Bunnyboarding
Alpha Buck
Sorry but my post was made during yours, so i am not saying anything else on the matter.
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How old should babies be when they leave mum?
- Thread starter Londonsandy
- Start date
Londonsandy
Young Bun
All I wanted was to ask how old babies should be when taken away from mum!!!! I was very concerned that they were leaving too early, and everyone seems to have latched on to me for other reasons.
CHERYL
I bow to your superior knowledge, but my 8 year old daughter looked after the babies every single day after school, she came home got changed, did her homework and then had the babies out for about an hour every night. she made them little obstacle courses and talked to them for hours and sat with them asleep on her lap until she got pins and needles. When they were about 3 weeks old she cut up (under my supervision) very small amounts of carrots and cabbage and herbs and made them plates to eat off.
Appart from actually getting them out of the hutch and putting them back, she did everything else, giving them loads of love and cuddles and was often heard to say things like "now I told you not to go in there you might get hurt", or "mummy loves you lots", and a million other things which currently elude me. That doesn't mean I ignored them either, but they were her babies.
Also on the point of adopting, the buns I am interested in are already neutered, so breeding from them is not an issue.
It appears to me that all of you are not even pleased that I am also considering giving homes to buns that are older and might otherwise be PTS. I am not just looking at having fluffy bunny babies.
BTW my daughter now continues her adoration of bunnies with mum and dad.
Sandy
CHERYL
I bow to your superior knowledge, but my 8 year old daughter looked after the babies every single day after school, she came home got changed, did her homework and then had the babies out for about an hour every night. she made them little obstacle courses and talked to them for hours and sat with them asleep on her lap until she got pins and needles. When they were about 3 weeks old she cut up (under my supervision) very small amounts of carrots and cabbage and herbs and made them plates to eat off.
Appart from actually getting them out of the hutch and putting them back, she did everything else, giving them loads of love and cuddles and was often heard to say things like "now I told you not to go in there you might get hurt", or "mummy loves you lots", and a million other things which currently elude me. That doesn't mean I ignored them either, but they were her babies.
Also on the point of adopting, the buns I am interested in are already neutered, so breeding from them is not an issue.
It appears to me that all of you are not even pleased that I am also considering giving homes to buns that are older and might otherwise be PTS. I am not just looking at having fluffy bunny babies.
BTW my daughter now continues her adoration of bunnies with mum and dad.
Sandy
missblondebunny
Mama Doe
ummmm
looks like this thread has got a bit out of hand
i dont see any wrong in the fact that sandy wants to breed her two bunnies. She has clearly stated that she only wants to have one litter, and then she will get them neutered. She also wants to take on some resuces - not for breeding purposes, but to just offer them a nice cosey home, which i think is a wonderful offer. She makes hutches and runs (shes doing one for me!!) and will always have housing available.
Also you cannot say that ALL children get bored of them. I have a 4year old nephew and he is always round my house looking after my buns and helping me clean them out and he has not lost interest. you cannot generalise the fact that children get bored of animals and they end up in rescuses - i know this does happen a lot. but it really should be based on each individual. im sure sandy will have chats with the new owners to see if they are sure about having a bunny etc etc. also the kids aren't really to blame in this - its the adults that buy there children a bunny thinking that they can look after and clean them out when they cant. An adult should realise that the bunny is theirs and not their kids, the kids only want to play!!!
anyway - her mum bunny is pregnant and i wish her all the luck in the world as she has had 2 terrible experiences with baby buns.
All sandy was asking for was advice on when babies should leave the mum - lets stick to this as a thread in whole, im sure sandy knows what she is doing and what to expect, and also the consequences of having a litter.
please do not say anymore about sandy breeding her buns!! This topic is about when buns should leave their mums.
looks like this thread has got a bit out of hand
i dont see any wrong in the fact that sandy wants to breed her two bunnies. She has clearly stated that she only wants to have one litter, and then she will get them neutered. She also wants to take on some resuces - not for breeding purposes, but to just offer them a nice cosey home, which i think is a wonderful offer. She makes hutches and runs (shes doing one for me!!) and will always have housing available.
Also you cannot say that ALL children get bored of them. I have a 4year old nephew and he is always round my house looking after my buns and helping me clean them out and he has not lost interest. you cannot generalise the fact that children get bored of animals and they end up in rescuses - i know this does happen a lot. but it really should be based on each individual. im sure sandy will have chats with the new owners to see if they are sure about having a bunny etc etc. also the kids aren't really to blame in this - its the adults that buy there children a bunny thinking that they can look after and clean them out when they cant. An adult should realise that the bunny is theirs and not their kids, the kids only want to play!!!
anyway - her mum bunny is pregnant and i wish her all the luck in the world as she has had 2 terrible experiences with baby buns.
