Enlargement of the genital organs in female decorative rabbits. How to determine the sex of a rabbit? Differences between a male and a female. Methods for determining sex in young rabbits and ornamental rabbits

Many people, often inexperienced, when getting a rodent, cannot understand how to distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit. Determining the sex of a rodent is a fairly simple task, but it requires a lot of concentration.

Of all the solutions discussed in this article on how to determine the sex of a rabbit, the most accurate is the way of looking at the external genitalia. It is also important to know that it is easier to find out the sex of adult rabbits and female rabbits than of very small ones. Even experienced rabbit breeders have difficulty determining. The problem is that baby rabbits do not yet have very well defined genitals and therefore it is almost impossible to find out the gender of the animal.

So what do you need to know to distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit? How to determine the sex of a rabbit?

How to get a rabbit

Rabbits are very cute creatures that make people feel nothing but tenderness. However, those who are going to breed them or want to have a decorative rabbit have difficulties such as determining the gender immediately before purchasing. If you put rabbits of different sexes in the same cage, you will need to prepare for the appearance of offspring. It should also be noted that same-sex individuals in a cage do not behave very friendly towards each other.

Experienced rabbit breeders advise taking rabbits that have already reached four months of age. These rabbits are already formed nervous system and, no less important, the sex of these rodents can be determined without any difficulties.

When to determine gender

Not worth the definition in a newborn rabbit. It will not be possible to distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit either visually or by behavior, as mentioned above. The organs of these animals look the same early age. Experienced rabbit breeders can determine the sex only two weeks after birth, but even then the accuracy cannot exceed 80-90%. It is recommended to determine the sex when the rabbit is at least one month old.

The older the baby rabbit, the higher the likelihood of accurately determining the sex. You should not buy or sell rabbits that are not even one month old. At this age, the body of the cubs is very weak, since it has not received necessary vitamins and other elements from their mother's milk.

Define Paul baby rabbits needed between one month and three months from birth. Rabbits at this age begin puberty. If you do not separate the rabbits from the female rabbits, the uncontrolled appearance of unhealthy offspring will begin. This is influenced by their early age, as well as family ties rabbits.

Primary and secondary sexual characteristics

Primary sexual characteristics include the external genitalia. Actually, only according to them appearance you can give a 100% guarantee of determination. The Methodology discusses in more detail how this can be done. It should also be noted that sex determination in adults differs from the definition for small ones.

Secondary characteristics, in turn, include indirect confirmation of gender. That is, an experienced rabbit breeder, just by looking at the shape of the body, can recognize whether it is a male or a female. It is noted that males have a more rounded and stronger body and a more massive head. Females, on the other hand, are more fragile in appearance, the lines of their shapes seem smoother, and they also have nipples in two rows on their belly.

But you shouldn’t try to find out the gender of a rabbit just by secondary characteristics, since the probability of making a mistake is very high. Therefore these signs to follow only secondarily.

Inspection methods

Methods of inspection and identification will be based on primary and secondary signs: by external signs and by signs of behavior. Sex determination in rabbits is also considered separately.

By external signs

It is easiest to determine sex in adult rabbits or female rabbits. After three months, the male's testicles are clearly visible. You just have to lift the rabbit to see them. If nothing is noticeable, you will need to put the rabbit on the table and, holding it, turn it back down so that it looks at the breeder. One hand hold the rabbit in this position, and the second one needs to stretch the skin in the crotch area. To do this, press, without applying much force, at the beginning of the tail anus, A thumb press on the area where the bump protrudes. You will see the genitals.

How to find out:

This method does not guarantee 100% accuracy, but adults can be distinguished by their behavior. When a female rabbit and a rabbit are the same age, the female appears larger than the male. Females are not always active; it only appears during heat, but rabbits are quite often active.

