yeeeaaaahhhhh got one!!!!!

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Congrats on the new babyt!!! -- I justcringe though at the age that people sell bunnies as pets -- In mystate of PA, it's illegal to sell pet bunns before 8 weeks of age dueto the high mortality rate of baby bunnies (due to stress factors).



Pam
 
Being taken from their mother and siblings, whichis all they have ever known is quite stressfull for them.Then to top it off they are placed in a cage to be sold where peoplecontinually pester them... then they are taken home to another newplace, with new people... thus the stress factor is highduring that time :? However, I'm sure yours will be fine asit seems to have entered a loving, happy home. :D Take care,and enjoy!!
 
Glad you have your little guy and I hope thingsgo well for you and him. Stress factors were explained in thenext post and are a very real problem in buns so young. Mostresponsible breeders do not wean the kits until 6 to 8 weeks, no lesssell them. We wean at six weeks. The litter isplaced together in a separate cage. We watch them verycarefully for the next two weeks to be sure they are all adapting wellto eating pellets and drinking just water and eating hay.They go up for sale at 8 weeks. If one is smaller that therest we leave it with mom for another week and then wean to the cagewith the rest of the litter and that one is not sold until 9 weeks old."Rabbit Raisers" will sell to pet stores and anyone else at six weeksor sometimes even earlier because pet stores want tiny bunnies as theyare cuter and sell faster. However, many times this practiceturns to a tragic end as the bunny dies, mainly because it was weanedto soon.

Many times buns must be weaned earlier than 6 weeks, perhaps anaccidental rebreeding of the doe or other problems. Forexample, we have a little polish bew doe whom I had to wean at 4weeks. Either mom, or her sister, bit off the top of one ear,and she has all the fur from her eye to her nose gone, could be overenthusiastic grooming by mom, just don't know. We triedfostering to another litter, but it didn;t work, so she is in a cage onout coffee table and gets carried around and snuggled all daylong. She is doing well so far.

Good luck with your new baby. Donna
 
The change of diet is also a huge stressfactor. Not only are they going through a change of diet whenweaned, but also often again when purchased. There is alsothe stress factor of change of environment, temperature change of thestress of over handling. These stresses weaken the immunesystem, making the bunny susceptible to viral infections andenterotoxemia, a common cause of death in newly purchasedbunnies.


Pam

 
Congratulations.Many pets stores sell bunniesthat are only 4 weeks old im surprised any of them survive.I wascontacted by a buyer for pet stores and they insisted the bunnies be nomore than 4 weeks.I declined to sell them anything.Unfortunately theyhave no trouble getting plenty of bunnies to sell.People turn them inthey just pay the fine and its bussiness as usual.I think the fine mustnot be high enough for them to care.bluebird
 
trekcip5 wrote:
......If one is smaller that the rest we leave itwith mom for another week and then wean to the cage with the rest ofthe litter and that one is not sold until 9 weeksold. Donna
Click to expand...
Thank you so much I have a tiny bun whoI feel is too small tobe weaned now. She is 6.5 weeks.I was wondering if that wouldbe a good idea to leave with Mum for a bit longer. I will do now.

Vickie
 
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