PREGNANT BUNNY

[samssimonsays]

During the weaning process is where I am confused. I am selling my bunnies to a store that said they will bye them when ever they are ready to be away from their mother. Because you said the bunnies can be weaned by 4 weeks, lets say I decide to wean them at 5 weeks. Do I need to keep them in a cage at my house right away? Or can I just sell them right away?
My bunnies are smaller then the bunnies at the store, so I think they won't be ready to leave at 4 weeks.

Here is what they look like

The number one thing I go by is that a baby bunny has to be 8 weeks to buy or sell. They may be perfectly healthy but keeping the babies until 8 weeks with its siblings, in a pet situation, creates a more stable animal mentally. It really can mess them up if they go too young. I also always let the mother wean them as she knows best. If they go past the 9 week mark of nursing then I will step in and wean them myself. Meat is one thing, they are usually not going to be around long. But a pet, you want to create the most ideal animal as possible.

 

[samssimonsays]

I am also a stickler for what is best for the animal, not the money. My french lops do not leave before 12 weeks of age due to the digestive system not fully developing until then. SOme need longer and some probably could go sooner but no one leaves until that age. I have had a lot of people say they want one at 8 weeks old to "bond" with them but the bonding isn't determined by age, it is determined by how socialized they are as babies and if they are a well rounded animal they will bond at any age regardless. As someone who has raised for pet and show for nearly a decade and have purchased rabbits for many years for my breeding program and pets, I have seen the difference in a well rounded animal that was raised properly and one that was sold too young, those that are sold too young usually end up dead or in shelters largely due to many people who buy them are new to rabbits and don't know how to manage them.

 

[Bunnylady]

I don't know where you live, but in some states (mine included) it is illegal to sell rabbits that are less than 8 weeks old.

The pet shops would like to have them younger, of course, because of the "awwww" factor of a baby bunny. By 8 weeks, they don't look like babies any more, they look like young rabbits, which I think is a good thing - it helps to eliminate the impulse buy based simply on cuteness. But as Samantha draws said, baby rabbits are fragile, and the stress of going from a rabbitry to a pet shop to new home can be too much for such a young animal.

 

[Pastor Dave]

The above two responses, ok three responses all seem very reasonable for creating good pets and remaining legal in selling the appropriate aged bunny. I just can't wrap my mind around having to wait until 8 or 9 weeks to wean.
My does seem to want to wean as early as possible, but I am sure that is conditioned in them to reproduce again.
I have held back suitable breeders and a couple stunted runts to be sold as pets since they were going to be smaller, but between 5 and 10 weeks they are in grow-out pens. I have a Jr doe now that was selected among the other does and saved to be a breeder just due to a more pleasant temperament. I am sure socialization is important when creating pets. I try to find a good balance between handling to create a less shy creature & getting too attached to a food source.

 

[Animal Person]

The bunnies were nursing with their mothers just last week so I am going to sell/wean them at 6 1/2 weeks of age

 

[Animal Person]

Does anybody know how to start a new thread?

 

[Latestarter]

First, select Forums at the top left of the screen. When that opens, scroll down to the section and sub-section where you want to post (for example Rabbits / Meat Rabbits) and click the sub section where you want your post to go. Then right up near the top, you'll see a line that goes across and on the right side it will say "Post New Thread" in a "button"... Click that button and it will open a new window where you give your new thread a title, then a text box to type out your thread message.

 

[Animal Person]

Hey everybody,
so yesterday I sold the bunnies to the store so they can find their forever home. I am positive that they will be adopted, because there are very few of them and the are very cute. Thanks everyone for coming on this journey with me, and next week I am going to do it all over again. It has been so much fun. Thanks everyone for the help! Bye for now!