The most common questions for novice breeders are how to determine the sex of a rabbit of decorative and commercial breeds and at what age it can be done, what signs will help distinguish a rabbit from a rabbit if they have not reached adulthood. Therefore, the article will discuss the features in the behavior of different sexes, so that everything becomes clear.

At what age can you tell the sex of rabbits?

For successful commercial breeding of animals, it is important for the breeder to learn how to independently determine the sex of the herbivore. It can be correctly determined only after the animal reaches 2 months of age. In an earlier period, the genitals of the eared ones look almost identical. Experienced breeders can determine whether a rabbit belongs to one sex or another with a probability of 80% in 14-16 days after birth, but this forecast is unreliable and can negatively affect the formation of the livestock. It is also impossible to accurately tell the sex of an animal from a photograph.

Rabbit

In rare cases, buying and selling rabbits is possible at the age of one month. Unscrupulous sellers often do not understand animal husbandry themselves, therefore they call the gender of the herbivore at random. In some countries, a ban has been introduced on the sale of young stock at such an early period, and gender recognition is considered inappropriate. In addition, animals do not yet possess sufficiently strong immunity due to early weaning from their mother. It is best to buy an eared one when he is 2-4 months old. At this age, you can accurately determine his gender. Also, the animal's nervous and digestive systems were fully formed by that time.

Rabbits reach puberty at 3 months of age, which is the deadline for recognizing the sex of the pet. It is important for the breeder to fully control the mating process, otherwise promiscuous sexual intercourse will lead to the appearance of weak offspring. In addition, inbreeding negatively affects the genitals of animals, for example, the male develops a natural instinct more strongly, which makes him more aggressive towards other rabbits.

Note! Experienced rabbit breeders recommend seating rabbits starting from 1.5 months of age.

How to distinguish a rabbit from a rabbit in infancy

How to determine the gender of a chicken

Breeders do not recommend starting sex identification of baby rabbits before 30 days of age. It is possible to recognize gender by the primary signs - the genitals. The way to distinguish young animals from 2 weeks to a month old is inaccurate, since the reproductive system of rabbits looks the same. In some cases, identification of young stock may be appropriate. It is necessary to carefully examine the genitals of the rabbit, but it is important to do so so as not to scare him. To better see the sex differences of small pets, you can use a magnifying glass.

When examining it, it is important to be careful, since a fragile animal is very susceptible to stress. You need to gently stroke the pet, and later turn it over on its back and gently pull back its skin, pressing with your index finger in the area of ​​the priests, the thumb should be on the stomach.

In girls' rabbits, the reproductive organ resembles a slit, tapering towards the tail. If you can't see the genitals well, you can measure the distance between the hole and the butt.In rabbits, it is 2 mm. In males, the genitals are round in appearance, with the distance between the penis and anus ranging from 2 to 5 mm.

Rabbits

When the eared ones are 3 months old, it becomes easier to recognize their gender. By that time, the genitals are sufficiently developed to distinguish by primary characteristics. With growing up, the sex of the pet becomes more obvious, so it is impossible to confuse the male and the female.

Sex differences in adult rabbits

How to determine the age of a horse

Even a novice livestock breeder will be able to identify a female or a male in a six-month-old individual.

How to inspect:

  • pre-feed;
  • put the eared one on his knees, calm and stroke;
  • take by the scruff of the neck, put on your back with your head up;
  • holding the pet with one hand, gently push the fur in the genital area.

It is important to remember that herbivores have strong hind limbs, so they will kick when they are uncomfortable. Trying to free itself, the animal can begin to bite and scratch, so a novice breeder should use the help of a second person who can hold the pet during all the manipulations.

California rabbit

The reproductive system of males and females has a number of differences. How to tell a rabbit from a bunny? The female genitals resemble a loop and a small uvula, which are placed near the anus. The color of the organ in rabbits is light pink, in adults it is dark pink. On the sides, the genitals acquire a triangular shape with a slit that tapers towards the butt. The reproductive organs of boys are in the form of a cylinder with a round opening and are located at some distance from the anus. The penis in young animals is milky in color, with age it changes to a pinker and becomes swollen in appearance. Breeders compare the appearance of a rabbit's penis to a bullet.

The characteristic sign of the rabbit reaching puberty is the testicles, which can be felt on examination. The older the animal, the more they sink, however, due to fear, the young rabbit can instinctively draw them in. The testicles look like two small bumps, they are not covered with hair and are clearly visible. This feature often leads to panic among novice rabbit breeders, who mistake the genitals for the development of the disease. In rare cases, boys may not have testicles. This is often due to an abnormality, mutation, or injury.

