How to Tell the Gender of a Rabbit?
Rabbit is one of the most common home pet animals people like to keep in their house. This beautiful species has some natural gifts, which could turn a bit problem if they are separated from their home and brought to ours.
A research form the Animal Diversity Web (ADB) says that fifteen percent of the rabbit’s kitten manages to survive whereas others die. On the other hand, rabbits are also known for their greedy reproductive habits. In this way, they manage to grow their population.
Every year, they breed 3-4 times in which they give birth to 3-8 kittens. A kitten can be by itself when its age reaches to 3 weeks, to some it takes four weeks also, and that’s in exceptional cases. These kittens become adult within their age 2-3 months and they are now prepared to breed.
Insatiable Reproductive Habits of the Rabbit Could Create Problems
Now we are going to discuss some difficulties about what may happen if you don’t maintain your house properly for bunny. Rabbits breed many times in a year which could be a problem. If there are no natural predators, there could be more than a million rabbit at your home.
Here we feel the necessity for finding their sex and keeping doe and bucks separate to prevent their unusual multiplications. If you keep them together and let them continue their natural lifestyle, your house could turn into a Bunny Zoo. If we calculate what number they could increase, here is an example for you.
We made a calculation by only female rabbits. Although it’s estimated, practically it could be less or more to few extents. You shall have almost one thousand three hundred and sixty-nine rabbits just at the end of the 2nd year since you started with a couple of does and bucks.
By the end of 3rd year, you shall have fifty thousand six hundred and fifty-three rabbits. Likewise, their number will reach to one million eight lakhs seventy-two thousand seven hundred and ninety-two at the end of 4th year.
Hence, you might be thinking now about the necessity for sexing the rabbits correctly?
Some Information to Identify the Sex of Your Rabbit
If you know some simple phenomenon, it will be easy for you sexing rabbits. Keep eyes on your bunnies from the 2nd week and when they get to the age of 21 days, identifying is necessary.
Identifying Bunnies by their Physical Appearances
Many expertise of animals can identify bunnies just looking at their physical structure and also observing their habits. It’s the easiest to recognize an adult buck as it has a unique body structure from a doe. A buck usually has a blocky head and body than off a doe.
As like a buck, doe also has some distinct physical looks. You shall see a folding part developed beneath the chin of a medium and large doe as they breed frequently. Experts call this folds dewlap. You shall often notice that the adult doe is larger than an adult buck of the similar kind.
After you go through this article, you may able to examine your bunny in an appropriate manner. When you know all the vital aspects of a rabbit, it will not be a big deal sexing your pet. So let’s get through some important things you should know before you start reading this article further.
Descriptions
Here the reader will get to know about some important explanations of those facts we had already discussed or will be discussing in this article later.
Buck
Rabbit represents the general name of this particular animal. We also get thirty or more than that species of this kind of animal. Bucks are usually used to call to their males.
Doe
There is a wrong conception among the people that the word “bunny” is used for a female rabbit. People just gave the name “bunny” to the rabbits to express an extra love towards this beautiful creature. The female kind of this animal is known as a doe.
Dam
When anyone refers to a rabbit saying “dam,” it means that a female parent rabbit of some specific kitten.
Sire
The word “sire” stands for the male parent rabbit of a specific kitten.
Litter
Generally is used in case of a bunch of bunnies. When a doe gives birth to many kittens, all those kits are called litter.
Testing
When you breed a female bunny with a buck, and you check whether the doe is pregnant or not is what testing means. It is to examine a doe if she is pregnant or not.
Kindling
This term stands for the process in which a mother rabbit gives birth to its kitten.
Gestation Period
We may say it a middle stage for a mother bunny before kindling and since breeding.
Weaning
Separating the baby bunny from its mother bunny is known as weaning.
The Vent Area
This is the part of the animal body where you will find the sex organ and also its anus.
Anus
This part lies underneath of a rabbit’s tail. It looks like round opening and is used for excreting solids wastes of its body. Naturally, it is an unclean hole, which carries a lot of germs in it.
Penis or the Sex Organ which Also Evacuates Body’s Waste Liquid
This part is also located underneath of a rabbit’s tail, but a bit front of its anus. Penis has a tubular shape with a pointed end coming out, and you will find it in a buck. This part is not only its sex organ but also excretes liquid waste of their body part.
A buck thus uses this special part for a special purpose too. While sex, a buck uses its penis to release sperms into the vagina of the female rabbit and reproduces kittens.
Testicles or the Hormone Generator of the Animal
This part lies alongside of the penis and looks like a rounded pink sack. The function of this organ is to produce sperms for a buck. It's visible in a male bunny after they get age about two months or more in some cases. These testicles also can’t be seen easily in winter.
Vagina or the Female Sex Organ
Generally, the vagina of a doe looks almost the same as the buck’s penis. The main difference you will get to notice is that the doe’s vagina has a slit in it whereas the penis doesn’t have a slit (apart from exceptional cases).
