Hi guys, so im glad to post that everything seems to be going well with the baby bunnies, babies seem to be really chunky and running a mock around the house they are 3 weeks but I noticed yesterday that Zoe didnt feed the babies (feeds them once a day, at night ) BUT I also noticed that they had been nibling all day on timothy hay and pellets. Zoe didnt feed the babies at all today either and refuses to feed them, BUT today they ate timothy hay and pellets and learned to drink from the water bottle they've been really into the water bottle and drinking every chance they get. Their tummies feel full and round . Is it bad that Zoe wont feed them? In most articles i read it says babies dont get fully weaned until about 2 months, they are not even 1 month yet! just a while ago i put the babies in the cage with her and they tried to feed but she would run away and wouldnt let them. they fially got tired of trying and decided to munch on timothy hay and pellets and drank water. Now they are asleep in the cage with Zoe but dont know whether to leave them in the cage with her she seems bothered by them being in there, but they've managed to be able to climb out of the box i had them in  and i get scared that at night when i get up i might step on one of them. So basicaly my question is should i leave them in the cage with her even if she doesnt like it (she doesnt do anything to them just runs away) and should i be worried that she's not feeding them and are eating solids and drinking water already? 

I use the term "wean" meaning when they can be entirely away from the mother, though technically it's more to do with coming off milk. The kits can start to do this from 4 weeks of age and begin to eat foods. This is why sometime people can get kits at 5 weeks old. But it's a critical time in which they build the right balance of good bacteria in their gut. They eat the mothers cecals to help in this. At 8weeks (2 months) they are in a better postion health wise to survive away from the mum. See this article for more detail: www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html

Can you set Zoe up somewhere higher where she can jump up to and the babies cannot? Then she can go there if she needs to be away from them. If you have them in a safe room, you could put the box on it's side (or use another cage with door left open?) and set them up there. They can wander but not get to her, but she can visit them. It's important she still can as she could still be giving them brief feeds.  Sometimes, in a hutch situation, the mothers and kits are together but there is a higher area she can go to escape them.

Posted By Moz on 08/28/2010 01:01 PM
 Zoe is fine with me sticking my hand in her cage to grab the babes, she will even lick my arm but yesterday my neighbor was over and decided to stick his hand in there to grab one to carry it (he couldnt resist) and zoe lounged at his hand and bit his finger pretty badly, he decided to go to the doctor since the bleeding woldnt stop, he ended up needing stitches.

YaOUCH! Stitches even!  Zoe sure knows how to pack a punch!  Hope your neighbor wasn't mad. 

As far as hay, at this point there should be both timothy and alfalfa available to mother and babies. Mothers should have alfalfa supplemented to their diet during pregnancy and nursing, babies can have alfalfa up to about 6 months- 1 year. You do not have to feed the babies alfalfa pellets. They can be just fine on timothy pellets, but with some alfalfa hay in addition. And I think it's great they are liking the timothy hay, that is so important for their long-term health. When it comes time to switch them to an all-timothy diet, they maybe won't snub it because they will be familiar with it already.

I would also agree with the others that your Chomper rabbit should be kept away from the babies.  You are not keeping the babies, so in fact, they never have to meet.  Rabbits can be "carriers" of E. Cunniculi without showing symptoms.  I think I heard the statistics of 1 in 4 rabbits might have this and their owners do not know.  So I think it's just safer to keep your other bunny away.  If he was a carrier of EC, and passed it on to the babies, I'm sure their weakened immune systems might not be able to handle it.