When Can a Baby Rabbit Be Taken Home?

Homes for baby rabbits, or kits, are usually selected before they are conceived. After birth, prospective owners should show interest in their pet even though the kit still lives with the mother. This will prevent owners from making a hasty decision. A new owner should wait at least 12 weeks before bringing a baby rabbit home. This not only prevents impulsive adoptions, but it also helps the kits develop healthy intestinal flora. Kits lose the immunity gained from their mothers, or does, by the time they are 4 weeks old. This makes them vulnerable to infections. So the longer kits stay with the doe, the better for them.

  1. Weaning Baby Rabbits

    • For the first three weeks, the baby rabbits feed just on the doe's milk. The milk is high in antibodies and protects the kits from getting diseases. Weaning occurs eight weeks after birth depending on the breed of the rabbit. If baby rabbits are taken away early from their mothers, it reduces their chances of survival. While drinking the mother's milk, the intestines of the kits are sterile. If the kits are separated too early from the doe, they can later develop problems in their gastrointestinal tracts, which do not yet contain healthy bacteria.

    Feeding Baby Rabbits

    • After the baby rabbit completes three weeks, introduce hay and pellets. Make sure that the kit has access to clean drinking water at all times. This is not the time to give treats to the kit. Feeding vegetables, fruits or grains at this stage could upset the digestive system and cause diarrhea, because the digestive system is still developing. By seven weeks, the kit can consume unlimited amounts of alfalfa hay and pellets along with the mother's milk.

      Although kits love alfalfa hay, be careful when feeding the hay along with pellets. Too much protein disrupts the digestive system. Instead, try feeding them Timothy grass, or oat hay sans the oats. The grass and the oat hay are healthy and do not stress the still-developing digestive system.

    Growth of Intestinal Flora

    • Promote growth of healthy intestinal bacteria by introducing probiotics to your baby rabbit. There are commercial probiotics available. Follow the instructions on the product's label product or consult a vet. Some commercial probiotics can be mixed into drinking water. Otherwise, try giving the baby rabbit plain, unflavored yogurt.

    Baby Rabbit Care

    • Many things that can stress a baby rabbit, including too many carbohydrates, too much activity, insufficient fiber, sudden noises, sudden changes in temperature, being handled by too many people, and traveling. Reduce stress by feeding the kit hay and providing water. This will increase the chances of survival and prevent diarrhea, which often is fatal in young rabbits.

      Keep temperature as constant as possible. It is better to let the temperature turn slightly cooler than hotter. Heat leads to dehydration, which can be fatal.