Weaning Question

[FairyTailFuzzies]

I have a first time mother doe that doesn't seem to want to wean the kits!   They are 8 weeks old in a few days and she still is nursing them.  Yes, they are eating solid foods and hay but are still nursing every night when I go in to do the evening feeding.  I'm wondering what is the best way to separate them?  Should I be worried about her getting mastitis if they suddenly stop nursing? 

Just wondering if anyone ever ran into this.

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

I have never had a problem.  Just take the babies away from her and keep them in pairs or all together.  For the mother, I always just kept an eye on her for a week or two but never had an issue *knocks on wood*.

Sharon

 

[SunnieBunnie Rabbitry]

Same here.

All my does nurse their litters until I pull them.  I've even had a doe nurse a daughter that I had left in with her until 4 1/2 months of age!  She stopped once I sold the daughter :lol:.

*Knock on wood* I've never had a doe come down with Mastitis - even the very heavy milkers.


If you're overly concerned about the risk of her developing Mastitis, I'd pull all but 1 or 2 of the kits for a few days, then pull another one or both.


~Sunshine

 

[FairyTailFuzzies]

Thats what I was thinking... pull a kit and then the other one.  I'm actually glad she was such a good mom and the kits are adorable!  I can't wait to breed her again!

 

[TinysMom]

I also had a mom nursing kits when they were about 4 months of age...and in fact when she was on the floor playing with her kits and other kits and thumped for her kits to come over -other kits would come running too and get nursed.  (A couple of hers had stopped nursing on their own). 

I finally just took her away from the kits gradually - pulling out two kits and then later on one more kit, etc.  She was just fine after that.

Peg

 

[RogerL]

You also may want to limit her pellets for a few days after the

last kit is weaned. My does that just come off of a litter are only

given hay for a couple of days until they stop producing milk.

Roger L