All sandy was asking for was advice on when babies should leave the mum - lets stick to this as a thread in whole, im sure sandy knows what she is doing and what to expect, and also the consequences of having a litter.
please do not say anymore about sandy breeding her buns!! This topic is about when buns should leave their mums.
Fair enough, we are just pointing out that there is really no need for anymore bunnies in this world! (As you already knows as you are considering rescuing some!) If you is going to keep them then that answers most of our queries, as I'm sure they will have a lovely home with you.
Is it with the same two buns that you have tried mating already? I was just thinking there may be some sort of genetic problem that has led to them dying at a young age??? Just a thought as it was obv very traumatic to you, losing two litters.
You mentioned that you fed them veg at a very young age, perhaps their digestive systems couldn't cope with it all and they had some sort of tummy problem? I know you have to wean youngsters very carefully onto veg as they have very delicate digestive systems.
I'd def make sure u talk to children's parents very thoroughly - I'm not putting all children into same category as some adults get bored too!!! Just to make sure parents know the rabbits are their responsibility. or perhaps offer a clause that if they do get bored/can't keep them, that they come back to you?
And with the original question - I'd say let them go between 8 and 10 weeks although 10 weeks is prob better so you can get them checked over etc by a vet to ensure they are healthy before you send them out to new homes.
Good luck to you as it is obv too late to reconsider breeding!!!
Nicola
Is it with the same two buns that you have tried mating already? I was just thinking there may be some sort of genetic problem that has led to them dying at a young age??? Just a thought as it was obv very traumatic to you, losing two litters.
You mentioned that you fed them veg at a very young age, perhaps their digestive systems couldn't cope with it all and they had some sort of tummy problem? I know you have to wean youngsters very carefully onto veg as they have very delicate digestive systems.
I'd def make sure u talk to children's parents very thoroughly - I'm not putting all children into same category as some adults get bored too!!! Just to make sure parents know the rabbits are their responsibility. or perhaps offer a clause that if they do get bored/can't keep them, that they come back to you?
And with the original question - I'd say let them go between 8 and 10 weeks although 10 weeks is prob better so you can get them checked over etc by a vet to ensure they are healthy before you send them out to new homes.
Good luck to you as it is obv too late to reconsider breeding!!!
Nicola
Londonsandy
Young Bun
Nicola, Hi, the first babies were taken by a fox with the parents, so it is only the second litter born of new buns who died. All my hutches now have bolts, latches and locks all over them so that it won't happen again. I am very confident that I could not do more.
Eve I could do that, but I would have thought it better for the babies to go to good homes via school if possible. I also have very good links to my vet who is fantastic and quite an expert on buns. My surgery advertise my hutches and runs for me too. Vets often know families where pets have died and can recommend them. At least the babies will stand a chance of having a good life, whereas the older, neutered buns may be PTS.
How many people appart from those on here would rehome older bunnies rather than babies. My buns came to me when they were nearly 5 months as nobody wanted them! I did not get sold on baby buns, and wanted to give them a home.
As I said before, it depends on how many are born, I would assume I would keep at least one of them. Let's wait and see.
I have space for lots of buns, but obviously have to decide on a limit, I imagine your 12 came to you bit by bit.
As I said before I had every intention of having them sorted when the babies are born.
Sandy
Eve I could do that, but I would have thought it better for the babies to go to good homes via school if possible. I also have very good links to my vet who is fantastic and quite an expert on buns. My surgery advertise my hutches and runs for me too. Vets often know families where pets have died and can recommend them. At least the babies will stand a chance of having a good life, whereas the older, neutered buns may be PTS.
How many people appart from those on here would rehome older bunnies rather than babies. My buns came to me when they were nearly 5 months as nobody wanted them! I did not get sold on baby buns, and wanted to give them a home.
As I said before, it depends on how many are born, I would assume I would keep at least one of them. Let's wait and see.
I have space for lots of buns, but obviously have to decide on a limit, I imagine your 12 came to you bit by bit.
As I said before I had every intention of having them sorted when the babies are born.
Sandy
hi sandy i am not getting to you at all, i just would not like to see the bunnies you created in rescues, so my point was dont take on any more buns until you definately know you have homes for them and the ones you havent you can still keep.
as you probably know i did breed my bunny but with ever intention of keeping all the babies born, and have even refused offers from people to take them.
but i did think long and hard about doing it before hand and done tonnes or research (not to say you havent)
but just the expense alone with keeping them has runn into hundreds of pound, for me with neuters and spays and vacs for the six i got thats without all my rescue buns.
eve x
as you probably know i did breed my bunny but with ever intention of keeping all the babies born, and have even refused offers from people to take them.
but i did think long and hard about doing it before hand and done tonnes or research (not to say you havent)
but just the expense alone with keeping them has runn into hundreds of pound, for me with neuters and spays and vacs for the six i got thats without all my rescue buns.
eve x
Bunnyboarding
Alpha Buck
No problem Sandy,
Being involved with rabbits one way or another I can only go on what i have learnt/experienced.
