I went to feed the rabbits today and observed some funny thing about the kits (children) of Flora (one of my female rabbit that kindled not long ago). I their eyes are now opened and I have removed the nest box so they can now go after their mom for breast milk which is still their main source of food at this stage.

How It Starts

I observed that at this stage anytime I put in food into the hutch for their mom, they don’t go after the food but rather dive under their mom and try to grab on to one of the nipples to suck for breast milk. You see, the mom will be busy eating at first that it doesn’t bother her, but after some time she jumps and kicks off so that they don’t suck on her breast. The kits will pretend as if they’re not interested but will still go near her and once she starts eating again the whole process continues, mom kicks off, kits fall off and it continues until they are full and go lay down somewhere else to rest.

Preparing To Leave Mama

As they grow older, say from 3 weeks up, they rely less on their moms milk, the mom by the is preparing them for weaning. By the time they’re a month or more the doe doesn’t allow them suck again, by that time they struggle to eat much of the food you put in the hutch. I wean my kits when they are about 5 to 7 weeks depending on their size and development. But the kits remain together until they’re about 10 to 11 weeks (I don’t want them to be sexually active before separating them to avoid any inbreeding amongst them. At that stage they’re put in their own hutch.

The Circle of Life is Complete

By the time they’re 5 to 6 months depending on their size, weight and development, I mate the doe among them with a different buck (not the doe brother though) and after 14 days I test for positive pregnancy and if she has taken in extra care is provided for her and in about 31 days after mating she’ll kindle (give birth to young ones). The Buck among them are used for mating while the non performing bucks are sold. And the circle of life continues.

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