Baby bunnies nibbling issue

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shiitake

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Hello! I’m new to keeping rabbit. My doe has a litter of 5 kits and they are now 5 weeks old. They are all still staying with momma and I’ll separate them when they are naturally weaned. I like to hand-feed them whenever possible and play with them for 2-3 hours every night. My issue is that they start nibbling me (my feet, toes, clothes, etc.). It’s been happening for the past week or so. It will be great if I can get help on the followings:
  1. What would cause them to nibble me? I don’t think it’s due to boredom as they have their digging box, tunnel and chew toys. I doubt think it’s fear either. They would stop whatever they’re doing and run to me every time they see me and would even jump on my lap. I doubt it’s caused by me smelling like treats as they’d even nibble when I’m fresh out of the shower. Can it be due to dominance issue? I am not sure at what age do bunnies show dominance. Otherwise, could the nibbling be due to hand-feeding? If yes, I will stop.
  2. How can I stop the nibbling? I tried yelping and softly pushing them away but to no avail. They'd persistently come back and nibble me.
  3. Can the nibbling become a habit and grow into full on aggression as they age? This is what I’m most scared of.
Appreciate any of your help on these!
 
Are you sure they aren't trying to do mutual grooming? It's what rabbits do with each other, nibbling debris out of each others fur. Baby rabbits in particular are more prone to exploring things with their mouths and mutual grooming.

If they keep doing it, you can try and redirect them to a toy or nibbling hay, shoo them away right when they try it, you can try stomping your foot (rabbits will thump at each other when irritated), or gently but firmly lightly press the head/shoulder area down like momma bun would do when disciplining her bunnies. Find what method works best for your buns. Some may respond better to one method over another.

Whenever you can closely mimic rabbit body language, the easier it will be for them to understand what you're trying to communicate.

(Rabbit body language link in this article)
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
 
Are you sure they aren't trying to do mutual grooming? It's what rabbits do with each other, nibbling debris out of each others fur. Baby rabbits in particular are more prone to exploring things with their mouths and mutual grooming.

If they keep doing it, you can try and redirect them to a toy or nibbling hay, shoo them away right when they try it, you can try stomping your foot (rabbits will thump at each other when irritated), or gently but firmly lightly press the head/shoulder area down like momma bun would do when disciplining her bunnies. Find what method works best for your buns. Some may respond better to one method over another.

Whenever you can closely mimic rabbit body language, the easier it will be for them to understand what you're trying to communicate.

(Rabbit body language link in this article)
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html

I believe the vid on the left is when the bunny is grooming my leg. The one on the right is where my issue lies. They are nipping and kinda gnawing away at my legs.

I’ll try the methods you mentioned and see whether they work for me! They are more interested in chewing cardboard boxes than any store-bought chew toys. Is it safe to give them pine cones at these age? I’m scared they might swallow it and get sick.
 

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