Rabbits are kept both as farm animals and as pets. Inexperienced owners can not always accurately determine the gender of the animal, and this can cause a variety of problems. For example, a novice farmer acquires animals for breeding, and an unscrupulous seller gives him two males. How to determine whether a rabbit is a girl or a boy? Learn from this article.
At what age can sex be determined in rabbits?
Experienced owners of herbivores recommend determining the sex of already grown babies 1-2 months. At an earlier age, the probability of error is high. Of course, some breeders who have long bred rabbits often determine the sex of newborns. But in this case, the probability of a correct answer is about 80 percent.
How to determine whether a rabbit is a boy or a girl? There are many ways, but not all of them are reliable. Especially often, errors in determining sex are made when the animals are too young. That is why experienced rabbit breeders never sell offspring under the age of 1.5 months. But there are unscrupulous breeders who sell young animals who are barely a month old. At this age, it is difficult to determine the gender, so such farmers say it at random. For example, a buyer came for a female, and he is told that all the females are in this pen.
Why do you need to know the gender of a rabbit?
Regardless of the purpose for which the animals were purchased, the owner needs to know whether they are boys or girls. If rabbits are needed for meat, it is better to breed large breeds of males. They are larger than females, and sometimes several times. The output of meat in males is also always greater. If the farmer plans to make or give skins to resellers, then males will also be more suitable for him. They have better quality fur, the coat is thicker and brighter. The skins of males are larger in size, so it is easier to make fur coats or hats from them.
If the farmer’s goal is breeding rabbits, then he needs to acquire more females. He also needs males, but at first a few pieces are enough. A young healthy rabbit is able to serve an entire harem, but in case of his death or serious illness, the farmer usually keeps an understudy. If the owner plans to participate in agricultural exhibitions, then he should primarily be interested in the exterior, not the floor. In any case, for what purposes the animals would not be acquired, the farmer must know how to distinguish a rabbit boy from a girl. If you learn to do this, then no dishonest sellers will be scary anymore.
Sex determination in adults
How to determine whether a rabbit is a girl or a boy? Even a beginner breeder will not be mistaken if he carefully examines his pet. It is recommended to feed the animal in advance so that it behaves more calmly. Do not forget that the rabbits have very strong hind legs. If the pet becomes nervous and pushed off by the hind limbs, then it can cause injury to the owner.
Therefore, put a well-fed rabbit on your lap, calm it and stroke it. Then, very carefully take the herbivore animal by the scruff and turn it on its back so that its head is on top. Then spread the fur around the genitals of the rabbit, trying not to scare him. In females, almost next to the anus, a pinkish “loop” can be seen. A male penis shaped like a cylinder will be clearly visible in a male. Also, the male can feel the testicles, they are especially noticeable in older animals.
Sex determination at birth
The genitals of small rabbits are very similar to each other, which causes some difficulties for breeders. It is very difficult to accurately determine the sex of newly born babies. Often even very experienced breeders make mistakes in this matter. Naturally, the probability of accurate sex determination by a professional is much higher than by an amateur farmer. Of course, you can turn to experienced breeders for sex determination, as a rule, they do not refuse and help beginners. But it will take time and additional funds to transport the kids.
How to determine if a rabbit is a boy or girl if he was recently born? You need to take a ruler or a measuring tape and measure the distance from the anus to the genitals. In small females, it is usually equal to 2 mm, while in males from 2 to 5 mm. But these measurements do not guarantee 100% gender determination. Even experienced breeders recommend waiting for the moment when rabbits will be at least 14 days old.
Sexual characteristics in 1 month
At this age, gender is already easier to determine than at birth, but the likelihood of error is still high. That is why responsible breeders never sell babies for 1 month. How to determine a rabbit boy or girl from the photo? This question is often asked by novice farmers. But experienced rabbit breeders do not even advise trying to do this, since the likelihood of an error is great even live, and even more so in the photo.
In order to determine the sex of the animal in 1 month, you need to make a visual inspection. The genitals of animals at this age have a paler color than in adults. The rabbit needs to be taken with one hand, and with the other stretched the skin in the genital area. Kids are very shy, so everything needs to be done very carefully. After it is possible to stretch the skin enough, the male will see a small process that resembles a small bullet in shape - this is the penis. The genitals of a female at this age are very similar to a triangle on the side. The sexual gap in females gradually narrows toward the tail.
Sex determination in 2 months
At 2 months old, the rabbits are weaned and put up for sale. That is why at this age it is especially important to know the exact gender. Very soon, young individuals will be able to mate, so females are separated from males in order to avoid early fertilization. Usually a professional breeder has a lot of cells, so there are no problems with this.
