Struggling with weaning - Darla & her babies...

[TinysMom]

Darla's babies will be 12 weeks old on Thursday. When they were almost 8 weeks old - I took the boys away from mama - and left the two girls. Since Darla gets so lonely - I left the girls with her until yesterday when I moved them out to the rabbitry.

Darla spent last night jumping on the bed and then going to her nestbox and thumping - only to jump back on the bed. She was trying to find her girls and call them over to nurse...something I knew she was still doing.

At 3 am I finally gave in and got Sierra from the rabbitry - with Robin's help - but left Echo in the rabbitry since she's such a destructive little brat.

Darla sniffed at Sierra a few times - jumped in the nestbox and started thumping to call her to nurse....and they've been almost inseperable most of today.

My question is - will Darla eventually wean Sierra on her own? I hate to separate them because Darla was so upset. Will it hurt her at all to continue nursing until she wants to stop?

I've had does nurse a long time before when caged with their daughters....but I'm at a point right now where even though Darla and Sierra are freeroaming in the bedroom (mostly) - if I separate them - Darla will be very upset.

 

[bunnybunbunb]

I would think she would had already lost her milk. Have you checked? It may just be a confort thing, the suckling even without milk. I would leave them together, they sound bonded, so no harm I would think.

I remember having a cat that had 4 month old kittens still sucking. We had to finely seperate them for 3 weeks. We tried letting them back together after a week but they went right back to sucking. After the 3 weeks there was no milk left so they stopped.

 

[wabbitmom12]

Imight be more concerned it Darla was having health problems, because of the extra strain on her systems to produce milk.

However, I wouldn't think it would hurt Darla to keep nursing, especially if it's just the one kit. Darla is healthy, and the kit is eating solid food, not just mommy's milk. I would think it would continue totaper off gradually. If she gets tired of it, she'll let Sierra know. By now, she can't be producing a whole lot anyway, especially if she's just been nursing the two kits for the last week.

We all know that it's important for rabbits to have good emotional health, too. If she feels better, and less lonely, by having one of her kits with her, and nursing a bit, why not? What a good little mama!

 

[Saudade]

Sounds like your dear Darla is not ready to give up being a mommy yet!

My best advice to you is to check to see if Darla is still producing milk, this could merely be a comfort thing, however if she is still producing milk it does put extra strain on her system to produce it. If she's still producing milk make sure that she gets a little extra food and is always hydrated!

For Sierra my best advice would be to just watch her weight, if Darla is still producing milk it is quite fat rich and will put on a little bit of weight on to her.

If no milk is being produced, well they'll hopefully give it up, if not you've got a peculiarly bonded pair but I don't see any problems with it unless you wish to breed Darla again.

 

[BlueGiants]

I'd be very surprised if Darla is still producing milk at this point... (possible, but not common). I agree, check and see if there is milk in her teats.

If you want Sierra to be separate, you may need to bond Darla with someone else. Sounds like she has a need to be maternal to "somebun". A spay might stop the hormones too...