I have been encouraging people interested in getting rabbits to get those that are above 8 weeks old. I believe it is hard to know without seeing how a 8 weeks old should look like. I personally have not found any website providing such information and therefore, using my own rabbits as an example, I am using this post to enlighten new comers how baby rabbits look like on a week by week manner. I will also be disclosing some common “tricks” used by unscrupulous breeders/sellers. But what’s all the fuss about getting rabbit older than 8 weeks about?
Many new comers to the hobby has been very lucky to have gotten baby rabbits a little older than 4 weeks old and survived till adulthood but I am not about to encourage you taking chances like that. Losing a pet is very devastating and nerve wreaking. I also noticed that there is another big group of rabbit owners who are lucky in the sense that the rabbits they bought were indeed older than 8 weeks. But these are those that survived being kept longer in the shops that has taken them in much earlier.
The main concern that I have for younger rabbits being purchased is that, they are under-developed especially on the part of their digestive system. What you see is not usually what you get in young rabbits. Though they may seemed to be healthy at 4 weeks and nibbles on solid food, it does not mean internally they are fully developed.
I know some of us not only purchase on impulse but also through sympathy. There is nothing wrong buying based on sympathy if you know well enough the consequences or else to save yourself from heartache, I will strongly discourage you from getting the rabbit unless you have a nursing doe at home ready to help foster this little one.
“Those are imported rabbits”. Do not be fooled. If you are given this reason to justify the price tag, please ask to see the imported parents of the rabbit in question. True imports should have tattoo on their left ear. And should come with 3 to 4 generations of pedigree. The tattoo number on their left ears should match those of the pedigree. This is one of the reason why I would like to tattoo my rabbits. But it is a very painful procedure for the rabbits and I do not want them to go through that.
Please take note that it is harder to identify with larger breeds because their sizes do not normally reflect their actual age. Looking through the following photos you can roughly get an idea. Holland Lops are dwarf breeds and I dare say this is applicable for other dwarf breeds as well. Try to look at the overall physical appearance and try to identify them when you pick your pet rabbit.
Enough of words, let’s look at some photos.
1 Week Old
2 Weeks Old
3 Weeks Old
4 Weeks Old
This is the most crucial age. Most rabbits are taken away from their mother at this age and be distributed to many locations. Highly stressful for them. Just don’t be fooled by how matured they look. They are under-developed internally. If someone tries selling you a baby rabbit that looks like this, just say “NO THANK YOU”. Cute it may be but please do not be fooled! That’s exactly how most are being cheated.
5 Weeks Old (approximately)
6 Weeks Old
Most sellers are afraid of this age because they really look ugly at this age. Most baby rabbits look ugly from this age till they are about 6 months old. Some may start to look better earlier between 3rd or 4th month. If I were you, I won’t judge them at this age. But for those using cute-ness as their main selling point, this is definitely a NO NO. If you are a newbie looking for a rabbit, this is also NO NO. Still too young. Rabbits at 6 weeks need their mother’s cecal to help balance the flora in the stomach.
7 Weeks Old
8 Weeks Old
Junior (4/5 months)
This is the time they start to blossom…
Senior (6 months & above)
There you have it, not only a repeat of the photo collections that I have but it serves as a good guide for all of us on how to evaluate the rabbits that we are about to take home.
Hope you all the best in choosing your pets!
Tru-Luv Rabbitry: Quality Holland Lops in Malaysia 
Such a good and full with information post today sangterap.. Thanks
yup.. agree with darma.
i wish i’d seen this earlier.. much earlier, before i bought timothy. i bought him after considering keeping a pet, and also out of pity, I wanted him to live a better life with me than he will in the pet shop. Sadly he was much too young, and yes, it did bring a huge pain to my heart when i lost him after only 10 days.. just last month i went to the pet shop at midvalley and saw so many 3-week-old looking babies in the shop, i wanted to cry.. )’: i honestly thought that the bigger a franchise, the better it would be but i suppose thats not the case with pet’s wonderland. how disappointing..
I am sorry for being late. I have been putting this off for much too long. When Business is concerned, lives are put on the line. There is definitely no harm when nothing happens and the rabbit grows up normal. But it is the principles that is utmost important to me. Be it under aged or misleading information of any kind such as pure bred or pet/brood/show quality.
