my baby bunnies

Question
my baby bunnies will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. will they be ready to gat sold? they are all haelthy and eating rabbit food and drinking water. i want to start putting signs up, but i want to make sure they will be okay. oh, and if you need to know, the babies are half rex, half mini rex. thanx! :)

Answer
Hi Katy

Rabbits can't be taken away from their mother until they are 8 weeks old.  They may be eating solid food and drinking on their own but their little tummies don't have the necessary bacteria they need to have healthy digestive systems.  They don't develop that bacteria until they are about 6-7 1/2 weeks old.  Even though you don't see them nursing from their mom they still do.  If you take them away before they are 8 weeks old you are putting them at a huge risk of developing enteritis.  Enteritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining and causes severe and deadly diarrhea.  Baby rabbits will die extremely quickly from diarrhea often within less than an hour.  It is just not worth the risk.

There is nothing wrong with putting up signs and screening new potential parents for the babies.  Let them know that they have a few more weeks with their mom but if all goes well and if you approve the living conditions they will be going to then tell the new folks that you will hold on to them until they are ready.  People that are really interested in healthy rabbits would rather wait to make sure the little one's are ok than risk getting a baby that is just going to die from a horrible illness.

In the meantime make sure the babies are getting plenty of fresh timothy and grass hay.  This will help them adjust easier when they go off their mothers milk completely.

Good luck and I hope the babies find happy loving homes.  If you need anything else please let me know.

Pam