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This Cant Be Right Can It?.....Question For Breeders

J

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
I have just been offered 4 Rex babies aged 5 WEEKS :shock: :shock:
Breeder says she weans at 4 weeks :shock: Keeps them for a week then 'shifts them out'
She said this is 'standard practice for stock breeders'??
Is it?
Janex
 
I used to know some breeders in the past and they used to wean at 6 wks then move the kits on at 8 wks. BRC registered breeders aren`t allowed to part with the kits until they`re atleast 8 wks. 5 wks is way toooo young! :shock: :?

Su.x
 
cannonwoman said:
I used to know some breeders in the past and they used to wean at 6 wks then move the kits on at 8 wks. BRC registered breeders aren`t allowed to part with the kits until they`re atleast 8 wks. 5 wks is way toooo young! :shock: :?

Su.x
Click to expand...

So if this breeder is BRC registered should I report her and what action will the BRC take?
She says she has 10 litters ready to go now :shock: :shock:
Janex
 
JCO said:
cannonwoman said:
I used to know some breeders in the past and they used to wean at 6 wks then move the kits on at 8 wks. BRC registered breeders aren`t allowed to part with the kits until they`re atleast 8 wks. 5 wks is way toooo young! :shock: :?

Su.x
Click to expand...

So if this breeder is BRC registered should I report her and what action will the BRC take?
She says she has 10 litters ready to go now :shock: :shock:
Janex
Click to expand...

10 litters???!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:
You could report her to the BRC, depending what her past history is with them really depends on what action they will take. I:E: If she`s broken rules in the past she may have her membership cancelled but it`s more likely she`ll just get a warning. Worth a try though.

Su.x
 
Right now I am REALLY ANGRY :evil:
This breeder is NOT a BRC member. She says she breeds as a 'hobby' :x :x and supplies local petstores.........
When questioned about the babies being so young she said she did not 'shift them out to the petstores til 7 weeks cos the stores cant sell them til 8 weeks and like to keep them out of sight for a week before selling to the public'.
Have I located a supplier to our favorite chain of petstores I wonder :? :x :x
She apparently has litters of Rexes, Polish, Mini Dwarf Lops and lots of mixed breeds :shock: :shock:
What the heck do I do now I know about these four 5 week old Rex babies....... :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Janex
 
JCO said:
Right now I am REALLY ANGRY :evil:
This breeder is NOT a BRC member. She says she breeds as a 'hobby' :x :x and supplies local petstores.........
When questioned about the babies being so young she said she did not 'shift them out to the petstores til 7 weeks cos the stores cant sell them til 8 weeks and like to keep them out of sight for a week before selling to the public'.
Have I located a supplier to our favorite chain of petstores I wonder :? :x :x
She apparently has litters of Rexes, Polish, Mini Dwarf Lops and lots of mixed breeds :shock: :shock:
What the heck do I do now I know about these four 5 week old Rex babies....... :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Janex
Click to expand...

God this must be sooooooo frustrating for you Jane. :evil: :? :cry: I feel so sorry for those poor bunnies. :cry: :cry: :cry:
Unfortunately as far as i`m aware unless there is evidence that the bunnies are suffering/becoming ill through what she is doing i don`t know how she can be stopped! :? :?
Personally i`d want to take the babies off her so atleast they stand a chance, but does that just give her room to breed more?????
Sorry, i know i`m not really being much help, it`s just sooo frustrating.

Su.x
 
I think in all honesty this is common with the less scuplous breeders, I wonder why the pet shops don't want them....if she was supplying the big ones 10-1 she would be using a dealer ( absolutely lovely people)
I think even if you take them she will just have more, a breeder near me has 60 babies ready for this week

Elaine
 
Maybe she's got them mixed up with guinea pigs - they leave home at 3wks old :roll:

If she's churning them out, then taking a few off her hands will help those few, but not all the rest - your decision entirely and not an easy one! When I rescued the piggies, the breeder I got them from gave my number to a breeder friend of hers, who wanted me to take 4 rabbits off her hands 'today' - I didn't have any accomodation for them, or room, so I asked her what would happen to them if I didn't take them 'I don't know - haven't thought of that yet' she said curtly :?

In my opinion, people who treat animals like this are ineducable scum :shock:
 
Do you have laws about how old rabbits must be when they're sold? Some of the US states require that they be at least 8 weeks.