The slit of the vagina also consists of the visible blood vessels running down in it. The doe’s vagina has a function, which is to receives sperm from a male so that they could reproduce kitten. This part also allows a doe to excrete urine and it is also a delivery tube from which the bunnies are born.
Identifying Bunnies by Examining Their Sex Organs
Before you carry out this process, it’s better for you to know some basic criteria about dealing with your bunny while you examine its genitals.
To go through this process, you need to make your bunny lay on its back. You may also take it on your arm to make it feel comfortable. If you succeed to hold it correctly, it will make the rabbit feel relax, and you can do your task properly.
As we have come through many unique body organs of a doe and a buck, recognizing those organs will help us identifying a bunny’s sex.
One should also keep it in mind that dealing with your bunny shouldn’t be rough or lengthy. If you continue examining the process and put your rabbit on its back for a long time, it may discomfort your pet. This could frighten your bunny as if a predator is holding and unable to escape.
Identifying a Bunny by Confirming Its Testicles Presence
Testicles are special kind of male sex organs which produce sperm for male species in every living kind. Even a buck has it too in its vent area just above the penis.
The testicles of an adult buck are huge and can be discovered quickly. You shall find them between a buck’s anus and penis. These scrotal sacs of a buck are generally hairless. Color may vary, but usually they seem purplish; slightly rounded and pendula.
This is the priority sought sex organ while examining a bunny’s gender as the presence of testicles will instantly confirm you about your pet being male. There are also some rare cases in which testicles are almost invisible. If you don’t find any testicles, only then further examining is necessary.
Identifying a Bunny by Its Genital Shape
Thus, the rabbit is a small kind of animal. Its many parts are very tiny and to confirm those parts one should observe quite closely. The vent of the rabbit confirms its gender to the examinee.
Generally, the penis or the vagina of any other animals are easily recognized. However, in case of the rabbit, it is a bit confusing and requires a close examination.
In terms of the female rabbit, you will find an external genital region with an opening vulva and no extra organs like testicles. As a female of any living kinds, it doesn’t have any testicles.
When you gently remove the tail of the bunny and see a vertically oriented slit slightly elevated above the skin surface, be sure that it’s a doe. On the other side, a buck’s genital is slightly raised and ends with a pointy shape or penis shaped.
If the buck is a bit aged, you may easily identify its penis as it will be a little long, pointed and slightly curvy. You shall also notice it elevated above the buck’s skin level.
Some Vital Maintaining & Avoiding Facts of Rabbit While Sexing
Rabbits are the very tame hearted animal, to which you could be friends too quickly and even frighten them also if they are not treated well. Many of us get excited seeing this cute animal and behave in such manners which terrifies them.
The body of the rabbits is very soft, and this is also a major reason to be careful while we pick them up or examine their gender. Many of us don’t even know some basic procedures about dealing with rabbits, which may create problems.
It is reported that people often mistakenly hurt this creature examining their gender or sometimes even picking them up. So here are some tips to help to deal with rabbits.
Things You Should Maintain
There are probably a million things that you will have to maintain, but luckily most of them aren’t important. Wondering which things are important on the other hand? Well, down below is a list for you to look at.
Picking Up a Bunny
Many time you may feel the necessity to pick up a bunny while in affection, feeding them or examining their gender. Keep it in mind that if you don’t seem very comfortable to this animal, it may try to run or kick the person holding it.
So it is better for you to hold them carefully and take care in a way which won’t frighten this creature. The wrong approach may make them go scared.
Sometime your pet may seem comfortable with you. Afterward, you feel picking them up and find your bunny leaping from you. This may happen when you hold your bunny incorrectly or loosely.
However, try to hold your rabbit firmly but also softly towards its chest and shoulder. In addition, make sure to catch your bunny in such a manner so that its back could get support, and hence it will prevent the bunny from kicking the person holding it.
If you intend to examine the sex of your rabbit, it's better to have another person as a helping hand. If someone helps to hold your rabbit for you, it will be easy to examine cautiously.
Examining Sex, The Easy Way
A person can easily examine his bunny’s genital when he could make his bunny sit in its back or bottom. Besides, you may also make your bunny be in its rump or holding them firmly in your arms supporting their backs while sexing.
Many experts examine their rabbits holding them gently in a towel as it was a newborn child. If you could carry out your examining process correctly, it will prevent your bunny from being scared or getting hurt.
Accidents May Occure
You may be an expert handling your pet, but accidents could occur at any time, and you also could make a mistake. Therefore, we suggest not to be so confident and hasty while you look for your bunny’s gender.
Carry on your examining procedure on the floor or to a place not very high form the ground. It will ensure the safety of your bunny if you accidently slips it or it leaps out from your hand. You can also carry the process in a low desk like shallow tea table etc.
