Too soon?

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I'm probably "overly protective" of this little litter of Mini Rex, but...they're my first MR kits and it's a trip, LOL!!! Today they are a little over two weeks old...and after their evening nap, I watched them attack their own nest. They were chowing down on the hay!!! I grabbed a pinch of oatmeal and sprinkled it in, and it was like a shark with blood in the water, they went NUTS devouring oatmeal. They're already hopping out of the nest though I'm not sure they can get back in...all my previous litters were larger rabbits, and their kits were NEVER this "fast" to mature. Is this normal???

It's like these little MR live in the fast lane!!!

 

[fuzzy9]

Kyle, mine start eating, and hopping out of the box about that age too. I would just put some sort of step in front of the box so they can get back in. A brick perhaps, or I like to use a 2x4 section with screws on the bottom to hold it in place. The screw heads lock in the floor wire. If mine are in and out often, and it's warm enough, I give my two week olds the boot, and take the box out. If it's a bit chilly yet, I tip it on it's side, and then you don't have to worry about them getting stuck outside the box, and getting chilled.

 

[Miss M]

Yep, I've had precocious litters like that! I put a brick in front of the box so they can get in.

I've had a couple of litters getting out frequently before their eyes open. I don't like that. I do what I can to keep them in the box until their eyes open. I pull out extra nest material. In summer, sometimes I'll leave about an inch of bedding in the box, and take the rest out. In winter, I'll hollow the front of the box out almost to the floor, and make the depression in the back deep, with a high wall in the front. If they make it over the hay wall, they fall into the front of the nest box, and have no way to climb out easily. At least they have a better chance than they would on the wire.

 

[Dood]

My ND were always very adventurous as kits, I thought it was normal for 2 week olds to go wandering around and to self wean at 4 weeks, or earlier Then I had a NZ litter and they holed up until they were 4 weeks old and didn't want to be weaned at all :lol:

 

[Miss M]

:lol:

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

LOL well maybe my larger rabbits are more lazy. It's kind of chilly so I want them in the nest as much as possible...whenever I see them out I toss the little goobers back in. I put a step-stone in front of the nest so they can theoretically get back in and I'm tempted to put a little cardboard box in the cage so that if they get "lost" they can hole up in there til I get to them.

Stupid fatty black kit got stuck between the water crock and the feed crock and was all sorts of sad. It was pathetic. :roll: I've since moved the crocks a ways apart, LOL. These two are so eager to get out and EXPLORE, even though it's chilly!!!! Silly wee things.

Thanks guys!!!