When do you start introducing pellets into a baby bunnies food?

[Kay]

When can a baby bunny start eating pellets? How many weeks old can you start giving them pellets to munch on?

 

[SableSteel]

I have pellets available from the beginning. They start eating their mom's pellets at only a few weeks old.

 

[Kay]

I have pellets available from the beginning. They start eating their mom's pellets at only a few weeks old.

Oh okay! I just gave my 2 week old well close to 3 week old a little bit of baby bunny pellets. Because I read that you can start introducing them to pellets at 2-3 weeks old

 

[SableSteel]

At that age I would have pellets available 24/7. The dam needs the energy to nurse, and the babies will start eating it as well (I only cut back on pellets at about 3-4 months. Before that they get free fed pellets 24/7. At that young age you don't need to worry about them getting overweight on pellets). Been breeding for many years, have not yet had a rabbit with so much as diarrhea at weaning with this feeding method.

 

[Kay]

At that age I would have pellets available 24/7. The dam needs the energy to nurse, and the babies will start eating it as well (I only cut back on pellets at about 3-4 months. Before that they get free fed pellets 24/7. At that young age you don't need to worry about them getting overweight on pellets). Been breeding for many years, have not yet had a rabbit with so much as diarrhea at weaning with this feeding method.

Thank you so much for the info!! Also how long do baby rabbits feed on the mothers milk?

 

[SableSteel]

Thank you so much for the info!! Also how long do baby rabbits feed on the mothers milk?

The longer the better. Personally I prefer to wean at 8 weeks. My range of time for "I really need to wean these babies" is 6-10 weeks. Earliest I've ever weaned was 4 weeks w/extenuating circumstances, would not recommend doing that. Ill wean at six weeks if the mother is fed up with the babies. By about 10 weeks the babies start picking on each other or the dam sometimes. I've seen them go up to four months if a human doesn't separate the kits and the dam, and that's not healthy for the dam at that point so I WOULD recommend separating them yourself. I like to wean at 8 weeks by moving the mother to a new cage and letting the babies stay in the cage that they are familiar with. Then I keep them for another 2 weeks so they have time to adjust to a fully solid diet without the stress of a new environment, then I sell them at 10 weeks. A lot of people will sell them as soon as they weaned, and that puts a lot of stress on the little baby. I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after weaning before sending them to a new home.

 

[Kay]

The longer the better. Personally I prefer to wean at 8 weeks. My range of time for "I really need to wean these babies" is 6-10 weeks. Earliest I've ever weaned was 4 weeks w/extenuating circumstances, would not recommend doing that. Ill wean at six weeks if the mother is fed up with the babies. By about 10 weeks the babies start picking on each other or the dam sometimes. I've seen them go up to four months if a human doesn't separate the kits and the dam, and that's not healthy for the dam at that point so I WOULD recommend separating them yourself. I like to wean at 8 weeks by moving the mother to a new cage and letting the babies stay in the cage that they are familiar with. Then I keep them for another 2 weeks so they have time to adjust to a fully solid diet without the stress of a new environment, then I sell them at 10 weeks. A lot of people will sell them as soon as they weaned, and that puts a lot of stress on the little baby. I recommend waiting at least 2 weeks after weaning before sending them to a new home.

Oh okay cool! When I was searching up I put in my notes to wean them at 8 weeks! When you wean them at 8 weeks you just put them in a different cage with pellets, hay and water?

 

[SableSteel]

Oh okay cool! When I was searching up I put in my notes to wean them at 8 weeks! When you wean them at 8 weeks you just put them in a different cage with pellets, hay and water?

I leave the babies where they are and move the mother to a new cage. The mother can handle the stress of moving better than the babies. With hay, pellets and water for both the mother and babies

 

[Kay]

I leave the babies where they are and move the mother to a new cage. The mother can handle the stress of moving better than the babies. With hay, pellets and water for both the mother and babies

Thank you! I really appreciate all the information it definitely helps