as a group--and everyone heard my estimation of the age-- the seller did not argue the point!

When the coat is so thin and soft, and you can see the skin from 5 feet away, the babies need Mom...

This is the auction where people started to watch me, to see if I was interested in what was up as far as rabbits...

 

[Heritage Homestead]

I did screw up a few of his sales tho. I told 2 moms if they bought those rabbits at that young age they would most likely die very shortly.

I was quite vocal in my reply-- NO WAY-- need at least two more weeks with mom!

Good for you both! I hate to see bunnies that young sold. I don't know what the "legal" age is in Ohio, but I am going to find out.

 

[Secuono]

Question- What is the legal selling age for rabbits in Mississippi?

Answer-
"There is no regulation regarding this in Mississippi.

Jim Watson, D.V.M.
State Veterinarian
PO Box 38xx
Jackson, MS 39207
601-359-11xx Office
601-359-11xx Fax"


Oh, those poor animals...We have to rely on hoping the people are wise... =(

 

[lissapell]

No regs doesn't surprise me at all. People willing to buy them really shouldnt either but to see babies up for sale shocks me.

 

[JessicaR]

I did screw up a few of his sales tho. I told 2 moms if they bought those rabbits at that young age they would most likely die very shortly.

I was quite vocal in my reply-- NO WAY-- need at least two more weeks with mom!

Good for you both! I hate to see bunnies that young sold. I don't know what the "legal" age is in Ohio, but I am going to find out.

In Ohio its 8 weeks.

 

[BroodCoop]

Does anyone think it is cruel to the mom to leave the babies with her too long? How long?

 

[Zab]

Does anyone think it is cruel to the mom to leave the babies with her too long? How long?

Well if you breedcback right after kindling it may wear on her. Bucklings should be removed before they can breed her or their sisters.
Except that, if they have enough space and get along fine they can stay with her forever. In my opinion.