As a person that has grown up surrounded by animals I am the first one to recommend children grow up with them as pets so that they become caring & knowledgable individuals later on it life, so i am sorry if you misconstrued what i was trying to say.
My boys love animals to bits & have grown up with them & help at the drop off a hat, but as a rabbit can live as old as 8 years or more, i do not think personally that breeding rabbits is an option as far as they are concerned. Even as adults it is very possible to get over-enthusiastic with how many pets we keep (something i know only too well! :roll
A lot of the rescue rabbits i dealt with were rejected pets & their resultant offspring so its a natural reaction for me to say this unfortunately. Also you are right when you say that the older rescue rabbits can't get homes & are likely to be PTS...but they all started out as cute cuddly baby bundles of fluff once too.... & have done the 'rounds' once the cuteness wore off & they turned into normal hormonal adults that did not necessarily enjoy being picked up by the kids. (I've seen it before)
Also just take at look at Medway RSPCA's post on babies they that need homes...even they are finding it hard to get homes.
I too would say the answer to your actual question is 8-10 weeks depending on how well they are all getting on. I used to leave mine with mum until 10 weeks if they were all happy as it minimises post-weaning stress (plus mums with babies were kept in 6ft hutches so fighting was not a problem at that age really).
At 10 weeks though, they were separated into same-sex groups so no mating could occur (they can catch you out if you get one that matures quickly!).
Also, they were not allowed out into a grass run until they were a fair way past weaning, as contrary to popular belief young domestic rabbits are particularly prone to grass-related gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea or bloat which can be fatal.
Also it is important not to let does have one litter in quick succession after another even if the litter resulted in dead babies as this can weaken the doe & therefore any resultant babies she may produce. I would personally rest the doe for a few months inbetween if breeding is something you want to do, this is something that an experienced breeder would decide upon after evaluating the doe & size/health/outcome of the babies.
Sadly due to different circumstances i had to rehome some of mine, although i gave up breeding/showing over a year ago anyway. So i do know that times can change myself.
I'm not the meany you think i am :lol:
Good luck.
Being involved with rabbits one way or another I can only go on what i have learnt/experienced.
As a person that has grown up surrounded by animals I am the first one to recommend children grow up with them as pets so that they become caring & knowledgable individuals later on it life, so i am sorry if you misconstrued what i was trying to say.
My boys love animals to bits & have grown up with them & help at the drop off a hat, but as a rabbit can live as old as 8 years or more, i do not think personally that breeding rabbits is an option as far as they are concerned. Even as adults it is very possible to get over-enthusiastic with how many pets we keep (something i know only too well! :roll
A lot of the rescue rabbits i dealt with were rejected pets & their resultant offspring so its a natural reaction for me to say this unfortunately. Also you are right when you say that the older rescue rabbits can't get homes & are likely to be PTS...but they all started out as cute cuddly baby bundles of fluff once too.... & have done the 'rounds' once the cuteness wore off & they turned into normal hormonal adults that did not necessarily enjoy being picked up by the kids. (I've seen it before)
Also just take at look at Medway RSPCA's post on babies they that need homes...even they are finding it hard to get homes.
I too would say the answer to your actual question is 8-10 weeks depending on how well they are all getting on. I used to leave mine with mum until 10 weeks if they were all happy as it minimises post-weaning stress (plus mums with babies were kept in 6ft hutches so fighting was not a problem at that age really).
At 10 weeks though, they were separated into same-sex groups so no mating could occur (they can catch you out if you get one that matures quickly!).
Also, they were not allowed out into a grass run until they were a fair way past weaning, as contrary to popular belief young domestic rabbits are particularly prone to grass-related gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea or bloat which can be fatal.
Also it is important not to let does have one litter in quick succession after another even if the litter resulted in dead babies as this can weaken the doe & therefore any resultant babies she may produce. I would personally rest the doe for a few months inbetween if breeding is something you want to do, this is something that an experienced breeder would decide upon after evaluating the doe & size/health/outcome of the babies.
Sadly due to different circumstances i had to rehome some of mine, although i gave up breeding/showing over a year ago anyway. So i do know that times can change myself.
I'm not the meany you think i am
:lol: Good luck.
Londonsandy said:
on im not getting at u but i have alot of expereince with breeding rabbits and loosing babies can be very common especially up to the age of 14 weeks. Now from experience too much handling can be a problem taking away from mom and bringing them in and out the house is bad for a baby bunny. its hard for them to cope and can get very stressed very easily and get bloat wich is very hard to get rid of and will cause death. also feeding cabbage to young rabbits can cause problems too as they have sensitive tummies can cant cope with the food and cause bloat yet again.
as for leaving mom i found taking MOM away from babies not other way round at 6 weeks they will be weaned by then and leave the babies in the hutch they were born in my them selfs for at least 2 weeks so they get used to be being on there own.
becky