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Sexing Rabbits?
Topic Started: Apr 15 2014, 04:45 PM (86 Views)
louierabbit
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Get the Duct Tape, Stat!
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I have two rabbits that I was told were both does when I got them. They've lived together for a year and a half. They are a year and a half now. I found out one of my rabbits was a boy recently but am still dumbstruck as to why I haven't had babies yet. I get that it was winter but I've had rabbits give birth in winter before, unexpectedly, so it wasn't like I planned the litter.

So, I'm usually pretty good at sexing rabbits and I could tell right away that Sonny was a boy by his testicles. I think Sadie is a doe but I don't know why she hasn't had kits if she'd been living with a buck her entire life.

Now, before I get Sonny neutered, I want to have a litter of babies but Sadie won't get pregnant and runs away from Sonny or doesn't lift.

Could someone help me find out if Sadie is in fact a doe and why she hasn't already had babies?

PS. I get that now that since she's over a year old and hasn't had babies theres a chance that she never will because of the fat forming around her ovaries but why didn't she have babies before?
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ZRabbits
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If Sadie was a buck, you would have seen the testicles as you do with Sonny.

Maybe it's not Sadie, but Sonny could be sterile? A buck has to prove himself as well and some bucks do have low sperm counts or none at all, which in turn will not get a doe pregnant.

And I've heard that if a doe and buck live together for a bit, they get used to each other and become "mates" instead of "mating". That some bucks get bored with a partner and can be stirred to mate when presented with a totally different doe. Also some bucks will get intimidated by a doe who is more aggressive. Especially a first timer.

If you really want them to mate, have you consider having them in a "neutral" space and see if she lifts for him then? I did this with my buck and doe. As it was my first time breeding, I felt more comfortable having them in their exercise pen. I put Neville in first, let him romp around for a good 5 minutes, then put Luna in. They mated right away. He did try again, short one, lol. But the next time he went for her, she growled so I took her out.

Just a suggestion. It is a fact that a doe, if not breed by 1 year, will start to develop fat around their ovaries. Especially the little breeds.

KAZ
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sidd-says-gimme
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sidd says stay gold
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If your doe is more high-strung and doesn't want to mate, she could have been chasing him off every time he tried to mount her. Some bucks get a bit "traumatized" by aggressive does, so it may have only taken a couple corrections from the doe to scare him into not trying any longer.
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louierabbit
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Get the Duct Tape, Stat!
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Thanks guys. I've decided that I'm just going to breed Sonny (my buck) with a different doe. If Sadie is already pregnant, yay! If not, she's not gonna get pregnant anytime soon. I have a family friend and old neighbor who delivers me fresh hay for free that saw him and thinks he's gorgeous and wants to breed him with his does so I'll do that and then Sonny will get a chance to mate and I could have some Sonny-looking babies from a different doe before he gets neutered. I won't spay Sadie for at least 2 months (just to be extra safe) in case she is pregnant. I wouldn't want to terminate any pregnancies.

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NeuBunny
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sounds like an excellent plan!
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