When Can You Separate Baby Rabbits from Mother?

Raising baby rabbits requires careful consideration of when to separate kits from their mother. Rabbit kits rely on their mother’s milk for nourishment and antibodies during the first weeks of life. Separating kits too early can jeopardize their health and survival.

Most experts recommend waiting until kits are at least 8 weeks old before separating them from the doe. This allows time for the kits to grow, develop their digestive system, and receive ample antibodies from nursing. While tempting, separating kits any earlier than 5-6 weeks can be dangerous.

in this article, we will provide tips on determining when kits are ready for separation and how to smoothly transition them to independence.

When Can You Separate Baby Rabbits from Mother?

Baby rabbits, called kits, should stay with their mother until they are at least 8 weeks old. By 8 weeks, kits are weaned from their mother’s milk and able to eat solid foods on their own. Separating kits earlier than 8 weeks can lead to health issues as they still rely on their mother’s milk for nutrition and antibodies. Wait until kits are fully weaned and eaten independently before separating them into their enclosure.

When Can You Separate Baby Rabbits from Mother

So, what is the weaning of the baby bunny?

Weaning is the separating process of the baby rabbits from their mother. From the 4th to 6th weeks, the baby bunny starts eating supplementary foods like Hay, vegetables, and fruits.

But still, they are depending on their mother’s milk. Rabbit’s milk is very nutritious. When the baby bunny is at 4 to 6 weeks, their gut is developing and they can digest most of the adult rabbit food.

This separation is called weaning. You should provide fresh and soft food besides hay to the bunny rabbits. Let’s talk about the step-by-step procedure of weaning baby bunnies.

0 weeks to 3 weeks

At this stage, the baby bunnies are completely dependent on their mamma’s milk. After 10 to 14 days, their eyes are opened.

The mamma bunny takes care twice a day. Usually, the mamma bunny feeds her babies in the dawn and dusk. You don’t need to provide any complementary foods to the baby bunnies in this time frame.

3 weeks to 6 weeks

After 3 weeks, the baby bunny starts eating hay around their nest. Both the wild and pet baby rabbits start eating hay around their nesting box for 3 weeks.

The weaning process starts at this age. Their guts start developing and can able to digest the natural feeds.

But still, the mother’s milk is important to developing their guts. If you separate the baby bunnies from their mother, they will suffer from malnutrition.

You know, the death of a mamma bunny is widespread. Do you know the reason for this?

The breeders don’t allow them to drink their mother’s milk for 8 weeks. As a result, they are weak and suffer from various diseases.

Related: Can Rabbits Drink Milk?

6 weeks to 8 weeks

Now, they are ready to separate from their mother. The baby bunny can eat almost all types of foods. And they can digest it smoothly.

But you should not separate the baby bunnies from their mother before at least 8 weeks. You can separate the baby bunnies after the transition period.

baby bunny

The Transition Process

Now, it is time to identify the baby bunnies and whether they are ready to separate or not. You know, all the baby rabbits are not healthy enough to separate even after 8 weeks.

To reduce the death rate of the baby bunny, you should sort out the healthy bunnies. Now the question is how to identify healthy baby bunnies.

The Mamma Bunny Don’t Take Care

Probably this is the easiest way to identify the healthy baby bunny. When the baby bunnies are completely dependent on the adult rabbit food, the mamma bunny doesn’t feed her babies.

If you are sure that the babies are completely out of the nesting period and the momma bunny doesn’t feed her babies, you are good to go for the separation process.

The Baby Bunny Eats and Digests the Adult Rabbit Food

You know that baby bunnies are dependent on their mother in the early stages. When the baby bunny starts eating hay, fresh grass, pellet food, and vegetables regularly, they are in the transition period.

You could wait a few weeks to observe the baby bunny. If there is no problem with their poops, you are good to go to separate the baby bunny from her mother.

Check the Poops

During the transmission period, the baby faces some physical problems like bloating and gastrointestinal problems. If you see any issue with the baby rabbit’s poop, please consult a vet immediately. Diarrhea is lethal for rabbits. in most cases, the baby rabbit can not survive the Diarrhea.

Looking for the best newbie-friendly bunny breed? Read this article to learn more.

What Food Should You Offer to the Baby Bunny During the Transition Period?

Hay

Hay is the main food for the bunny. Like the adult bunny, you could provide unlimited timothy hay to the baby bunny. Although many experts suggest alfalfa hay to the baby bunny, you could offer oat hay, meadow hay, or timothy hay.

Vegetables

You can provide all the rabbit-safe vegetables to the baby bunny during the transition period. Here is a list of rabbit-safe vegetables.

  • Mint
  • Celery
  • Basil
  • Cilantro
  • Bok choy
  • Kale
  • Bell peppers
  • Clover
  • Dandelion greens
  • Broccoli
  • Carrot (Not too much)
  • Cucumbers
  • Collard greens
  • lettuce
  • Radish
  • Sprouts
  • Bell peppers
  • Zucchini

Fruits

  • Apple
  • Watermelon
  • Melon
  • Nectarine
  • Orange
  • Papaya
  • Banana
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Blueberries
  • blackberries
  • strawberries
  • raspberries
  • cranberries
  • Cherries
  • Grapes
  • Peach

Fresh Water

Baby Bunny doesn’t want to drink the fresh water. Especially in the transition period. But you shouldn’t give up. You could use a bowl or bottle for a continuous water supply.

Final Words

Baby bunnies are cute. If you can not take care of all of the baby bunnies, you can offer adoption. Please don’t give the baby bunnies to the rabbit breeders. They only look for the money.

I hope you have understood the total weaning and transition period. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to share.

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Alex

Alex is a full-time rabbit lover and part-time Biologist. He is a proud parent of two rabbits. It's his childhood dream to rescue endangered animals and make the world better for living.

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