And yes, I've heard of it. All too often. :roll: On the hand, I know a breeder who won't let her babies out until they're 12 weeks old. She says it's greatly increased survival rate in new homes, plus she gets a better idea of which should be chosen to keep for her breeding program. I wish more people listened to her.
 
JCO said:
Have I located a supplier to our favorite chain of petstores I wonder :? :x :x

Janex
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have :evil: :evil: I want to say some expletives :?

Can you find out what the current law is as regard to the minimum age pet shops can take kits off breeders?

When I was working in a pet shop 10 yrs ago it was 6 weeks, Im hoping its gone up to 8.
P@H keep them out back for a week & lots of soletrading shops do too so they will be breaking their licence agreement if they are under age.
You would need to contact the local authority environmental health dept.
If it is 6 weeks minimum you could report the store for buying in kits too early & maybe(just maybe) they will stop buying from her or at the very least she will have to keep them longer. I would be concerned that she would lie about their age after this but keep on reporting the stores whenever you see kits that are obviously only just 8 weeks & it may prompt the council to do something! (You can tip us off to complain too!)
 
Guinea Pigs shouldn't leave their mother until they are at least 4 weeks and not be rehomed until they are about 6 weeks.

Rabbits should not be weaned before 6 weeks and not rehomed before 8. I am a member of the BRC, but don't know what action they would have taken if that person was a member. I would say report the person to wherever they are advertising i.e newspaper etc.
That is disgusting though, they blatantly can't be bothered to keep them long enough as the babies would then be eating them out of profits etc. Though there are NO profits to be made from rabbit breeding, any breeder will tell you that!
Most breeders will wean the babies at 10 weeks to give them the best chance. I presonally don't see that it makes a huge difference. My vet says it's fine to do at six weeks to give mum a break and get back to being a healthy weight again.

Also, if you take nay of them you are implying that you agree with what she is doing. The best thing you can do is tell them how disgusted you are and you will not be buying from them and you will encourage others to do so.
 
raven_guest said:
Guinea Pigs shouldn't leave their mother until they are at least 4 weeks and not be rehomed until they are about 6 weeks.
Click to expand...

boy piggies need to leave mum at 3 weeks old - all mine did - as they can get her pregnant at 3 weeks.
 
elve said:
raven_guest said:
Guinea Pigs shouldn't leave their mother until they are at least 4 weeks and not be rehomed until they are about 6 weeks.
Click to expand...

boy piggies need to leave mum at 3 weeks old - all mine did - as they can get her pregnant at 3 weeks.
Click to expand...
I was told 4 weeks :? ,bounty and her brother were taken away from mum at 4 weeks and both went to there new homes,bounty was tiny but she settled well with my piggies
 
It's 3 weeks - Milo started humping his mum when he was right on 21 days old - he got put in the doghouse for it :)

aloneat3wks.jpg


He was a very big boy for 3wks as he was an only child - but I split the other boys from their mums at 3wks too, just incase - On the advice of Cheryl and Doorkeeper, and they should know :)
 
Jane
Couldnt you go and see them, saying you are interested and see what condition they are being kept in?
It might prove they are such a bad way the RSPCA could get involved?

Louisa
 
My vet had a go at me when I told him I seperated my cavy at 4 weeks. If he's humping his mum it's not a problem, they never looked bothered and he can't get her pregnant at that age.

Good point about seeing what conditions they are being kept in and maybe informing the RSPCA. They may even be able to give the person a talk about selling them at the right age, it can't hurt to try and the person doing it may get so sick of being told, they may stick to the rules.
 
raven_guest said:
My vet had a go at me when I told him I seperated my cavy at 4 weeks. If he's humping his mum it's not a problem, they never looked bothered and he can't get her pregnant at that age.
Click to expand...

Your vet was obviously ignorant about guinea pigs - I'm not suprised since half of them seem to know very little about rabbits either.

The reason most pet shop guinea pigs are pregnant even though still babies themselves, is because the boys in the litter have got them pregnant.
 
How did she get hold of you Jane?

I don't think you should take them - you will only make things easier for her and she'll contact you again next time she has some to get rid of.
You may give a lovely home to those babies but you'd be condeming a lot more to a life of misery.
 
elve said:
It's 3 weeks - Milo started humping his mum when he was right on 21 days old - he got put in the doghouse for it :)

aloneat3wks.jpg


He was a very big boy for 3wks as he was an only child - but I split the other boys from their mums at 3wks too, just incase - On the advice of Cheryl and Doorkeeper, and they should know :)
Click to expand...
It was cheryl that told me four weeks :? as she had bountys brother
 
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