can i feed water to my young rabbits ?

[sanjayhandsome4u]

hai everyone im new to this group and ofcourse raising rabbits tooo.
my first ques is can i keep fresh water in my young bunnies cage.
age is abt 6weeks.

 

[majorv]

Water is important to rabbits of any age. Kits start drinking from their mom's water dish when they're 2-3 weeks old.

 

[BlazeBunnies]

They need water urgently! Rabbits start to for I water when they are around 3 weeks... Have they been drinking milk This whole time ? I have heard that milk is bad for rabbits once they hit 6weeks and on.

 

[Blue eyes]

Water is important for young bunnies too. However it is good for them to be with momma for 8 weeks to get her milk which carries important antibodies.
Here is a quote from the following article:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

" Sadly, many baby rabbits are weaned too young to be away from their mothers. Instead of being allowed to nurse for a full, normal eight weeks, they are taken away while they are still "cute" and marketable--often as young as four weeks. This can spell death for many of them.
"Without mother's antibodies, complex organic compounds and proper pH environment her milk provides to help protect the baby's intestines, these babies are highly susceptible to over-proliferation of foreign bacteria. One of the most common culprits of runny stool in baby rabbits is accidental infection by the common human intestinal bacterium, Escherichia coli. This is transmitted from humans to baby rabbits during handling, since these bacteria are all over us, not just in our intestines. Handling an unweaned infant rabbit without properly washing and disinfecting one's hands is a good way to transmit these opportunistic pathogens. Even a loving kiss on a too-young baby rabbit's lips can kill. Until a young rabbit is at least eight weeks old, she should not be taken from her mother, as mama's milk affords protection against E. coli and other bacteria until the baby's own immune system can handle them."

 

[sanjayhandsome4u]

thankuu so much guys for the information

 

[majorv]

Realistically, many does wean their kits by 4-5 weeks, even though we leave her with them. Most of them grow up fine. It's stress that can really affect young kits as they're maturing, that affects their health.