Weaning kits

I have read that kits will start showing an interest in solids at around 2/3wks and be weaned off mum by the time they are 6/8wks.

So my question is do I have to do anything to help with the weaning process?

Can the kits have the same food as mum? (She has Burgess Excel)

Will the babies need a bowl of water or will they be ok with a bottle?

At what point do I have to clean the nest area? I have read differeing views on this from total clean out at 3wks to a gradual sorting through at 2 weeks to just leave it alone till they stop using it! Which is the best advice?

Sorry for so many questions but I just want to do the best for them.

Thanks

So my question is do I have to do anything to help with the weaning process? Usually they will wean themselves, you just need to leave her to it.

Can the kits have the same food as mum? (She has Burgess Excel) They can have the same food as her, some people will wean the mother over as soon as they know they are pregnant to the Junior version so that the babies and mum can all have the same and then move them back to the normal Excel when they are about 4 - 5 months old.

Will the babies need a bowl of water or will they be ok with a bottle? Most babies manage fairly well with a bottle although as they will follow mum in what she does. It is useful to have a bowl for them if they are struggling to get it, do be careful though that it is not too deep when they have first started leaving the nest.

At what point do I have to clean the nest area? I have read differeing views on this from total clean out at 3wks to a gradual sorting through at 2 weeks to just leave it alone till they stop using it! Which is the best advice? As soon as they have started wandering about you can normally get access to clean things up. I woudl just clean out what is necesary and leave the rest until they are a little older. It is getting a balance which is the important thing between cleanliness and keeping them warm.

Janice

Thank you thats really helpful

ooppps double post

personaly id recomend keep the kits with thair mother for at least 8 weeks....when i looked after my friends doe and her 7 gorgous babies they were still suckling from her at 9 weeks.
we put them out with her in run when they were four weeks (and only if the weather was nice...the rest of the time they had a huge indoor cage and the living room! )

Make sure there's plenty of fresh hay near the nest area... the babies love nibbling on it and I think that being weaned onto hay initially is the best thing.