Baby rabbits are called kits. They are naked, blind, and helpless. All they know how to do is nurse when the mother comes into the nest box two or three times a day. They grow amazingly fast. Within a few days their fur comes in. At about one week old they are moving around. Around 12 to 14 days they open their eyes. By 2 to 3 weeks old they are eating hay and pellets and drinking water. After three weeks old they are actually competing with the mother for food. Sometimes one or two of them will crawl into the pellet feeder and hog all the food!
Once the kits are weaned from their mothers, we call them bunnies. Usually this happens around 5 or 6 weeks old. We reduce the potential stress associated with being separated from the mother by gradually separating them daily in increasing increments at 3 weeks old. They have an opportunity to play, explore, and eat all by themselves. Also it allows the mother to eat without having to compete with her offspring!
Often families desire to establish a homestead rabbitry. A HOMESTEAD is like a mini-farm; a RABBITRY is the same but with only rabbits. This is a wonderful objective because it is very rewarding and fulfilling for all. Obviously to raise rabbits you need mature adults, one male (called a BUCK) and one female (called a DOE), to get started. Most breeds require the breeders to be 5 or 6 months of age before they can breed. Now, of course, we have all heard stories of a couple of rabbits in the backyard that "overnight" became an immense hoard! The original "founders" of that colony (called a WARREN) may have in actuality been many more than two eager populators of the planet.
In certain cases we retire a breeder or for some other reason a rabbit may need a new home. The fee for re-homing these faithful servants is half the regular selling price, but they still have a lot of love to give to people who care.