What has my darling son brought home ?

[Theykeepmebusy]

He replied to an ad on the craigslist.......and this is what he's brought home, one is all white, the other have gray on their ears and noses.

And how in the world do I know if they are boy or girl????? I googled it, but yeah.not with the kids around ...and any ideas on how old ? a way to tell. Any answers to our new trivia is greatly appreciated.

 

[tortoise]

Girl = slit
Boy = circle

 

[PattySh]

When I first started with rabbits I was told the females parts look like a taco and the male round like a donut.

 

[Theykeepmebusy]

Sounds good to me, learned the breed, NZ and California meat rabbits, mixed, man wasn't sure, was giving them away because he couldn't move with them, but now they are our sweet cuddly pets. He said the big one is a buck, but wasn't sure??? :/ Sooooo, tomorrow I'm going to see if there's tacos/slits or donut/circles. Thank you both !!!!!!!!

 

[PattySh]

I wouldn't be surprised it it was a mama with 2 babies. Would be very unusual for an adult male to be ok in a cage with two young ones. Adult Male would have obvious testicles bu the little ones won't. You will want to seperate the little ones soon if they are boys with their mother, as they breed young. Rabbits generally each have their own cage as they tend not to get along once they mature. From the pic it looks like they'd be ok for a couple more weeks if it's mama and babies( can't tell from the pic are both little ones similar size? The little one I'd say is 4 weeks or so. Looks like a Calf/NZ cross to me, that is a common mix that we do. Put leather or sturdy gloves on when you check for sex rabbits can give nasty scratches. Pick up the rabbit at the neck scruff, easier if someone else holds while you look.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Yup, definitely Californian or CA/NZ crosses. Smallest kit looks about 4 wks old, larger kit is 5 - 6 wks I'll bet. Many kits are weaned by 6 - 8 wks. Many can be separated from mom at 8 wks but meat breeds tend to mature faster so separation from mom at 5 - 6 wks is not unusual.

Reproduction is physically possible at 12 weeks.

Taco, burrito. lol (female, male) It'd be a good thing to show the kids. My son could correctly sex a 6 wk old kit when he was 6 yrs old. It gives kids a sense of ownership and responsibility if they are allowed to be involved.

Picking up your rabbit is done just as you did in your photo - around the shoulders, not by the scruff. But you need to support it's hind end/back legs.

The more surface contact the rabbit has with your body the safer it feels. To check sex and to trim nails, I press the rabbit against my body with my right hand over its shoulders/neck/head and my left hand supporting it's bum like you would an infant. I sit down, lean forward, and lay the rabbit down on my lap so it's laying it the "V" that my legs make. Just like you would lay down a human infant.

The rabbit feels very supported with all the contact it has your the surface of your body but let it flip up/right itself if it tries to. Holding it down forcefully could cause it to break it's back.

While still holding onto its shoulders, take your left hand out from underneath it's bum. Use that hand to expose the genitals to check the sex.

Using your thumb and forefinger, press and spread apart (thumb moving toward tail, forefinger moving toward head) to expose the genitals. Something conical and pink will pop out on both males and females. Don't be afraid to press down harder to really get a good look. It'd be difficult to hurt a rabbit by checking it's sex.

Look for that taco or burrito and make a note of it. Just for reassurance that the sex change fairy did not visit them, check again when they are 8 wks old and then again at 12 weeks old. This is for their own good as well as for your own practice and experience.

 

[Theykeepmebusy]

Keep it coming, I've got a note book ready!!!! Today I did find out the big one is the mama to the bigger one, he had said it was a buck, his mistake now he wants this one back and me to take the buck. I'm not going for it, my kids love them already, I bring them in for some cuddle time and will be getting some more rabbit hutches next week, were going to be for my next few hatches, but, I'll figure it out. Thank you, I will take all info needed for a newbie, I am super happy for the BYC and BYH, cause I'd be lost without you guys!!!!!!

 

[Theykeepmebusy]

One Big Girl One little white girl and one little gray n white boy Taco's and burrito's it is, Thanks!!!!!

 

[Theykeepmebusy]

I lost the little white girl this morning, went out and she was turned upside down in the feed bowl, getting stiff. I had no idea what to do, so I rushed her in put a blow dryer to her, gave her a lil sugar water and some cocci treatment , she was good for 4 hours, warmed up, was moving and breathing better, then she passed. I brought the other 2 in, noticed they are heavy with fleas. Could this have been what happened? I'm off to search it out.

 

[PattySh]

She may have been the runt littermate of the bigger one. Right now I have a Californian doe with 6 NZ cross babies, one lil guy (or gal, havent checked yet) is 1/3 the size of the others but is jumping in and out of the nest like the others. Generally tho the small ones do have something wrong and may not make it to full grown. Maybe a heart issue, you'll never know but nothing you did wrong.