Heritage Homestead
Well-known member
Glad I live in a smart state. At least concerning this.JessicaR":1lxw5h4p said:
selling 3 wkrs!
- Thread starter lissapell
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BroodCoop":2o6ym961 said:
In a colony setting, rabbits could potentially live with her babies forever. Of course, that is if you have the space. Just like wild rabbits, they can have the option to leave their young and reject their advances for milk at any time.
In a cage, when everyone is tearing into each other would be cruel, but otherwise, rabbits are usually separated at 8 weeks. I have a meat mutt doe that gets FAT even with babies! She maintains herself and her condition, so I keep her bred. She's an excellent mother and hasn't failed me. She normally has the average litter of 5. Don't even know what she's mixed with, but I'll always take her out to check her flesh condition before a breed back. If you doe is really looking ragged, and out of condition, then that would be considered cruel to me.
I've noticed better growth with my Mini Lops that stay with Mom for 8 weeks than rabbits I weaned at 6 weeks.
Most pet/feed stores that sell rabbits don't give a flying monkey what age the kits are. In fact they prefer them very young because they can be kept together, which makes it easy for them, and are quicker to sell. It's all about profit for them. Okay, you're a store, but does that necessarily mean you should totally disregard what is best for the wellbeing of the rabbits just for a profit? Not to mention it is often against the law. I know a pet store who will get rabbits from ANYBODY, especially if they will practically give them the rabbits. They have repeatedly bought rabbits from an individual who had sold them a severly splayed kit and didn't even mention it to them, along with underaged kits who often die at the store. It makes you wonder what else that individual is willing to sell to them. But as long as they can get their rabbits cheap from them, they don't care. By them not having any standard of who they purchase from, they are keeping these horrible ethicless "breeders" in business.
BroodCoop
Well-known member
BroodCoop":3ey1m1e9 said:
I asked this question because the priority usually voiced is for the kits and rarely mentioned is the well-being of the doe (mother). I raise larger rabbits and kits grow fast. At six weeks an average litter is getting big. I never checked to see at what point the litter outweighs the mom but it happens quickly. I think my moms would hate me if I left the kits in with them as long as animal rights activists seem to think is necessary. I doubt most activists have ever raised rabbits and probably wouldn't be able to accurately observe what was happening if they did. I gotta look out for moms, it's in my DNA.
That could depend on the cage size too...
Anyhow, I was thinking about moving some kits out to Kori at 3 weeks (because the quarantine of the other two will end when kits are 3 weeks and I'll need Koris space in the doe-pen to keep 4 does together) to keep him company. When do they stop feeding from the moms? Or could I have them with Kori during the day and put them back in the pen at night or something?
Anyhow, I was thinking about moving some kits out to Kori at 3 weeks (because the quarantine of the other two will end when kits are 3 weeks and I'll need Koris space in the doe-pen to keep 4 does together) to keep him company. When do they stop feeding from the moms? Or could I have them with Kori during the day and put them back in the pen at night or something?
siddsaysgimmie
Well-known member
Yup, I see 3-4 week old babies in the pet stores here quite often. They're just general mixed breed bunnies that will be fairly large, but they call them "mini dwarf rabbits" because they're tiny (well, they ARE way too young to leave mom.. of course they're small) and sell them for $70-$80. I completely avoid looking in the bunny area now because I get so ticked.
OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
BroodCoop":3libwxiy said:
My does generally have weaned the kits themselves by the time I "wean" them at 4wks... they start getting cranky with the kits being underfoot all the time. I may leave one in there with her if it is winter, just keep each other warm, but not the whole litter.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
I lost a doe last year this time, kits were three weeks and 10 of 11 survived. Not the idea situation.
I have a litter of 6 week olds in with mom, usually I wean sooner, but this is my Convention litter and I want them to be a big bigger. When mom is ready to kindle again they will go. Mom is huge, and I had not expected that. She had her first oops litter at 5 mos, and the breeder did not think she would reach senior weight, but she is easily 8lbs and she looks fat, so I bred her again.
I want the kits weaned early mostly because I think mom is eating too much of their food, or because they are eating all of moms food.
But no one, kits or puppies, leave my house before 12 weeks anymore.
I have a litter of 6 week olds in with mom, usually I wean sooner, but this is my Convention litter and I want them to be a big bigger. When mom is ready to kindle again they will go. Mom is huge, and I had not expected that. She had her first oops litter at 5 mos, and the breeder did not think she would reach senior weight, but she is easily 8lbs and she looks fat, so I bred her again.
I want the kits weaned early mostly because I think mom is eating too much of their food, or because they are eating all of moms food.
But no one, kits or puppies, leave my house before 12 weeks anymore.
I had a buyer in this week to pick a kit for her grand daughter. I told them it would be at least 4 weeks before the kit was ready to leave even though it wasn't nursing any more. I put the little girl's initial in the ears while she was here so she would know which one was hers. They will be back to visit the kit a couple of times each week until it is 9 weeks old.
lissapell
Well-known member
AnnClaire I love that. I love that she went ahead and picked her kit but is gong to come visit it until it can go home with her. That is very special.
I like it too as, even though she is only 7 years old, it will give me time to show her and her grandmother (who will probably do most of the care) how to hold it, how to brush it, how to trim the nails, what to feed, etc.
