Argh! I Swore This Wouldn't Be Me!

[CYGChickies]

Last Friday I bought a pair of White New Zealands, a buck and a doe. They're identical in every way except for the dewlap, including age, so I'm pretty sure they're litter mates. We were told they were almost two months old and we're letting a newly purchased used--very dirty--hutch dry in the sun for a week or so after a violent bleaching and scrubbing, so I thought they could stay together for a while like our lionhead young pair is. This morning my friend/farming buddy calls and tells me that Holly's--the buck--testicles have "dropped" sometime between Saturday--the last time she checked his undercarriage lol--and Monday. So we had to rush and buy a temporary enclosure for Holly to get him away from his hutch mate Strawberry and their lionhead neighbor Angel.

I hope I don't have two pregnant young does on my hands! With this heat I wouldn't dream of breeding--especially not a NZ buck to a Lionhead doe!--and I thought we had plenty of time before Holly would be mature since our NZR buck didn't do this until 12 weeeks. I always swore I'd be super vigilant with keeping the rabbits separate. Now I feel like a major idiot. I hope that we caught him soon enough!

CYG

 

[Ms. Research]

Last Friday I bought a pair of White New Zealands, a buck and a doe. They're identical in every way except for the dewlap, including age, so I'm pretty sure they're litter mates. We were told they were almost two months old and we're letting a newly purchased used--very dirty--hutch dry in the sun for a week or so after a violent bleaching and scrubbing, so I thought they could stay together for a while like our lionhead young pair is. This morning my friend/farming buddy calls and tells me that Holly's--the buck--testicles have "dropped" sometime between Saturday--the last time she checked his undercarriage lol--and Monday. So we had to rush and buy a temporary enclosure for Holly to get him away from his hutch mate Strawberry and their lionhead neighbor Angel.

I hope I don't have two pregnant young does on my hands! With this heat I wouldn't dream of breeding--especially not a NZ buck to a Lionhead doe!--and I thought we had plenty of time before Holly would be mature since our NZR buck didn't do this until 12 weeeks. I always swore I'd be super vigilant with keeping the rabbits separate. Now I feel like a major idiot. I hope that we caught him soon enough!

CYG

It happens to the best of them! I hope all is well, no babies yet and you both caught it in time. They don't multiply because it was theory, but it's fact! I hope both are not, because it sounds like you are just not really ready yet. But if so, take it in stride. And accidental crossbreeds do happen. Will be interesting what you get, but hopefully nothing happens.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

I raise my babies together up till about 12 weeks of age, with no ill effects. How old are these guys?

Hopefully nothing 'bad' happened but I'd put in a nestbox in with the doe. If she's really immature she may not know what to do with them, or you may choose to cull the litter so she's not overburdened with lactation at a young age. That's likely what I would do if she's really young.

 

[CYGChickies]

Well we thought they were just under 8 weeks but now we're thinking 12. If the Lionhead doe was bred through the wire--which I kind of doubt as she's not quite a social butterfly with her neighbors--then I probably will cull--or try to make myself--because they won't be very edible and will likely be too big for pets. I'm mostly worried about them hurting the Lionhead doe due to being too big. If the white new Zealand was bred we won't leave them with her but we're crazy enough to attempt hand-feeding.

Anyone know how I might go about "terminating" the Lionhead's pregnancy if it happens? Is that possible without hurting her?

CYG