When can you set kits on a rabbit tractor for grass?

[PaisleyChickMama]

I am expecting kits in 30 days! We had a fluke Buck and had to replace him as soon as we did our does got bred. So now I’m trying to raise up kits as low costly as possible. How do I go about raising them on grass/violets/dandelions in a tractor? Do I need to put mom in there with them? Or do I need to wait until they’re weaned from mom?

 

[judymac]

It is often suggested that the kits can eat what mom has been eating, because she will be passing along the correct digestive bacteria that break down that kind of food. Under this theory, you would want to get mom used to the tractor and the wild foods before kindling. Start by feeding a few leaves of dandelion/violet each day along with the normal food, then up the amount a little at a time until she is eating whole handfuls of greens each day, along with her normal food. At that point I put them in the tractor, and only move it a little each day so they don't get too much greens at once. After a few days I just move the tractor normally.

Another option is to put a piece of plywood down, and the tractor on top of that. Each day, just move the tractor a tiny bit to expose just a little of the fresh greens. You can move it a little more each day, by the time it is off the plywood you probably won't need it anymore, just move the pen each day normally.

 

[PaisleyChickMama]

It is often suggested that the kits can eat what mom has been eating, because she will be passing along the correct digestive bacteria that break down that kind of food. Under this theory, you would want to get mom used to the tractor and the wild foods before kindling. Start by feeding a few leaves of dandelion/violet each day along with the normal food, then up the amount a little at a time until she is eating whole handfuls of greens each day, along with her normal food. At that point I put them in the tractor, and only move it a little each day so they don't get too much greens at once. After a few days I just move the tractor normally.

Another option is to put a piece of plywood down, and the tractor on top of that. Each day, just move the tractor a tiny bit to expose just a little of the fresh greens. You can move it a little more each day, by the time it is off the plywood you probably won't need it anymore, just move the pen each day normally.

Awesome! And can you omit hay and pellets entirely? Or do you still need that

 

[Preitler]

If you feed the doe green forage already the kits can eat that too from the start. That's how it works in nature, and it's what I do. I still offer some hay, they don't eat much of it but if they do I think it is as a remedy for minor tummy issues.

Mine start to venture out of the hutch for grazing at about 4 weeks, I would let them out earlier but then they are too small and if scared can hide in places I wouldn't find.

I would put a hidey house in the tractor, up to 4 weeks they still spent quite a lot of time in the nest. If the doe is with them I would make that hidey house high enough that the kits can't jump up there until they are 4 or 5 weeks, and the top small enough that just the doe can lounge comfortable up there, just to give her a place to get away from the little suckers.