Too young to come home?

[jerseynicholson93]

Hey everyone,
So I had done a fair amount of searching around looking at the breeders in my area to find myself a responsible and reputable breeder to get a baby from. I've done a lot of speaking to my breeder and I have been waiting a few weeks now for my baby to be old enough to come home. Everything about my breeder appears great! She is very knowledgable, she has many rabbits and lots of experience, she has pet rabbits not just breeding for money, she has an elaborate fb page and website, and she keeps up with all of her adopted babies making sure they go to great homes. I was supposed to be picking my netherland dwarf up around April 30th but my breeder contacted me and said she would be able to leave this weekend, she will be about 5 weeks old at this time and I hear the general consensus is that babies shouldn't go until 8 weeks. I want to bring her home ASAP but I don't want anything bad to happen to her! If I bring her home around 5 weeks will she be healthy and will everything be ok? I want the very best life for my bunny, any help or advice would be appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!

 

[whiskylollipop]

Between 5-8 weeks most bunnies have been weaned, and this would be the period where they start learning about social interactions and other bunny stuff. Taking a 5 week old bunny is fine, in the sense that it won't die being away from mummy. But it might cut short his social education and affect the way he relates to other bunnies/animals - an important consideration if you have other rabbits or might be planning on getting another to keep your lil guy company.

My nethie Sasha was taken away very young (according to the rescue) by a bunch of boys who didn't know any better. I'm having trouble now bonding her to my lop Merlin. She's completely unsure of how to interact with him, and gets so worked up in fear she just ends up biting him and starting a fight. Yet I know and feel that having a buddy would be the best thing for her (and him). It's just so much extra work to get her used to playing nice with other buns.

Anyway! That's just my situation. You'll have to consider your own plans and figure out what's best for you and your bunny.

 

[jerseynicholson93]

Is that the only thing that will be affected if she is taken away from mummy at that age? It won't affect her relationship with me or her personality an temperament, just her interaction with other bunnies?

 

[HototMama]

i don't know about where you live, but here is is illegal to sell rabbits under 8 weeks old.

 

[JBun]

If at all possible it would be best to keep it with it's mom until at least 7-8 weeks old. If the breeder hasn't weaned it from the mom yet, those few extra weeks can be important in the rabbits health, as it's digestive system is still developing, and continuing to nurse longer will help reduce chances of digestive issues and help improve the bunnies future health.

And as mentioned, it is an important time for it to learn manners from it's mom and siblings, unless it has already been weaned and separated from it's mom and siblings, and can't be returned to be with them.

If it is still with mom and siblings, this period is also an important time for it to learn to socialize with people. So hopefully the breeder spends time with the babies. If possible, you may also want to see if you can have play dates with the bunny to spend time with it and help socialize it as well, before bringing it home.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Our vet said 8 weeks minimum if you want to have a happy, healthy, interactive bunny. A friend of ours in Calif won't let any go til they are 12 weeks.

 

[jerseynicholson93]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I contacted my breeder and she agreed to keep the bunny until it is 7-8 weeks old I was really looking forward to bringing her home but I really want what is in my rabbits best interest so I will keep waiting!

 

[RebeccaJC]

Rabbits shouldn't go to new homes till 8 weeks in my opinion. They should get their Mum's milk for as long as possible.. they naturally stop on their own too. Mum stopped giving her babies milk earlier this week.. they were eight weeks old Thursday. Plus some of my bunnies have come out with problems.. which wouldn't have been apparent to buyers as they were all healthy with no signs of issues at 5 weeks! so best to wait till 8 weeks in my opinion

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It's not just "general consensus." If you live in the United States, it's illegal (in most states) to sell rabbits under the age of 8 weeks old. Beyond that, it's just best for social and health reasons. In my opinion, 8 weeks is still too young in some cases. I tend to keep most of my kits until 10-12 weeks before letting them go to new homes, though it depends on their development.

If you live in another area of the world, sale practices may be different. But if someone in the U.S. is offering kits at 5 weeks old, they are probably not a reputable source.

 

[jerseynicholson93]

I am from Canada, Ontario to be exact and I am not knowledgable on the laws for rabbit sales here! I have asked her to keep the bunny for a few weeks more. She says she regularly sends them home around 6-7 weeks of age.