Baby bunnies eating

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Cinnabunn

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My doe had a litter of baby bunnies, which are now 3 weeks old. The babies are now hoping out the nest and running around and bouncing everywhere. I know you are supposed to keep them with mom until 8 weeks old, however, do they still nurse as often? I have caught a few babies try and suckle from the mom out of the nest and she gets up and moves. Is this normal? I also have caught them munching on hay and pellets here and there. Just wondering if they will still nurse from mom as much as when they were still in the nest box. How do I know they are still getting enough milk?
 
Yes, they will nurse for quite some more time, up to 6-12 weeks, sometimes even longer. As far as I can tell they keep their 2-times-a-day schedule when they have the chance (I have rather big hutches, does can find a quite spot). The kits pestering the doe can be stress - it's a good idea to provide the doe something like a high shelf or someplace else where the kits can't follow, at least for now.

They gradually switch to solid food, everything the doe eats is fine for the kits too. Doesn't matter how much milk they get once they eat enough solid food, in a pinch they could be weaned at 4 weeks, not ideal but doable. If the kits stress the doe I would seperate and wean them at 8 weeks. I don't really need to do that since by then they get garden time, and I just seperate the bucklings at 12 weeks, doelings stay with the dams for 5-6 months.
 
Some of our experienced breeders can answer more specifically. In the meantime, this is from the House Rabbit Society:

Birth to 3 weeks–mother’s milk

3 to 4 weeks–mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa and pellets

4 to 7 weeks–mother’s milk, access to alfalfa and pellets

7 weeks to 7 months–unlimited pellets, unlimited hay (plus see 12 weeks below)

12 weeks–introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz.)


EDIT: @Preitler posted just as I was hitting my "post reply." (Didn't want anyone to think I was suggesting Preitler was not experienced! - quite the contrary.)
 
Yes, they will nurse for quite some more time, up to 6-12 weeks, sometimes even longer. As far as I can tell they keep their 2-times-a-day schedule when they have the chance (I have rather big hutches, does can find a quite spot). The kits pestering the doe can be stress - it's a good idea to provide the doe something like a high shelf or someplace else where the kits can't follow, at least for now.

They gradually switch to solid food, everything the doe eats is fine for the kits too. Doesn't matter how much milk they get once they eat enough solid food, in a pinch they could be weaned at 4 weeks, not ideal but doable. If the kits stress the doe I would seperate and wean them at 8 weeks. I don't really need to do that since by then they get garden time, and I just seperate the bucklings at 12 weeks, doelings stay with the dams for 5-6 months.
Thanks for the reply! It was an unexpected litter so I’m totally new at this. My buck was able to escape and got her right before he was neutered. I’m trying my best to learn along the way so the babies can at least grow out happy and healthy. Since my doe was free roam before I even knew she was pregnant I currently have her in a large xpen with the babies. I try and give her time outside the pen so she can roam and get some time away from babies since they now all come out of the nest box. I was just curious because I don’t ever see her feeding them anymore. When bunnies were younger I would see her jump into the nest box and feed them. Was curious as to how does one know if babies are still getting enough milk when out of the nest.
 
Some of our experienced breeders can answer more specifically. In the meantime, this is from the House Rabbit Society:

Birth to 3 weeks–mother’s milk

3 to 4 weeks–mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa and pellets

4 to 7 weeks–mother’s milk, access to alfalfa and pellets

7 weeks to 7 months–unlimited pellets, unlimited hay (plus see 12 weeks below)

12 weeks–introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz.)


EDIT: @Preitler posted just as I was hitting my "post reply." (Didn't want anyone to think I was suggesting Preitler was not experienced! - quite the contrary.)
Thank you!
 
She's probably doing it early in the morning and/or late in the evening. You would have to catch her in the act or find the babies in a 'milk coma' with full bellies, to know for sure. As long as they're active, growing, and not getting bony from weight loss, then they're getting enough food. It's good to continue to do a quick health check of each kit every day.

A few more key points:
Your doe should be on unlimited food by now. Lots of free fed hay, and unlimited(or close to) pellets if you feed them, then whatever other foods you normally feed.

The babies will gradually get used to mom's food. Good quality grass hay is the best food for them to first start nibbling on, it's easiest on their digestion and will help keep the correct balance of micro organisms in their gut.

Don't introduce other new foods to the babies that isn't already part of the mom's diet, in particular high sugary/high carb foods, and veggies that the mom isn't already used to being fed.

Check the babies bums twice a day for mushy poop, eapecially making sure if there is some, that it hasn't dried over the rectum and blocked it up, as it can be common as they first start eating solid food. Fix for minor mushy poop is more good quality grass hay, no high carb/sugary foods, and sometimes reduced pellets.
 
She's probably doing it early in the morning and/or late in the evening. You would have to catch her in the act or find the babies in a 'milk coma' with full bellies, to know for sure. As long as they're active, growing, and not getting bony from weight loss, then they're getting enough food. It's good to continue to do a quick health check of each kit every day.

A few more key points:
Your doe should be on unlimited food by now. Lots of free fed hay, and unlimited(or close to) pellets if you feed them, then whatever other foods you normally feed.

The babies will gradually get used to mom's food. Good quality grass hay is the best food for them to first start nibbling on, it's easiest on their digestion and will help keep the correct balance of micro organisms in their gut.

Don't introduce other new foods to the babies that isn't already part of the mom's diet, in particular high sugary/high carb foods, and veggies that the mom isn't already used to being fed.

Check the babies bums twice a day for mushy poop, eapecially making sure if there is some, that it hasn't dried over the rectum and blocked it up, as it can be common as they first start eating solid food. Fix for minor mushy poop is more good quality grass hay, no high carb/sugary foods, and sometimes reduced pellets.
Thank you! I do have mom on unlimited pellets and Timothy hay available to her all day. I also continue to feed her the usual veggies I’ve always fed daily as well. I’ve already seen a few babies nibble on the green leaf lettuce. I do check and handle the babies daily and they seem ok in weight and are extremely active! I will check their bums as well from now on, thank you for that tip! I didn’t know that the blockages could happen.
 

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