How young is too young?

[TARM]

Hello everyone!  This is my first time here and I have a question.

I am adopting two baby bunnies from a lady who just had not one but TWO oops litters!  Her doe got pregnant again the very same day she delivered the babies I’m adopting.  They know it was the same day because the dad had been separated from the mom until the teenager in the house mistakenly put the dad in the cage with mom. 

Anyway, since this momma bunny (who is only about 6 months old..yikes!) now has a new litter to feed the 4 week old babies are not getting milk from her.  We were supposed to pick our bunnies up on August 9 but that has been moved up to this Monday!  The owner said she spoke with some 4H person who told her that as long as the babies were eating hay and pellets (which they are) the babies would be fine to go to their new homes.

I’m very concerned about this, everything I can find says that the bunnies will die if they are removed before 6-8 weeks of age!  I’m still going to adopt them because they aren’t even housed in the same cage with momma any more and if I don’t adopt them someone else will, which will devastate my daughters.  What can I do to make sure the babies stay healthy? 

By the way, the owners of the rabbits love them dearly, they just aren’t well informed.  I took a bunny basics class through our animal shelter before deciding on adopting and I passed on as much information as I could to the owners.  I also referred them to Spay, Inc to get the parents fixed.  Though they said they don’t need spay assistance but would call them to get a referral to a good exotic vet.  I gave them a couple of names.  My girls and I spent over an hour meeting the family and the bunnies and the lady took tons of notes about the things I told her so I’m sure she will read up and make some changes.

Whew!  Sorry so long, I just want to make sure my bunnies will be OK. 

PS…we named them after Ranger and Tank in the Janet Evanovich series!

 

Thanks,

Kristie

[Beka27]

oh no! rabbits are not supposed to be weaned until 8 weeks, as you know, but i don’t know what you’d do in this situation. someone should be along soon to help you out.

welcome here! i hope this family gets these bunnies altered. this could turn into a bad (worse) situation very quickly.

[Sarita]

This is a very common occurrence and really there isn’t anything that the owner could do in this situation as far as removing the first litter. It’s an unfortunate situation.

They will not die but it is not recommended to remove the rabbits before 8 weeks.

Providing them with a healthy environment is going to help. I would give them alfalfa hay and timothy hay since they are so young. It sounds like you have alot of resources available too you too and you have done alot of research. It wouldn’t hurt to take them to the vet when you get them to start establishing a relationship with the vet too.

I’m glad you are taking 2 of the babies they sound like they are going to be well cared for and loved. I do know this happens alot with rabbits and I mean ALOT withe well intentioned rabbit owners and it sounds like they are doing the right thing by the rabbits too.

I absolutely love the Stephanie Plum series too!

[osprey]

I agree with Sarita, we get in seriously underage litters with no mom pretty often at our rescue, and most of them do just fine.  The first 4 weeks are critical for the formation of a good balance of bacteria in the intestines, and you are past that mark, so your main concern now is to be sure they get enough calories.  For 4-8 week old babies without a mom to nurse from, we often supplement their food with KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer, basically baby formula for cats).  This can be syringe fed or offered in a bowl, and sometimes the babies will just lap it up.  If they are gaining weight and growing on the alfalfa based diet, then you can skip the KMR.  We intruduce veggies very early, usually around 4-6 weeks, very slowly at first, starting with easy to digest ones like romaine lettuce or parsley.

 

[Sarita]

I agree about introducing veggies early too. No need to wait and it’s good for them and they do like them…but slowly as Osprey said.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

What do you guys think about her giving a probiotic like benebac to help them along? I’ve read that that’s necessary for early-weened babies, but not sure ‘in practice’ …?

[TARM]

They are eating well and they are gaining weight. They look very healthy. I do have a question about pellets though. Every bag I’ve seen specifies that it’s for adults. Is there a special pellet for babies? I got them a bag of oxbow because I wanted to have something…Is that a good brand?

[Beka27]

oxbow makes a pellet for babies, i be;ieve it is bunny basics. the one for adults is T b/c it is timothy based.

[osprey]

Oxbow is a little confusing in the way they market their pellets.  Their pellets for youngsters, made from alfalfa is called Bunny Basics 15/23.  It has a large letter A on the package, in the upper left corner.  Their adult pellet , made from timothy grass is called Bunny Basics T, and has a large T in the upper left corner.

As to the probiotics, I am not a big fan of them.  That is the kind of thing that if Dr. Harvey or Dr. O’Day suggested it I’d use it, but not without a vet’s recomendation.  I cared for a litter of 6 week olds that did not have a mom, and we did the KMR thing plus alfalfa hay, oat hay and alfalfa pellets.  It is *astonishing* how much 8 6 week old rabbits can eat, I was filling that alfalfa hay basket three times a day.  For those of you that remember my “Baby Bunnies” video, that was the litter I am referring to.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Awwww yes I remember those little guys!!

