Rabbits on wire bottom cage?(PICS ADDED)

[RabbitMage]

Ideally (IMO) rabbits shouldn't be weaned younger than 6 weeks, and not sold sooner than 8 weeks.

 

[sandspoultry]

Here is NC it is against the law to sale rabbits younger then 8 weeks old. I leave my kits in with the mother until they are 6 weeks old and then remove the mother and the little ones get 2 weeks to adjust to life without mama. I agree 4 weeks old is too young to sale rabbits.
All of my rabbits are raised on wire bottom cages that we built.
Here is a picture of 2 little Palomino rabbits on the wire bottom cage.

Sharon

 

[Shannon's Chix]

Well I obviously don't know much about rabbits, I thought the guy said 4 weeks or maybe 6 weeks but definitely not 8. They eat, drink, and "go" without any obvious issues. I may take them up to my local ACE, they said they could sex them because I have no idea what I have and I don't want a bunch of bunnies around!

Maybe they can tell how old they are?

I put a piece of wood big enough for both of them in there and I think I will try the tile when I get to the store.

I'll try to post pics but I have satellite internet and can only upload/download between 2am and 7am!

 

[gypsy2621]

Kits 4 to 8 week old will eat drink poop and pee on their own, thats not the issue with weaning them so early.
the issue is they need the cecal product mother leaves for them to digest the feed material. babys sometimes do not transition off milk to pellets well, it used to be called mucoid enteritis but its mucoid toximia now. It will kill the babys that were weaned too soon, but not every kit.
be sure to have hay for them to chew on so their digestive system will be cleaned out.

Most States mandate no Kittens puppys,rabbits can be sold before the age of 8 weeks old.
Its unfortunate most pet stores want rabbits at 4 to 6 weeks old because of the cute factor.
every rabbit that small is a netherland dwarf untill you get it home and it grows up to be a 10 lb rabbit.

 

[Shannon's Chix]

I doubt the guy was selling a bunch of rabbits too young at a swap where *most* people would probably know better, I'm sure I'm wrong...maybe it was 4 mos??? Idk, anyway, back to topic, I got some pics. The second shows feet on the wire, possibly my wire is too large? Any ideas on breed would be great too.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Looks fine to me... I did put a pice of scrap wood in mine when i first started.. Then quickly realized how fast they get nasty with urine and feces.. So i took all mine out and they did fine.. I dont think your wire is too big either...

 

[Southernbelle]

That cage looks perfect - nice heavy duty wire and 1/2x1" wire floor with a small rabbit. It kinda looks like a San Juan rabbit - the sell them around here for training beagle dogs to flush rabbits. I don't think the board is neccessary, but it doesn't hurt. I don't use them because they get messy so quickly.

 

[Jessika]

I would agree. It looks fine. If you notice sore hocks starting then put in the board or whatever.

My Rex Rabbits do have issues with sore hocks, mini's and standards. I have some that are only 1/4 Rex and they get the sores too. Now all my New Zealand, Californians, and American Rabbits do just fine. If the wire was loose or bowed that can cause problems on even the best bred rabbits.

Hard to tell how old from the picture. Probably old enough would be my "guess". 6-8 weeks is the minumum age for sale. People here do it sometimes before. My daughter broght home 3 - 5 week old rabbits and only one made it to adulthood.

Don't forget besides pellets, they need some hay (timothy or orchard grass is what I use), and also a salt lick of some sort.

 

[LyonFuzz]

Ask yourself if you'd be comfortable standing on wire 24/7. It's probably nice to have a reprieve of a board or tile. I've seen a plastic pan used before too and it's easy to rinse clean. Mine are kept outside in a pen on the ground and it's just as easy to keep clean as a hutch style cage, but the rabbits get to run, burrow, forage, etc, just as they would naturally. Allowing them to actually do "rabbit things" makes for much happier/healthier pets

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
It's not technically necessary to include a salt/mineral block, because that's added to rabbit pellets. They're formulated to be 'all a rabbit needs' even though they do need things to wear their teeth down on too.

Salt wheels are more for an owner's piece of mind.

I know from having hamsters and gerbils, not all of them will even use it. The hamsters acted like it was MANNA FROM HEAVEN OMG but the gerbils never touched it.

Rabbits never touched it either, and they're still alive.

This thread makes me want to get rabbits again... Even if only for meat.
That would make them 'profitable' I suppose. Compared to a pet anyway...