When to Wean *Little kits*

[ButtonsPalace]

I have two babies from where I crossed my big white doe with my Netherland Dwarf *He's broken black, she's white, I was curious.* So her babies are super little and fluffy. But the one seems to be having diarrhea that has went away since removing her from mom she's about 3.5 weeks old. Is she too old for milk? Her poop hardened up after I took her away.. She was born a day later than her brother too..

 

[Zass]

3.5 weeks old is absolutely not too old for rabbit milk. 4 weeks (or as close to it as possible, in the case of back-to-back-litters) is the absolutely earliest I've ever heard of someone routinely weaning kits.

I prefer to allow my does to wean their kits whenever they wish. I usually separate them from the doe in the 6-8 week range, depending on litter size.

I have had does nurse kits as late as 11-12 weeks (Mucky actually nursed Sushi that long I have pictures.)

Other does have nursed whole litters until 9 weeks. Later supplementation of milk by a doe has never caused any GI issues in my herd.

 

[ButtonsPalace]

Well her girl parts *Vent?* is very red and puffy I've took her out from mom and fed her some dry food and it seems to have dried her poop up. Could it be that since it's only the two they are getting too much? This is the first time she has had babies this small *Because they are a cross*

 

[olafthebunny]

I hope she does better soon!

 

[ButtonsPalace]

Thank you Olafthebunny, along with everyone else I cut the long fur around her vent where it was all clumping together and I feel like that should help seeing as now there shouldn't be fur for her poop to clump into. I think she wasn't able to go through the re-digestion process because there was so much fur.. Might've got a bit out of hand and then too sore for her to clean herself.. Although she does like having her parts washed as I've noticed she sleeps every time I run warm water on her below and clean it hehe

-- AMpSat, 14 May 2016 09:08:00 +000008Saturday 29, 2016 12:58p.05 --

3.5 weeks old is absolutely not too old for rabbit milk. 4 weeks (or as close to it as possible, in the case of back-to-back-litters) is the absolutely earliest I've ever heard of someone routinely weaning kits.

I prefer to allow my does to wean their kits whenever they wish. I usually separate them from the doe in the 6-8 week range, depending on litter size.

I have had does nurse kits as late as 11-12 weeks (Mucky actually nursed Sushi that long I have pictures.)

Other does have nursed whole litters until 9 weeks. Later supplementation of milk by a doe has never caused any GI issues in my herd.

Thank you so much for this! I felt stupid posting this because I know buns know when to wean I always leave them with mom until she starts putting on a bit of weight again because usually that means mom has stopped nursing and has dried up all her own like they would in the wild I suppose... I had a neighbor tell me that "Smaller things develop faster" His logic or what he told me was that small bunnies develop faster so they become lactose intolerant.. Which is what made me wonder.. I made another post as I think you might now about her possibly getting vent disease from this I think anyway lol.. Either way. I knew better.. I just haven't raised rabbits this young before.. And usually older adults when they sound like they know what they are talking about usually aren't just blowing smoke up your bum *I'm not from here originally so I hope I worded that right* <br /><br /> -- PMpSat, 14 May 2016 18:33:57 +000033Saturday 29, 2016 12:58p.05 -- <br /><br /> Just wanna update this for anyone who might care, I took her away from mom overnight and then put her back in after clipping hair around her bum. There is no more mangled hair and her vent looks nice and pink instead of red and puffy. She's all good again.. Although still really little... And thanks to her wonderful momma she is growing into a pretty young lady and her brother is a plump little thing.. Goodness they are precious. I really should post some pictures