HELP! Bendfont Baby Neatherlands.

Some of you hopefully have read my thread about the Dreadful Benfont Breader, if not here you go:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=30318&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0



So now i have 3, one female and two male Neatherlands, which are six weeks old. And i NEED some advice on there care as i have never had bunnies this young. The woman gave me a couple small bags of Burgess rabbit mix, also mixed into to it was some ready grass type stuff. They dont seam to be great hay fans, all the bunnies didnt look like they were gettin much hay at this womans place. The food looks all good. They seam to be eating a little of it. I dont know enough about babies so i dont know i what im givin' them is right? You they need any special care????? HELP!!!!!!!

m
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I'm no expert but I know young babies should be given unrestricted pellet food but I don't think they can have veg at this age - grass too should be restricted if at all because it can upset their stomachs. I'm sure someone will be able to give more detailed advice.

Edited to add - this is obviously once they are weaned. I don't know if at this age you ought to be giving them some form of milk??

right well they should be eating pellets as at 6 weeks they would be munching away with their mum. only thing is of course that they should still be with their mum!!You need to give them unrestricted pellets (i would use what the women got you to begin with then SLOWLY swap to SS or something simular.)

Grass is an umm and arring thing because it can cause tummy upsets so i would steer clear at the moment!!Give them plenty of hay.

The babies should have as much dry food as they want, and access to plenty of hay. Hopefully they will work out what it is for. Don't give them any veg or put them on grass as they may not have had any yet and they are very very vulnerable at this age, and digestive upsets can kill them quickly.
If they are 6 weeks they don't need milk anymore. Once they are a bit older you can gradually introduce grass and then veg, but not yet. Weaning is a dangerous stage for rabbits.

I wean my rabbits at 6 weeks and have had no problems. Often mum is so sick of them by this point she can turn on them. They should have as much in the way of pellets and hay as possible, mine never seem fussed by hay until they get a bit older. You can give them veg and grass if they had it in their last home. Mine are on grass and veg as soon as they start solids as they steal their mum's.
If you're worried about anything in particular give me a pm hun, hopefully I can help.
You're lucky, I think babies are at their most lovely between 6-10 weeks (obviously they're lovely always! But they're especially mad at this age!)

No advice other than what has already been said but I will say they are GORGEOUS . I agree babies are ace at that age - they're all over the place. Put them on your knee and before you know it they're on your head... or have disappeared :lol: . So cute. Good luck!

If thats all the main feedin' advice, then it all seams ok. They are eating their dry food, little hay. I was told they only had a few nibbles of their mums carrots, so might start addin' veg in a couple of weeks time. And as for the dry food which was given to me, i only have a limited amount, are they too young for a change over?

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Mit

If you want some Burgess mix, I have some you can have. If there is anything else you need do shout.

Janice

Sorry I have no advice but just want to say they are SO gorgeous!!

They are beautiful!!

If you have enough dry food left that it would last them a few days you can start introducing a pellet of your choice - do very gradually though - mix pellets in with mix - start small amounts and increase until nearly all pellets.

jrn1310 said:

Mit

If you want some Burgess mix, I have some you can have. If there is anything else you need do shout.

Janice

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Thanks for the offer. But ill just pop of p@h for some when i go in a couple of days time. The only thing is i dunno if she was feedin' them the normal rabbit one or the dwaf/juinor one. So i was to buy the Dwaf one, would i still need to do a change over week from the normal rabbit one? Or can i just start feeding them the Dwaf one?

m
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It would pay to wean them onto the junior food from the normal.

I know your trying to do your best and I appreciate how annoyed and distressed you were, as any of us would be - and the fact that you cared and took these babies on is a wonderul thing. However, I must comment on something you said in your previous thread which I feel was derogatory and unneccessary

Propper council trash woman

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Now while this woman is no doubt trash, and a hagg, and everything else which you called her - to brand all council tennants the same as you have done here is an insult and very smll minded, considering such a large proportion, if not the majority, of the population live in council housing. I live in a council flat and I can assure you my buns are spoiled rotten and just as well looked after as yours. My mum lives in a council house, she has an elderly cat and spends an absolute fortune on vets bills making sure she gets the care she needs.

Just because someone is a council tennant does not automatically make them 'trash', and although there is no doubt you are a better person than this woman, you are not a better person simply because you do not live in a council property.

Like I say, I appreciate on a whole you are on the right track, but I think you should step down of your high horse before making such sweeping comments that will offend such a high volume of people.

In a couple of years I will be a lawyer and yes, I will buy a nice house - but I hope I never ever come out with a statement like that, I would be highly ashamed of myself if I did

On a nicer note tho, they are absolutely gorgeous and I won't knock you for taking them as I would have done exactly the same thing. You can't possibly take them all, so you've done your best that way by taking the ones most in need at that exact moment and phoning the RSPCA about the rest. At the end of the day we're not saints, we can't do everything, and every little helps.

Awwww there lovely
They will need spilting up soon though,if there different sexes
Are you keeping them?

You can tell the difference between the pellets as normal excel is bigger than the junior one. The junior one would be better for them and you con compare pellet size with the stuff you have to see if it's the same, if not, change them over gradually.

SO Plenty of pellets, change over to Excell Dwaf, they are on Excells hay and plenty of water. The other thing was that the woman was givin' ALL her buns Acidophilus in thier water for a healthy gut. Should i be doin' that? I havent done so yet, cause i have NEVER heard of anyone doin' it.

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BUMP.

mit said:

SO Plenty of pellets, change over to Excell Dwaf, they are on Excells hay and plenty of water. The other thing was that the woman was givin' ALL her buns Acidophilus in thier water for a healthy gut. Should i be doin' that? I havent done so yet, cause i have NEVER heard of anyone doin' it.

m
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I havent a clue about this Mit, hopefuly someone will know!!!!