How to determine the sex of baby rabbits

For some people, it is important to find out the gender of very young rabbits in order to buy at a better price or to sell their pets as quickly as possible. But, as already mentioned in the article, it is impossible to find out the gender of a newborn rabbit before one month. After reaching this age, gender can only be determined visually by comparing how far the genitals are from the anus. And the larger it is, the higher the likelihood that it is a boy. When the baby rabbit is only two months old, this determination method will be virtually error-free.

After the third month of a rabbit’s life, sex determination is simplified, since the male’s genitals form into a penis, which can already be distinguished, and the female rabbit’s pink tongue becomes visible.

We hope that these methods and tips helped you distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit. But best lesson there will still be independent training.

In practice, raising rabbits without the ability to distinguish their sex at the right time is simply impossible. All methods of jigging, crossing, breeding and feeding begin with the question: how to find out whether a child is a boy or a girl. The main problem for a novice rabbit breeder is how to pick up and hold a rabbit so that it does not offer resistance during inspection. Difficulty also arises when determining the sex of small rabbits, when it is easy to hold them, but it is very difficult to examine their sexual characteristics.

Why is gender separation necessary?

When raising rabbits for meat or skin, separation by sex is not just curiosity, but a necessity.

Female rabbits are ready to breed at the age of three months, males a little later. But when the sexes are kept together in a group, fights between males may occur, and injuries and damage to the genital organs are possible.

For females at the age of three months, insemination is undesirable, since the offspring are usually born weak, and the young rabbit is unable at that age to produce the required amount of milk to feed him.

How is gender determined?

The main method used in professional rabbit breeding can be divided into three stages:

1. Take the baby rabbit with your left hand in the area of the sacrum by the skin, grabbing the tail.
2. Turn belly up.
3. With your fingers right hand pull the skin forward a little in the area of the genital organs.

As a result of these actions:

the female will have an oblong slit directed towards the tail;
the male will have a visible tube-shaped penis.

Another method is determined by grabbing the rabbit not by the sacrum, but by the withers. For a young animal this is quite acceptable, but an adult and strong rabbit will definitely resist.

The rabbit's paws are strong and have strong claws, so you need to hold it as firmly as possible by the withers with your right hand.

With your left hand, index finger and thumb, apply gentle pressure near the genitals. When pressed, the penis should appear in the form of a pink or pink tube. white in the male, or the genital slit in the female can be clearly expressed.

When purchasing an animal more than three months old, upon examination of the genitals, two testicles should be visible near the penis. This is enough to identify the male. But sometimes, out of fear, a rabbit's testicles are pulled inward and are not visible. It is worth waiting a little until the animal calms down and the testicles are back in their place.

Until the age of three months, it is difficult to determine the gender of a rabbit, since the rabbit’s testicles are retracted inward and are not visible outwardly.

Difficulties with decorative breeds

The most great difficulties with sex determination occur in rabbits of decorative dwarf and downy breeds. The procedure is the same as with larger animals, but in this case it is difficult to determine gender differences without a magnifying glass.

In females, no manifestations may be detected; in males, a small tubercle with a hole will certainly be found.

Having some experience in determining the sex of baby rabbits, you can learn to distinguish boys from girls by the distance of the genitals to the anus. In males this gap is 2 cm or more, in females it is very small.

Every rabbit breeder sooner or later has a question: how to determine the sex of a rabbit? This procedure It’s absolutely not complicated, but at the same time very responsible. After all, it is very important to correctly determine the sex of baby rabbits so that there is no confusion in the future. If you wish, you can contact a veterinarian or a more experienced owner of the animal who knows exactly how to determine the sex of a rabbit, but this is not always convenient, and it incurs extra costs, both material and time. From our article you will learn how to distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit.

How to determine the sex of a rabbit without examining its genitals? You can try to do this based on external signs. But remember that only an experienced rabbit breeder who has been doing this for several years can tell the difference. After all, the female and the male have minor external differences. The rabbit has a more massive head and a well-developed muscular body. The rabbit's body is round and soft. Her head is much lighter compared to the male.

Also, many believe that you can distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit by the presence of nipples. But this is a very common misconception. Both females and males have nipples.

