bat42072
Well-Known Member
I was just wondering what age should i wean fosters babies and when should they be seperated boys/ girls?
what age should I wean babies
- Thread starter bat42072
- Start date
Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:
Celestial Wind
Well-Known Member
Hi, I wean all kits at 8 to 10 weeks of age as long as they are eating there pellets good and drinking lots of water, That is also when I separate bucks from does.
TinysMom
Well-Known Member
It depends upon the situation. If mama is trying to breed again and mounting the little bucks and stuff and just basically being a pain...I wean them around 5-6 weeks by keeping all the babies together and moving mama out. I hate to do that - but I have heard of does who kill their babies in the attempt to breed if they're really wanting to breed that badly.
However, if mama is enjoying the babies - I leave them w/ her till about 7 weeks....maybe 8 weeks. But I definitely get those bucks out by 8 weeks of age (I have lionheads) as I've had an 8 1/2 week old (almost 9 week old) buck get mama pregnant. When she wound up having babies about 3 weeks after having her babies taken away I was in shock...and especially when she had tort babies (she was black but had carried tort). Then I remembered - she'd had a tort buck in her last litter and he was the only buck she'd been in contact with....and he'd been removed three weeks earlier.....etc.
I don't worry about young bucks gettign their sisters pregnant as most lionhead does aren't ready to breed till they're older (4 months or so) but I definitely want those young bucks away from mama!
Peg
bat42072 wrote:
However, if mama is enjoying the babies - I leave them w/ her till about 7 weeks....maybe 8 weeks. But I definitely get those bucks out by 8 weeks of age (I have lionheads) as I've had an 8 1/2 week old (almost 9 week old) buck get mama pregnant. When she wound up having babies about 3 weeks after having her babies taken away I was in shock...and especially when she had tort babies (she was black but had carried tort). Then I remembered - she'd had a tort buck in her last litter and he was the only buck she'd been in contact with....and he'd been removed three weeks earlier.....etc.
I don't worry about young bucks gettign their sisters pregnant as most lionhead does aren't ready to breed till they're older (4 months or so) but I definitely want those young bucks away from mama!
Peg
bat42072 wrote:
RunnyBabbitRabbitry
Well-Known Member
In my opinion if you can keep them with the mom until they are 8 weeks, I think they are healthier when they can stay a little longer. The earliest I would ever consider removing a rabbit from it's mom is at 6 weeks,never any earlier.
TinysMom
Well-Known Member
That is what I thought till I had 2 different mamas attacking the bucks (at different times) to breed with them. I was hesitant about removing the babies at this age (lionheads) and I talked to some breeders and one breeder who had been breeding for over 20 years said she'd had does actually kill the young bucks trying to breed with them - and one had killed a doe baby once too.
These does are normally docile too - but it was right in May when they were really wanting to breed big time. I even put the doe and babies in a larger cage with places to hide - she still tried to attack them.
But normally - I agree - I would not wean any earlier if you can help it.
Peg
RunnyBabbitRabbitry wrote:
These does are normally docile too - but it was right in May when they were really wanting to breed big time. I even put the doe and babies in a larger cage with places to hide - she still tried to attack them.
But normally - I agree - I would not wean any earlier if you can help it.
Peg
RunnyBabbitRabbitry wrote:
RAL Rabbitry
Well-Known Member
I usually wean litters at 7 weeks old unless it is a baby doe that I know that I am
keeping and I will leave her with the dam a while longer as long as the are
getting along. Bucks definately get separated from their dams by 7 weeks.
I keep all the babies that are going to pets homes together until they are
8-9 weeks, that way I know they are eating well.
I have weaned as early as 5 weeks when the dam was getting too fresh with
her litter especially like Peg said in the spring when the desire to breed overules
the brain on most does. I have also had to wean early once because the dam
go mastitis. That is why I pick up and check lactating does every day to make
sure that they have no mammary infections.
Roger
keeping and I will leave her with the dam a while longer as long as the are
getting along. Bucks definately get separated from their dams by 7 weeks.
I keep all the babies that are going to pets homes together until they are
8-9 weeks, that way I know they are eating well.
I have weaned as early as 5 weeks when the dam was getting too fresh with
her litter especially like Peg said in the spring when the desire to breed overules
the brain on most does. I have also had to wean early once because the dam
go mastitis. That is why I pick up and check lactating does every day to make
sure that they have no mammary infections.
Roger
bat42072
Well-Known Member
thank you for all of your replies... they are really helpful...
