Weaning all at once, any problems with mastitis?

[Nika]

I read this a few days ago:

"Weaning consideratopms:

The proper procedure used in weaning the kits has been extensively discussed and researched. Most successful rabbit breeders now agree on the following parameters when weaning kits:
The doe and litter should be separated at one time. The doe should either be removed from the kits and placed in another cage or the kits should be removed from the doe and the entire litter should be held together.
Weaned rabbits should be kept together for two to three weeks after weaning from the doe because the stress on the weaned rabbits is reduced if the siblings are kept together for sometime after weaning.
Removing the kits all at one time reduces the incidents of mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) in the doe.
By removing all the kits at one time, the doe tends to dry up what little milk she does produce much faster, since allowing some kits to stay with her would stimulate milk production though the suckling process."
http://florida4h.org/projects/rabbits/M ... aning.html

What do you think? How many of you practise this procedure? How soon (or what was the soonest) do you wean? Any incidence with mastitis? My "problem" is that does don`t wean kits on their own, they just let them suckle so they have constant milk supply. I used to let doelings with them till the butcher time, but now I need more meat so I have to separate them and the process of a few days weaning is really unconvenient for me.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I used to leave a couple kits with the doe, but now I just wean them all together.

If your doe is still producing lots of milk, you can give her mint or catmint to help dry up her milk.

 

[ladysown]

both methods work for me with no mastitis issues.

 

[Rainey]

Thanks for raising this topic. We've weaned gradually, taking a few kits out at a time over 2 or 3 days. Just assumed that was necessary to allow the milk production to taper off. Good to know that the all at once approach isn't a problem for rabbits.

 

[alforddm]

Well, speaking from personal experience, I prefer weaning a bit at a time rather than all at once.. :lol: :x :lol:

Not sure if works exactly the same in rabbits or not.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Well, speaking from personal experience, I prefer weaning a bit at a time rather than all at once.. :lol: :x :lol:

:lol:

I left the weaning decision up to my kids, so things just tapered off naturally.

That's a good point, though- if a doe is still really heavy with milk she would definitely need to be watched for signs of discomfort/heat/swelling, and I would definitely feed mint and catmint.

 

[TF3]

So far I have mostly removed them all at once (this is usually done with goats and horses , too... baby bunnies are less vocal about it LOL) without issue.

 

[Zass]

From personal experience, :lol: I agree with the others, tapering off is nicer.

With the rabbits, I've used both methods quite a bit and continue to do both. Mastitis has only ever reared it's ugly head once, and it wasn't at weaning.
The kits were only 2.5 weeks old.
I was using a wooden bottomed pen during very warm and moist summer weather.

I feel I am entirely at fault for providing WAY too much bacteria habitat.
Since using only wire floored pens outside, I've had zero instance of mastitis.

 

[BlueHaven]

You know how well your doe is handling leaving them on. If she is getting sick of those babies, I take the two largest babies out, and every two days, take out two more, till they are gone. Works for me. If you have an easy going doe that will just nurse them forever, you can just take them all out at eight even ten weeks. My doe was tired of being chased around by four weeks. Sound soon, but they were on pellets already and doing fine. The separated babies actually grew and gained better off the doe. I don't know if this was perhaps because she was not milking much, or what, but I never felt she really did.

 

[imajpm]

I wean all at once. Never had mastitis. It's usually somewhere around 4-5 weeks. I let the doe tell me when she is sick of them and of course the kits have to be eating like piglets. Then I give my does mostly hay and cut the concentrates in half. I'd cut them out altogether for a few days but they are such skilled beggars...my heart...I can't take it...