Baby Bunny Feeding

[spottt24]

Hi everyone. I would like to thank all of you for your recent welcome and help as I begin my bunny adventures. Four weeks ago I was blessed with the birth of six French Lop babies. Today I noticed they were eating pellets and hay with mom and drinking water. Does this mean its time to wean them and take them from mom or can they stay with her longer? Is normal pellet food and hay enough for them? Can they have calf manna this young? Any suggestions for baby nutrition would be great. And let me know when the appropriate time to seperate them would be. Thank you.

Bunny love

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I don't think the weaning them now is a good idea. It is good for them to eat some pellets, hay and veggies (if the doe has them), but weaning should wait until they are 6-8 weeks old.
I am not a breeder, but I think that some will wait to wean until 6 weeks, but keep them together until 8 weeks.
I would keep them diet as simple as possible for now. Calf manna should wait until they are totally waened and probably a bit older to avoid upsetting them.

 

[aurora369]

I moved this thread over to the Rabbitry, so that breeders and those with baby experience will see it.

It is normal for babies to start eating solid food by three to four weeks of age. However, they should remain with mom until about 8 weeks since they are a larger breed that matures slower. Then, the siblings should stay together for at least a week after mom is taken away to help deal with the stress of weaning.

--Dawn

 

[spottt24]

Wow thanks everyone for your help. I feel better knowing they should stay with mom a little longer

 

[aurora369]

No problem. I find that the longer babies stay with mom, the better bunny manners they have as they grow up. They learn how to interact with other bunnies and how to be polite. If weaned too early, they not only risk getting GI upset (tummy problems), but they will also be missing crucial lessons provided by mom.

Also staying with their siblings for a little bit after weaning (about a week) will help take some of the stress of losing mom away. They can still be with their siblings and have other bunnies to practice their bunny manners with after mom is gone.

Since French lops are a bigger breed, they do mature more slowly. Mom can be taken away at about 8-10 weeks, and then give the siblings at least a week together after weaning before rehoming. You want to make sure that males and females are seperated by no later than 12 weeks of age. So you will need at least three cages by then, one for mom, one for the brothers and one for the sisters. Possibly more cages if one group of siblings is too big.

--Dawn