Baby Rabbits

[MilleAM]

Hi, this is my first thread/question. I have two female New Zealand Red Satin cross rabbits I think (That is what the guy who I bought them from had told me). One is a solid red (Lil' Miss) and the other is a darker red/brown but is broken black also (Carrot Cake). Recently I bred Lil' Miss to Clyde, a Red-Eyed, New Zealand White, that I purchased from a breeder.(I will post a picture of him on this thread when I get home.) We had 7 babies this litter and are 11 days old. I was curious on what the potential outcomes for the offspring are between Lil' Miss and Clyde and what I could look for with Carrot Cake and Clyde. Also, what is the typical timeline for things with the offspring like when do they open their eyes, when should I remove the nest box, when do I give them their own water bowl, etc. Any other tips and advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!

This is Lil' Miss (The mom of the litter of 7).



This is Carrot Cake. She will be a potential mom in the next month and a half or so.

 

[Bunnylady]

Congrats on your litter, and welcome to BYC!

Hmm, colors, colors . . . . .that's a toughie. First of all, Lil' Miss's color is technically orange, not red. A New Zealand Red is a rich, almost brick-red color all over, belly included. Carrot Cake's color is called Tortoiseshell, which is frequently shortened to Tort. "Broken" refers to a particular pattern with areas of white and colored fur.

You say your buck is a New Zealand White. Because the genes that produce the Ruby-eyed White (the name for the NZW's color) shut down all pigment production in the coat, it's impossible to know what other genes a REW is carrying. The likeliest color would be Chestnut (the wild-type color), but you could get steel (sort of like Chestnut, but with a lot more black to it), Red, Orange, Black, and maybe Broken versions of those colors if the REW is carrying Broken.

The kits' eyes should open when they are between 10 and 12 days old. If they aren't open by day 14, they may have a little bit of an infection gluing them shut, and they should be gently opened using a moistened paper towel or cotton swab. Once their eyes are open, they begin exploring, and they often start nibbling at food and hay. Some people will remove the box at 2 weeks, but I usually wait until 3, though I will change out the nesting material at 2 weeks so the kits won't wind up eating the fur that the mother pulled, and give themselves furballs in their stomachs.

By 3 weeks, the kits usually are getting pretty serious about eating, and they grow like weeds. Commercial meat producers often wean the kits at 4 weeks of age, but they are prepared to take losses on their litters, too - most people don't recommend weaning until at least 6 weeks, preferably 8.

 

[MilleAM]

Thank you for the advice. I'm looking to primarily use these rabbits as meat rabbits but would like to explore other breeds as well. In the picture of the babies below, I can point one out which is on its back but the fur looks similar to Lil' Miss's orange color. The rest look to be dark or agouti.



This is my buck REW name Clyde.



This is our litter of 7 who is 12 days old as of today.