How old are rabbits when they can mate successfully? with my Angoras they've always been older. But with these two litters or babies, I still have two hutches with two rabbits in each and I don't know if they are does or bucks. (It is hard to tell I don't care what anybody says!)

Anyway, the ones I am concerned about were born Jan. 10. Can they make babies now? I need to get two more hutches but I may have to figure something out quicker than I thought. They haven't been acting like they want to mate but I may not be there when they have "lovin'" on their minds!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), April 07, 2001

Answers

I have read several places that rabbits can start mating at 3 months. I have never had any mate that young, but it may be possible, yours are getting close. I had some loose in a pen I think one had babies at about 5 months (mated at 4 months). Sorry I can't be of more help.

-- Dian (rhoffman@nctc.com), April 07, 2001.

If you ask my parents, they'll say they are like the Tribbles on the original Star Trek, born pregnant (this goes back to Easter '69 and a present to my brother and I from a family friend of two wabbits). Realistically though, we found it was about 4 to six months.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 07, 2001.

Sometimes it may depend on the breed but they can breed at a younger age than you would want them to do. Would not want to breed them before 5 or 6 month with the small breeds and for the larger breeds more like 8 or 10 months. My advise seperate them ASAP

-- Gary in NS (ggiles@north.nsis.com), April 07, 2001.

Suzy, If you flip the buns over and put one finger on either side of their urinary site and push, you will usually see the male pop out and up with a small opening, while the female will stay low and have a long opening. This isn't a guarantee, since I had a lop I was sure was a female but was a male. It popped up and had a long opening. If the rabbits are old enough, the male will have his testicles showing on either side of his penis, inside his legs.

They can mate at three months but usually (not always), a male will be mature before a female and "try". A son will mate with a mother easier, if kept in too long. The mother would be more fertile since she has been bred before.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), April 07, 2001.

If they are siblings, you can generally leave them in together for up to and sometimes beyond 4 months with no fear of matings. The females- in my experience, do not come into season until 7 months or there abouts. If you flip them over and see a slit, its a female, circle its a male (this becomes easier with time... and if you cant see testes, males are generally not ready to mate, any ways).

-- kevin in NC (vantravlrs@aol.com), April 07, 2001.

Suzy -

Most of the smaller breeds develop early... about three to four months. If kept together, they usually won't mate unless next to others of the opposite sex, which will get them 'charged up' so to speak.

I have mainly dutch mixes, and the mother and son were kept together before I got them - they never bred. Was told the same about siblings, but can't attest to it.

Even if they do breed, in rabbits inbreeding is not that much of a problem. It is common practice to breed siblings and parent/child. The problems come in if there is an inheritable problem, but only shows up after several generations. I'm not too big into genetics, but know enough to keep myself out of trouble.

Yes, to answer you - they can breed now. It isn't overly likely, but it could happen. I usually have dispatched them to freezer or pet store before they get that old.....

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 09, 2001.