OK then Tankandrangersmom, forget my probiotic advice, if osprey says don’t bother, then don’t bother Keep us posted and we’re going to need lots of pictures of the cute little guys!!!!!

[TARM]

Here are a couple of pictures the owner sent me of the babies!

This is Ranger

 

And this is Tank

[osprey]

Oh, they are really adorable.  Are they lionheads?

 

[TARM]

I don’t think so.  I don’t know much about breeds except how to tell the difference between a lop and a…not lop…lol!  There was a Flemmish Giant at the animal shelter that I would have LOVED to have…he was a stray and was trapped.  Neutered and very comfortable being handled.  Definitely someone’s pet that escaped.  I couldn’t believe no one was looking for him but the ACO said he looked rough when he came in and had probably been missing for quite a while.  A rescue put dibs on him when his stray hold was up.  I knew what he was but only because there’s a very obvious difference between a giant and a…not giant?

Anyway, I don’t know how to tell the difference between the up ears breeds.  I know that I prefer the look of the up ears to the lops but would never be so shallow as to turn away a lop based on looks, if that makes sense. 

I used to be heavy into dog rescue but I can’t foster dogs any more.  Then I was into ferret rescue and I have a ferret foster…but once you foster a ferret it’s pretty much yours since it can die if separated from the person it bonds with.  The rescue isn’t close by and gas prices kind of prohibit driving there on the weekends. I’d love to foster for a rabbit rescue or the local shelter but I just moved into my house and I need to configure a “small animal” space.  Right now the bunnies are so small my youngest daughter wants them in her room where she can dote on them.  She’s already bunny proofed it.  and when I say bunny proofed…I mean that not only are there no cords to chew on..but she has also constructed a barrier out of the NIC panels so they can’t get lost under her bed!

We’re very excited and can’t wait til Monday.  We’re going to the store today to get all the toys and stuff and I’m going to get the baby bunny pellets and alfalfa.  I have a big bag of timothy hay but I’ll probably donate it to the shelter bunnies.  We’re also going to pick up some Crazins or something as a present for the parents of our bunnies.

Just two more days!  There will be plenty of pictures!

[Beka27]

keep the timothy hay!!!!! you can give the bunnies both kinds, and it’s actually really good to get them used to the timothy early on.

[Sarita]

Oh, they are beautiful!

Yes, do keep the timothy hay for them – they need that as well.

The bunny parents will love the Craisins :~)

[TARM]

Oh hey, YAY!  I’ve been waiting since yesterday for the forum to come back!  If it broke it’s completely my fault.  Groups and forums have a tendancey to fall apart when I join.  I apologize.

So, great news!  We got to pick up the boys last night!  And let me tell you, this family did such an amazing job handling them.  The girls cuddled with them all afternoon until I threatened to put the cage in MY room if they didn’t leave the poor things alone and let them hang out in their new house for a while.  They ate some alfalfa, played with some toys, and later in the evening we took them out and let them down on the floor.  They hopped around some and sniffed a little but their main thing was to find a lap an hop into it.  YAY!  Lap bunnies!  I’m hoping they stay this way and don’t snub us as they get older.

I kept the timothy hay but right now they’re eating straight alfalfa.  They were eating the timothy hay at the other house but I want the best for my boys.  I’m like that with all my animals.  If I paid half as much attention to what goes in my mouth as I do for my animals I would weigh a lot less. 

I should have more pictures soon.  I’ll make a slide show!  I have to put it on my blog too. 

Oh, and I found out that the momma is half lionhead and half dwarf something or other.  The dad is half rex and half something or other.  So I have mutt bunnies. 

[Beka27]

i love mutt bunnies! (oh wait. i love all bunnies…)

sounds like they are settling well. enjoy this time b/c chances are the super cuddly behavior will not last thru puberty. i hate to tell you that, but it is a fact of rabbit ownership… so get your cuddles in now… lol!

[TARM]

Here’s a slideshow of the bunnies!  I can’t figure out how to post it here….

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c391/ILoveResQDogz/bunnies/?albumview=slideshow

[BabyJoey]

I think all bunnies are adorable…not an ugly bunny in the universe, but your little sweeties are beyond adorable. How do you stop yourself from obsessively hugging and kissing them?

Congratulations on your new family members!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

*SQUEEEEE!!!* They are tooo cute!! Congrats!

Can I ask where you bought that tunnel? It would match our decor perfect!!

[TARM]

Thank you!  I got the tunnel from Petco.  They seem to like it.  The ferrets LOve IT!  It crinkles.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I have a similar one, but I LOVE The colors on that one!!

[Author]

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