Rabbits

Secondary sexual characteristics of herbivores:

  • wool;
  • body proportions;
  • the structure of the skull;
  • skeletal system;
  • milk glands.

How to distinguish male from female rabbits visually, without examining the genitals? The body of females has smooth outlines, voluminous croup, and the presence of nipples on the belly, running in two rows, is also characteristic. The rabbit's fur is thicker and softer than that of boys. The body of rabbits is distinguished by a special strength: the hind limbs are more powerful and wider, and the croup is smaller than that of girls. The head of the animal is more massive, and the body is rounded. Experienced breeders are able to tell the sex of an adult by their appearance alone, without carefully examining the reproductive organs.

Determination of gender by behavior

Herbivores are very playful and funny animals. Novice breeders may find that rabbits jumping at each other indicates mating. However, this behavior is typical for females, which can begin to imitate the process in an excited state. Also, in this way, rabbits often show their superiority by jumping on weaker individuals. Males can also jump on each other during games, as well as during rabbit fights.

Rabbits

Rabbit dandruff

How to find out the gender of a rabbit by its behavior The behavior of males has its own characteristics associated with the label of territories. The body of rabbits has special sebaceous glands that produce a specific secret. In particular, the rabbit urinates randomly, and the urine sprayed by it has a pungent, unpleasant odor. Also, pets often begin to rub against the walls of the cage and feeders to leave their smell on them.Young individuals are especially active and pugnacious, so they can arrange fights with each other. You can identify a male brawler by damage to the fur. These rabbits lose the value of their fur, but they can be used as strong broodstock.

Important! Rabbits are more balanced and calm demeanor. For them, activity is characteristic only during the period of sexual activity. They often like to equip a home to their liking, they can constantly move objects, arranging them at their whim.

Females can also dig holes or build comfortable shelters for offspring. Do not worry if the rabbit huddled in a corner for several days and refuses to eat, since this is quite normal behavior of females. Pregnant individuals can sometimes begin to pull out their belly hair, using it to line the bottom of the cage. Thus, they equip the dwelling for the rabbits.

Important! Despite their peaceful nature, females can begin to fight among themselves for the freshest food and the best place. Usually, such skirmishes end without causing damage, so marks on the coat do not indicate that the individual is of the female sex.

How to determine the gender of a decorative and dwarf rabbit

It is important for the owner of a decorative rabbit to recognize the sex of the pet as early as possible in order to castrate it. This procedure is necessary due to the fact that with age the eared ears become aggressive, they attack not only other pets, but also the owner. Also, the urine of adult non-neutered males acquires a pungent unpleasant odor, and they begin to mark the territory with their urine. This feature is typical not only for commercial breeds, but also for decorative and dwarf breeds. Pets that are not constrained in movement mark absolutely everything, so the breeder's house can get an unpleasant smell. Castration is recommended at 4 months of age.

Note! It is also important to distinguish a boy from a girl in time when settling pets. You cannot put individuals of the same sex in a cage, as there is a high probability that pets will begin to figure out which of them is more important.

You can get ahead of the sex of the pet at the time of purchase. The genitals of decorative breeds are no different from the genitals of ordinary breeds. The method of examining pets also remains unchanged - the animal is pressed against a hard surface, turning its legs up. The only condition is that the organs of dwarf rabbits are very small, so when examining it is important to use a magnifying glass so as not to accidentally damage them. Decorative eared ones are very delicate, so rough, clumsy touches can end in injury for them.

Important! For accurate recognition, you can use the help of a qualified dealer. If you can't look at the genitals of the furry, you can measure the distance from them to the anus. For boys, this indicator does not exceed 4 mm, for girls it is half less. If the animal is more than 3 months old, the male can be distinguished by the drooping testicles.

Good livestock business is highly dependent on proper gender distribution. Therefore, an important manipulation when buying or examining rabbits is to determine their sex. They can be carried out according to the standard scheme, however, experienced breeders have a number of their own ways of how to distinguish a rabbit from a rabbit. It is important to take into account the age of the pet when examining, since in young individuals the primary sexual characteristics are still poorly formed, so it can be very difficult to distinguish them. Often sex determination in rabbits is based on the shape of the hole and the distance between the genitals and the anus. With age, the sex difference becomes more apparent. You can also find out the sex of an animal by secondary sex characteristics and behavior, but these are not accurate methods, therefore they are not suitable for novice rabbit breeders.