Smell Affects Mother Rabbits
Keep it in mind that once the mother rabbit smells something different from its kitten, it may not recognize the baby as it’s born. Generally, people don’t know or avoid this fact and take kittens from its mother at an early age. Llater on that makes the mother rabbit reject its baby bunny.
In that sense, don’t take any kitten from its mother before it reaches 6 weeks or above it. Even it’s better to go for examining your bunny when it gets a minimum age of 6 weeks. This also prevents a bunny getting rejected from its mother in a high chance.
Getting Distressed
Most often it happens that you pick up a kitten after it turns to the age of six weeks, but when you try to examine them, they get distressed. Do not be harsh to carry out your examining procedure. It may seriously frighten your baby bunny.
Whenever you see your bunny is acting anxious, immediately put it back to its mother and carry on your examination later until it is normal again.
Use Gloves
Every time you touch your bunny for a while, it is okay with bare handed. However, when you will go for examining its sex, try to wear disposable gloves as you are not always up-to-date about your body condition whether you are caring any germs or not.
While you examine, you dirty hands could affect your bunny getting unexpected germs. Sometimes you also need to remove the furs of the vent area of the rabbit for sexing; those places also could contain bugs which may affect you.
Likewise, you may deal with the backgrounds that are unknown to you or bunny suffering from the various disease. In this regard, having disposal gloves will help you to get off form any kinds of contagious diseases which a rabbit may carry like ringworm, mites, coccidian, mange, etc.
Don’t Take Too Long
Try to examine your rabbit gently and within less time. Holding them longer in the position of laying may make them feel unusual and distressed. This could scar your bunny and make it act anxious as well.
Hence, don’t carry on your procedure more than five minutes and try to finish it as soon as possible.
Things You Should Avoid
Now that mantainance is out of the way, enlighten yourself with the things that you absolutely must avoid.
Rough Behaviour
Being rough with your bunny while you hold them. makes the creature feel distressed and sometimes hurts them too.
Generally, people hold them very tight to avoid getting kicked from their bunny. They think that if the rabbit is not holding tightly and with full griped, the creature might also scratch their hands or leap out.
Yes, it might leap out or you may get a kick or scratch from this little creature, but it doesn’t mean you need to be rough while holding this innocent. Grasp your pet adequately but avoid holding roughly or tightly.
Not Holding Them Properly
That’s true; a bunny is not off that strong structured. It could not bear lot pressure while you grip them, but one also should not allow it to kick when you handle them.
Experts observed and claimed that many bunnies’ spines get badly injured when they are allowed to kick. Bunny’s spine is very sensitive and not that strong to tolerate vigorous pressure.
Therefore, holding them correctly in a gentle manner could cause the creature no harm, and both the pet and its owner could finish the job nicely.
Picking Them Up By The Tail
Although many of us are not that familiar with rabbits, often we make stupid mistakes. Many teenagers, kids or even adults are found to pick up a rabbit by its tail or ear. Don’t do this! This is cruel!
Especially, kids find it very funny holding the rabbit by their ears or tail. It's better to keep your bunny away from your kids. Keeping your bunny apart from children will ensure everyone’s safety, otherwise even your child could get a scratch too.
Taking The Kids Away From Their Mother
Let the kits be with their mother and not handling them too much in the presence of their mother. Especially when the baby is not weaned. do not bring them from their mother too often. This disturbs the mother doe and even the kittens too.
Holding Babies Less Than Three Weeks
Experts always suggest not to deal anything with the kits aged three weeks or less. That’s because when you hold a kitten for a long time, it gets some distinct human smell in its body. This smell, later on, makes kit’s mother to reject it.
In case of the new mother doe, the fact is noticed in high number. Any unknown smell a mother doe gets from its kitten makes her confused, and often she rejects her kit.
Sometimes you need to deal with the newborn kits in case of any unusual activity is observed. If you need to do so, try not to have them too long away from its nest.
The newborn kits or those very young are unfurred kittens. Handling them for a long time may make them feel cold. In that sense, it's better to put them back as soon as you finish your job.
Avoid Hurting them
Avoid unintentionally hurting the genital parts of a bunny while looking for their gender.
Specialists warned that while you press the genital part to uncover from furs, you must be careful as excessive pressure could hamper their sensitive parts.
You should be very careful while sexing a rabbit under 3-4 months. Accordingly, when you make an effort to open or pull out the penis of the kit, it may get injured. Rabbits are not capable of exposing their penis at an early age, and thus these kinds of examining could even damage it.
Conclusion
After you feel the necessity of sexing your rabbit, you cannot approach and do it in your assumptions if you don’t know how to do that. Proper handling guide of examining your bunny is the obvious thing you should go through. Any wrong proceedings may cause your bunny, and sometimes even you to get injured.
While examining, if you find the testicles in your bunny, be sure that it’s a male rabbit called buck. If you see no testicles in your bunny, go for further examining procedure suggested in the guide. As in many young male rabbits testicles are not easily seen.
