# rabbit sexing



## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

I bought my daughter 2 rabbits for her birthday a couple of weeks ago, both were sold as female and have been living together since we got them and at the shop.
All has been fine until today when one had just been constantly trying to mate with the other.
I've tried looking and both look the same to me, I have some (not great) pics so if anyone could try to tell me what they are that would be great and if they are both girls is it normal for them to behave like this?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I haven't sexed a rabbit for over 50 years when I was rabbit monitoress in school, but I can still remember how to do it.

In order to sex very young rabbits who don't yet have their testicles you need to very gently apply pressure to the genitals and basically see what pops up! Looking at that photograph won't help anyone sex them, because like that they both look the same.


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

I've been looking for an easy example on the net, but they're horrific in terms of following when you've never done it before! :whip:

I'll try explain best i can
You want to take your thumb and place it on the anus, then take your forefinger and place it just above the genitals, apply pressure and the genitals will pop out, if it comes out tubular (circular at the end) you have a male, in a female it will be more of a V shape, more of a slit joining the anus, female.

If you are still not sure then pop them to your vet and they should be able to tell you, though sometimes they are just as useless, best bet is a nearby breeder


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

x Sarah x said:


> I've been looking for an easy example on the net, but they're horrific in terms of following when you've never done it before! :whip:
> 
> I'll try explain best i can
> You want to take your thumb and place it on the anus, then take your forefinger and place it just above the genitals, apply pressure and the genitals will pop out, if it comes out tubular (circular at the end) you have a male, in a female it will be more of a V shape, more of a slit joining the anus, female.
> ...


Yeah this is how I do it. I was taught males look like macaroni ie a tube bit slides out. (one end of the female bit is firmly attached, so doesn't slide up so in my mind I now think the female bit looks like the end of pasta penne :whistling2 

There I am sexing and looking all professional...however in my mind I am going 
"past penne" "macaroni" "pasta penne" "pasta penne" "macaroni"


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## lisadew24 (Jul 31, 2010)

Female rabbits have nipples, male rabbits don't have nipples, males have a greater distance between genitals and anus ( i think thats right). Also female rabbits can hump each other you just have to watch they don't get aggressive to you or each other as this can happen at this age


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

The only way to sex them is to apply pressure (as told above), as for the 'mating', this is quite normal behaviour, even between two girls (and boys), it's mostly a display of dominance. In my experience rabbits are the worse for this sort of behaviour, haha.
: victory:


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

lisadew24 said:


> Female rabbits have nipples, male rabbits don't have nipples, males have a greater distance between genitals and anus ( i think thats right). Also female rabbits can hump each other you just have to watch they don't get aggressive to you or each other as this can happen at this age


Sounds more like mice and rats to me.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That's what I thought. Certainly I've had male rabbits with nipples so it's not a safeguard for accuracy.

OP, there are sites on the 'net with photographs to help you work it all out if you just google "how do I sex my rabbit" and take the rabbit network link. You'll see photographs which will help you work it out easily.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

If they're young and haven't had their vaccinations yet, you could ask the vets to sex them when you take them down for their appointment.


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## lisadew24 (Jul 31, 2010)

Well know we know why pet shops get the sexing of rabbits wrong. When we sold animals we went by a pet care trust guide and in the bit for sexing rabbits it says about the pressing /nipples and the gap between anus and genitals.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Shows what they know.

As I said I'm no expert as it's a long time since I had to sex young rabbits, but as far as I'm aware they cannot be sexed by the gap like other animals because everything is tucked up inside so there is no gap between the penis and vagina - it's the shape when you 'pop' them that you have to go by.


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## lisadew24 (Jul 31, 2010)

Here's my sexing guide at work


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ha ha - about as much good as a chocolate fireguard imao!!! How can they possible expect staff to sex rabbits from that diagram?? *shakes head in disbelief*

No wonder they get it wrong!!!

Unlike most mammals who have their scrotum between the penis and the anus, rabbits scrotums are elongated sacks on either side of the genital area, so there is no distance between vagina/penis and anus as in other mammals. 

Can you see a distance here??

................................ FEMALE .......................................................................... MALE

 


And just to illustrate the scrotum.


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## lisadew24 (Jul 31, 2010)

Love the way you pointed out the balls lol, at work when we sold rabbits I used to push down but I did think it was right about the nipples but then I don't go feeling around for rabbit nipples


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

Well I think it's pretty conclusive now.
Came home from work to find a very skinny bunny and 5-6 baby bunnies.
We thought she may have been pregnant but being as they're both meant to be girls we had doubt's.

Ideally we don't want to seperate the 2 adults as they're my daughters pets.
Going to phone the vets tomorrow but any one got any idea of how much it'll cost to get the male neutered?
Assuming it's easier for male rabbits as in most other species?


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

TBH better get the female done IMO, the likelihood of dieing from female cancers are amazingly high in rabbits

Although equally getting both done could be good as intact males can be very grumpy animals...but as rabbits do not die of grumpy so like I say I would go with getting Mrs bunny done.

Also the survival rates of a first time rabbit litter are low, it is normally more a practise run, so may well be worth preparing your daughter if she is fairly little.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree with Kare, you need to get the female neutered. the figures are something like 60/80% of female rabbits will die before they are 5 years old.

However, if you get the female done and not the male he will bonk the life out of her!!! Sorry, no other way to put it. He needs to be neutered too.


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

Ok thanks, I'll talk to the vet tomorrow and discuss the options.
Cant believe this, its really annoying and is exactly the reason I wanted 2 females :bash:


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## kingkelly (May 14, 2012)

Definatly get both done but for now you need to separate them or she will likely get pregnant again.
I can understand its frustrating but baby rabbits are so interesting as they grow and I'm sure your kids will love it might as well make the most of it while they are there. Wait to you hear the little cheeping noises and the way they pop up for food.
There is no reason why she won't raise them okay all she needs is plenty of good food and she will do the rest.


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## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

kingkelly said:


> Definatly get both done but for now you need to separate them or she will likely get pregnant again.
> I can understand its frustrating but baby rabbits are so interesting as they grow and I'm sure your kids will love it might as well make the most of it while they are there. Wait to you hear the little cheeping noises and the way they pop up for food.
> There is no reason why she won't raise them okay all she needs is plenty of good food and she will do the rest.


plenty of good food is one thing they do have, and loads of room.
I just made them a 6x5 foot run and they love it.
They have 38 square feet of garden to run about it in as the hutch is raised so they can run around under neath it with tubes they like to run through, things they can climb on.
They love rooting through the grass for the little bits of food we put in for them to forage for.

So much better than having them stuck in a hutch all the time, they're virtually never in the hutch except at night when we put them away.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That all sounds brilliant! :2thumb:

Look on it as a good experience for your children - I'm sure they'll love every minute of it.


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