Wonderful post! I was going to suggest that you make this post a link or a page but I’ve see you’ve already done that in ‘Basic Care for Beginners’.;-)
Good info especially for new owner and ppl who wants to buy a rabbit..
Good post! Keep up the good work. I didn’t know buying a rabbit who is young is bad for the poor rabbit. I only factor in the cuteness level and the “chemistry” I had with rabbit back then…
I think I bought Mickey before he reaches 8 weeks old cause he was really really tiny and cute when I bought him…. Luckily he turn out alright.
Hi,
Where can I sent my rabbit for spay? Do you provide service? Tq
i got my buuny wen it was 5 weeks old is dat too young ?????
It is rather young but some do make it through adulthood without any problems. It would be better to wait till 8 weeks as their stomach has just begun to work on its own without mommy’s milk. Good luck!
it is soo cute it is a dwarf x lop ear big foot i named it ash it was in a litter of 4 sooo is 5 weeks old to young
i bought my rabbit at 6 weeks “lionhead” for my daghter as the bunny was so white,cute and fluffy and i thought we,d give it a better home. i wish i’d read ur info first as i did not realize this as hes our first pet ever. But mine did survive its 6 months old now. We got her a friend 5 weeks ago that one was a year old an unwanted pet so i took it on. i think its a lop cant find one similar so its a guess on the ears. they got on great and 2weeks saturday she give birth to 6 cutest bunnies ever. The mother and father have been great they done it all on their own. built the nest, fed them, kept them warm. i haven’t done nothing just give them supplies. People are asking me when can they have one. But there is no way im taking their children off them at all nevermind when they are a couple of weeks old. I hope you get this msg out though as im lucky mine survive as it was so young. but i wont do it again. Thanks for the info it was really factual x
That is a excellent point to bring up.
cute bunnies indeed….
Thanks Nora…
Hi I luv your information!!
I had a rabbit a few years ago and I got her when she was 6 weeks old is that too young???
Well anyway she was so sweet!
Now I have April my 8 week old Netherland dwarf i got her 3 days ago she is so sweet!
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and
I’m impressed! Very helpful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for
such info a lot. I was seeking this certain information for a long
time. Thank you and good luck.
Valuable information. Lucky me I discovered your website by
accident, and I am surprised why this coincidence didn’t happened earlier!
I bookmarked it.
All bunnies in my area are soled when they are 4weeks old and the pet owners tell you that they are 8 weeks old!! Mostof them they really don’t know they say lies because the breeders tell them that BIG lie in order to sell them and get money!! How we can stop this? I know it is forbitten to sell any animal under 8 weeks old!!! Where we can call or ask to check this business?? And is it worth it or nobody cares and inthe end you are “the guy you call the authorities”??
are you able to add the weight to the ages? I think I was also lied to 😦
Hiya.
I found your post because l was really trying hard to find a post to deal with age and bunny size and as you said, nothing!!
I have owned and loved for three weeks an adorable bun. He was sold to me as an 8 week old bun from a very reputable – animals first – source who only entertain genuine local breeders who put the creatures first and don’t overbreed. Now this little almost 12 week old bun was a third to half the size of his siblings.
After 3 weeks of plenty hay, water, mint ‘1 week +’ Burgess pellets, he has grown to 600 Grammes which l think is still smaller than his siblings were at 8 weeks. He is happy, bouncy and affectionate though and very much part of the family, indoors. The family comprises myself, human lady, a shih tzu (zero prey drive and totally fascinated by this new fluffy and a canary.) Can you tell me, if his life chances are affected by his small ness?
He is 11 and a half weeks now. His ears lopped at week 9 and 10! I am told he is a Holland Lop by those in the know. Is he safe now at this age from sudden death (due to be undersized/runt etc?) Could you do an article on runts please?
Many Thanks.
Kind Regards.
i am using this info for my FFA project thank you
Very good information and rabbit photos to illustrate the sizes of newborn rabbits.
It would be good if you could add the length of a newborn baby rabbit in centimetres and also in inches as that information is not available readily on the Internet.
We sometimes do get baby rabbits in our rabbit rescue in NSW Australia, but not often.
Measuring length may not be useful because it is diffferent with each breed.
You jump from 8 weeks to 4/5 months. Would love to see some inbetween ages. 😉