When do you wean your kits?

[akaj9]

I have had a sucessful healthy litter born, March 1st. Opened eyes on schedule, and hopped out of the nesting box this weekend. I turned the box over too make sure they could get back in and access the nest...Have witnessed them nibbling on tidbits around the floor and attempting to nibble grass out in the play yard. What do you guys add to there diet at this stage to ensure nice plump rabbits at 11-12 weeks? At what point do you wean the kits from the doe and remove her completely? I'm in no hurry, so what ever is best for the kits, doe and growth? Advise appreciated!

 

[mystang89]

I normally wean my kits starting at 4-5 weeks. I don't generally feed them anything different since they are on pellets. I just leave them that way and take 1 or 2 at a time depending on how big the litter was. I'll wait a couple of days to let my rabbit get used to not having as many kits and remove another 1 or two. When I get down to 4 or so I normally will only remove 1 kit at a time.

I don't know if its something I've done wrong in the past or not but my main momma doe seems great at producing milk but not so great at stopping producing milk and I've always had to express it for her towards the end when she starts becoming engorged, that's why I'm only taking one at a time out at the end.

 

[Dood]

Once they start leaving the nest box I sprinkle pellets and oats in the nest box to encourage them to get weaned. At 28 days I pull the 2 or 3 biggest kits, then 2 days later I pull another 2 or 3 and repeat until they are all out of there.

 

[Julz]

Hi as you mentioned you in no hurry ...you might want to feed them organically ive to wait another few weeks to answer you on how plump they will be on dispatch date but imo a varied according to season and locality organic diet is the best for them yet their growth rate is in my experience a lot slower compared to buns on pellets. when they started nibbling their moms feed i put an xtra bit in for them too. I seperated 5 kits at almost 5 weeks left 2 with the mom then transferred the 5 to grow pen at 8 weeks, kept the pick of the litter still in with her mom in another pen and put the 7th in with the growers, we wont be dispatching till they reach 5 pound hopefully wont be much longer than 12 -13 weeks but another factor in weight gain might be that mine have a lot of space to bunny hop n dart about as they do ...perhaps this adds to them not gaining the weight quickly too compared to buns in a smaller space any how just thought you might like to know an organic pen point of veiw , the good thing is you will find the best of advise from the people on here who will really help and also you will do what feels right to you to as its kind of an intunement and the feeding and caring for rabbits becomes a special part of you and congrats

 

[cathyd]

We wean our meat babies close to six weeks. I always make sure they have hay to nibble on when they get out of the nestbox. They start jumping into the j-feeder or sitting on momma's back to reach it! We feed an 18 % protein pellet. Genetics has a lot to do with your rate of growth. Just make sure they always have lots of fresh water. It amazes me how much a litter can drink in a day! Good Luck!

 

[Heritage Homestead]

As soon as my kits have left the nest they have access to the pellets and hay/grass/weeds (whatever they are all called ) that I give mama.
At 6 weeks I pull them all out at once.

 

[tailwagging]

wow you wean your kits early!
I may wean at 8 weeks but most often let mom do it. or hubby if they are bucks and going to camp.

 

[akaj9]

They seem to have grown so fast! I have a supply of moms pellets, lots Timothy/alfalfa hay, and weeds.... So ill watch them continue to grow! They have a few more weeks with momma I guess.. @ julz, mine have a lot of hopping space too... So we will see.... Since its our first litter ill stick with pellets until I have some better organics in supply... I'm thinking sweet potato vines and leaves are high in protein, but Its not season right now....as we gain more experience... And yes these guys are great! So forthcoming with all their help! I love this forum!!!!

 

[SarahMelisse]

I remove the kits from their dam (a few each day) at about 6-weeks, but their dam weans them herself at about 4-weeks. By 6-weeks old they have been eating pellets/fodder and hay and drinking from the water bottle for a couple weeks. I don't wean them if they are still trying to duck under their mama.

 

[Miss M]

I wean them all at once at 6 weeks. If I had a rabbit who was not as good at drying up, I'd remove them gradually.

I am going to start breeding back earlier, so I may start weaning them a little earlier.

 

[3mina]

I don't wean at all, my doe does that usually at four weeks. I remove the doe at about 4 1/2 to 5 weeks then I split the sexes a couple of weeks later.

 

[lithiumflower9]

I have a grumpy one that around 4 weeks I have to take the babies out or she gets really aggressive with them (babies have all been fine no growth issues or health issues). Others will wean them around 4 weeks and not care they are still in the pen with them, other moms take longer. So really it depends on the mom. Ideally I like them to stay at least six or more with mom.

 

[AnnClaire]

I wean at 4 weeks ... by this time they are fully on pellets, oats and hay. I also feed winter wheat grass and the oats that sprout for greens, and I make hay of the lawn clippings and feed that occassionally through the winter, along with dried carrot greens, bean vines/plants that I have put back. Monday, I found a pot that had carrot seed tops and they had a blast eating those too.

As long as they are eating well, they can be weaned at 4 weeks which also gives you the opportunity for a faster breed back if you have a shortened breeding season and need to fill the freezer while the "breeding is good"

 

[ottersatin]

I wean the Kits at six weeks and cut back on the Dams feed a bit.
I remove all the kits at once and that is when they are tattooed.
I tattoo regardless of where they may end up, you never know
when one will turn out to be an astonishing individual.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[TerriG]

At 4 weeks, I move the kits to a grow-out cage and put the dam in with one of my bucks. After she is bred, she gets moved to the grow-out cage with her kits. A week later, she gets moved back to her doe cage (in other words, I completely wean at 5 weeks). This gives her the next 3 weeks to get in better condition (if needed) and not be bugged by her kits. before she has her next litter. Most of my does wean around 4 weeks on their own, but I have at least one that does not.

 

[Disney]

I keep them together as long as possible, and normally would wean them with 8 weaks but i might extend that to 10 weeks.
The females stay with the mother, i don't seperate them. The buck are seperated with 10 weeks if i haven't sold them yet.

 

[michaelhodgejr]

I also wean at four weeks. I rebreed my does at around 7-10 days after birth, so that gives the doe roughly a week/week and a half baby free.