How to distinguish a rabbit boy from a girl? It is necessary to make a visual examination of the genitals in the same way as described above. The genitals become larger by 2 months, so an experienced breeder will not be mistaken anymore. Also at this age you can already look at the behavior of animals. A female sitting in a cage behaves calmly, can communicate with representatives of her gender. Boy rabbits can be aggressive and even attack their kinsmen.
How to determine the gender in 3 months?
At this age, rabbits become sexually mature, but mating them is still undesirable. Most likely, the female will not be able to give birth and die. But even if lambing is successful, the offspring may be weak and nonviable. Therefore, by 3 months, it is desirable to accurately determine the gender of the pets in order to avoid problems in the future.
If males after puberty are left to live together, then they can kill each other. How to find out if a rabbit is a boy or a girl? At the age of 3 months, determining sex becomes noticeably easier. It is necessary to conduct a visual examination of the genitals of animals, spreading the fur in the genital area. Since the rabbits are not too heavy, they can be taken with one hand, and with the other - to carry out manipulations. In males at 3 months it is already possible to feel the testicles, and their penis becomes similar to the genital organ of an adult animal. In female animals, the loop becomes brighter than before.
Sex determination at 6 months
At this age, the rabbit is considered fully mature, but large breeds in mating are not yet recommended. At 6 months, sex can be determined by 2 methods, beginners often use a simpler one. How to understand a girl or boy rabbit? It is enough to raise an individual with one hand up so that the genital area becomes visible. In males, by this age, the testes are already descending into the scrotum, so they are clearly visible.
This method is accessible and understandable even to the most novice farmer. Therefore, if there is a testis, it is a male; if not, then it is a female. But sometimes males have defects, for example, cryptorchidism - a pathology in which one or both testicles are located in the abdominal cavity. Therefore, in addition to the first method, it is better to use the second, in which, in addition to the testes, other genital organs are considered.
Sex determination in a decorative rabbit
Small animals are wonderful pets, they do not create a lot of noise and it is nice to pick them up. Owners often come to the veterinarian with a question: "How to distinguish a decorative rabbit-boy from a girl?" Here you need to conduct the same examination of the genitals as for their meat counterparts. The only nuance is the small size of the animals, which makes it difficult to determine the gender.
The veterinarian may suggest owners sterilize the rabbit. Many owners at first refuse this procedure, fearing for the life of a tender pet. But sexually mature decorative rabbits do not differ much in behavior from their agricultural counterparts. They begin to mark the territory, and they do it in a jump. This leads to the fact that urine is sprayed on the things of owners and interior items. Usually males mark the territory, but sometimes females do this, especially if there are several of them. There is only one way out - castration.
Sex determination by indirect signs
If there is no way to examine the rabbit, then you can pay attention to other features. But you need to be aware that this method is not particularly reliable. How to distinguish whether a rabbit is a boy or a girl? Males are usually visually larger, they are more powerful and muscular. The heads of males are more angular, large and coarse. Often males have a more beautiful and vibrant color. Experienced breeders are also advised to pay attention to cereals - in males it is shorter.
Naturally, sex determination by indirect signs is possible only in adult animals, as young animals are not yet sufficiently developed. Some breeders say that you can understand whether a boy or a girl is a rabbit even by glancing at him briefly. But with the visual method of determining sex, mistakes are often made, so it will be more correct to look at the genitals of the animal.
Behavior features
How to check rabbit boy or girl? You can find out the gender simply by observing the animal. Bunnies are more balanced in their behavior. They rarely show aggression and most of the time they sit quietly or eat. More actively, they begin to behave only during the period of sexual hunting, when they try to attract the attention of the groom.
Males behave more aggressively and assertively. They mark their territory and, if necessary, attack strangers. Young males are especially pugnacious and unbalanced, with age they become a little calmer.
Sometimes the owner may notice that one of the rabbits jumps onto the other and tries to make a cage. A novice farmer may mistakenly assume that the upper animal is definitely a male. But this statement will not always be true. Females during sexual hunting can also cage on other rabbits, regardless of their gender. Also, in some cases, in this way the animal can show its superiority over a weaker relative.
Unmistakable sex determination
Experienced breeders can understand in a few minutes whether the male is in front of them or the female. This requires only practice. First try to determine the sex of 10 adult rabbits. If you managed to successfully cope with this task, then you can choose young individuals. Over time, errors will become less, and then they will disappear altogether.
How to distinguish a rabbit boy from a girl in the photo? You can try to practice in this direction, but the likelihood of an error will be high. Therefore, determining the sex of the animal is always better live.
Buying a rabbit
When acquiring an animal, it is very important to know both its gender and its age. Sometimes dishonest sellers take the credulity of novice farmers and sell them illiquid goods. How to recognize a rabbit - a boy or a girl? It is necessary to carefully examine the genitals.
The seller can sell the sick and therefore small rabbit 4-6 months as a baby. In this case, you can examine his genitals and determine the approximate age of the animal.