How to Tell How Old a Baby Rabbit is?

How to Tell How Old a Baby Rabbit is?

Are you worried about knowing the age of your pet bunny? Do you want to adopt an abandoned or wild rabbit with no age record?  Though there are no particular criteria for knowing how old a baby rabbit is, you can hint during development age. You surely want to know the age if you’re adopting a rabbit. 

How to Tell How Old a Baby Rabbit is?

Moreover, knowing their age is crucial because it helps you care for them and keep them safe. Look at their eyes; if they are closed, they are below three weeks. You can try a few more hints to get an idea of your bunny’s age. Let’s dive deeper to explore this in detail.

How do you know if a baby rabbit is abandoned?

You will indeed find nests of rabbits in your garden or yard. Often mother rabbits return at dest and dawn to feed their young. In cases of any unfortunate happening, if you want to make sure that the mother is providing care, follow these two tips:
Place a string in an ‘X’ pattern. If the string is shifted out of place, it means the mother has returned and fed the young ones at some time.
Secondly, you can spread flour or sand around the rabbit’s den and look for footprints. If you find missing prints of adult rabbits and baby rabbits are thin and weak, take them to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area.

Ways to Determine How Old a Baby Rabbit is

Rabbits give birth to litters of 1-10 babies. You might be wondering how old a baby rabbit is. Probably you may want to better care for your little bunnies and keep them safe. Not noticeable, but a few ways can give you an idea about the age of your pet rabbit. A few of them are

Size

If you’re wondering about estimating your baby rabbit’s age, one good way of determining age is by analyzing development stages. Look at the size of the baby rabbit. If you’re not sure, then consult a veterinarian. 

Different stages of development can help you guess how old a baby rabbit is. For example, their eyes are closed below three weeks, and at 4-7 weeks, rabbits begin to wean themselves from their mother. And At the age of 7 weeks, they look like miniature adults. Finally, at eight weeks, they stop feeding their mother’s milk. It is when they enter adulthood.

Although not a reliable age marker, you can also examine rabbits’ age by looking at teeth. The size of the mouth is a vital sign. Remember one thing; females are bigger than males, so consult your veterinarian if you find any difficulty. 

Additionally, the rabbit’s diet is a noticeable factor in determining age. Because at different stages, rabbits require a special diet for healthy growth. Try different food options and guess upon the baby rabbit’s interest. Thus you can determine age by considering the weight and size of the rabbits. 

Weight

Naturally, you wonder how old a baby rabbit is. You might be looking to adopt one or trying to identify age-specific care. Identifying the age of a baby rabbit will surely help you make the right decision. Weight is another way of determining how old a baby rabbit is.

A newborn baby rabbit weighs 1-1.5 ounces. Further, baby rabbits weigh three to five ounces at two to three weeks. Although baby rabbits are a little harder to identify compared to other species of the same group, you can still recognize their sex sooner with practice.

Moreover, when you adopt a baby, check on it regularly to see how it grows. Young rabbits often have baby-like fur and grow along with it, so make sure to weigh for two to three months before weaning it from their mother.  You can even introduce different food options to see their response. 

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Deafness and Blindness

Deafness and blindness are two apparent indicators of identifying how old a baby rabbit is. Baby rabbits face blindness due to shut eyes, and deafness is due to the erection of ears. Avoid moving around babies because the human scent can confuse the mother rabbit.

A vet can identify the age of the baby rabbit through rabbit deafness. The experiment is simple; the vet tries different sounds and notes the response of the baby rabbit. If the ears of a rabbit do not move, it is indeed deaf. You can check deafness at home or consult a vet if unable to identify it. 

Baby rabbits have closed eyes when below ten days. If a baby rabbit has open eyes and has movements in small and tentative hops. Then it is already fourteen to fifteen days old. At this age, they will look like rabbits with their ears perking up.

Transitional Coat

If you are confused and need help identifying the rabbit’s age, look at its coat. Your baby rabbit has a soft, wispy coat that gradually becomes more adult-like with age. The adult coat sheds more frequently and stops shedding as your baby rabbit grows older. 

Coat growth starts with a shiny and downy coat in babies that covers most of their bodies. They have pink ears and feet, which change as they grow older. After ten days, they have a full coat. It is completely gone at three to six weeks old and covered with the new one. The adult coat is sleeker, and you’ll see a noticeable change in color in the coming months.

At the age of five months, rabbits have messy and weird coats, and they’ll experience their first molt. Wash the coat regularly, see changes in rabbit behavior, and look to identify age. Though you can estimate how old a baby rabbit is, consider your vet’s opinion on this matter for the best decision.

Final Thoughts on How Old a Baby Rabbit is

You can estimate how old a baby rabbit is by size, weight, and transitional coats. Age estimation helps you better care for baby rabbits and keep them healthy through proper nutrition. 

Also, you can adopt baby rabbits with ease after knowing professional age-based advice. Don’t miss any step in identifying age and follow a strict diet schedule to keep them healthy. Mention your thoughts in the comment section and stay connected for more information. Visit ownyourpet to learn more.

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Frank Kane

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been head-over-paws for all creatures, great and small. I’m on a mission to help other pet lovers better understand, care for, and enjoy life with their furry, scaly, or feathery friends.