Very often, inexperienced owners try to distinguish rabbits by behavior. If you see animals mating, do not rush to draw conclusions, this does not always mean that they are of different sexes. At the time of puberty, such situations occur very often between same-sex individuals.

Overall, with external signs It is only possible to guess the sex of a rabbit; it can be accurately determined only by examining the genitals.

Genital examination

Many people, especially beginner rabbit breeders, do not know how to determine the sex of a rabbit by its genitals. It's not difficult, the main thing is to correctly distinguish male organs from women's. So, let's look at the main differences.

How to check the gender of a rabbit

Remember that it is best to purchase a rabbit at the age of 2-3 months. Only in this case will you be able to unnecessary problems and determine the gender of your animal with 100% confidence. In a mature rabbit you will see the testicles, they are located right next to the penis and look like small swellings. If you notice testicles, then there is no need to further torment the animal or look for other signs. This is definitely a male.

When you buy a male, be sure to carefully examine his genitals, they should not be damaged. Very often, during games or fights, rabbits injure their genitals.

You should know that when a rabbit is afraid, it instinctively pulls its testicles inward, which is what makes it difficult to tell right away.

If at first glance it is not clear who is in front of you, you need to proceed with a detailed inspection.

To begin, put on an apron and hard latex gloves. Remember that the animal has strong hind legs with claws, and it can hurt you. Then place the rabbit on the table and firmly grasp the withers so that he cannot escape. Next, with a sharp movement, turn the animal onto its back, into a reclining position. The hind legs should “look” up. In this position it will be most convenient to examine the organs.

Then, with one hand, still hold the withers, and with the other hand, gently press in the genital area. It is best to apply pressure with two fingers, place one between the perineum and the anus, and the other a little higher. The main thing is that they are on the same line. In a female rabbit, the slit is located close to the anus, while in a male it is located much further away. Also, when pressed, males will have a pink or white penis, the color depends on the age of the rabbit.

Video “Determination of sex in rabbits”

This video shows how to determine the sex of a rabbit in sexually mature adult rabbits.

How to determine the sex of a baby rabbit

Many people ask how to determine the sex of baby rabbits who are not yet a month old? Experts advise not to rush, since the external sexual characteristics of small rabbits are absolutely identical and it will be absolutely impossible to distinguish them. Even an experienced rabbit breeder will not tell you 100% the gender of your pet at such an early age. But if you still need to determine the sex of the baby rabbits and there is absolutely no time to wait, then you can try to examine the genitals with a magnifying glass. The technique for determining sex in baby rabbits is exactly the same as when working with an adult rabbit. When pressed, nothing will appear on the female, but on the male a tiny bump with a small hole will appear. But remember, it’s best not to rush and still wait until the animals become sexually mature.

We hope our tips were useful to you, and you now know how to determine the sex of a rabbit and can easily apply theoretical knowledge in practice.

Video “How to determine the sex of suckling rabbits”

The video shows how to distinguish a male from a female at an early age.

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It is difficult to determine the sex of a rabbit without certain knowledge, and at an early age this may not be possible even for an experienced breeder. It is important for those who buy rabbits for breeding to understand this issue. You can distinguish the sex of rabbits by at different ages, focusing on the primary and secondary sexual characteristics of animals.

At what age can you determine the sex of rabbits?

Until three weeks of age, it is impossible to distinguish a boy from a girl rabbit. Even experienced breeders do not always cope with this task, and this is not necessary. Little rabbits should be with their mother for at least 30-35 days after birth; they are not separated before this period, which means there is no need to determine their sex.

Closer to two months of age, a veterinarian or breeder can already determine who is in front of them - a boy or a girl. It is at this age that baby rabbits are usually separated from the female and divided by gender, seated in different cages. This is necessary to prevent young individuals of different sexes from starting to mate. Inbreeding can lead to the birth of rabbits with various defects and mutations.

Primary and secondary sexual characteristics

You can distinguish the sex of rabbits by primary or secondary sexual characteristics. In the first case, we are talking directly about the genitals of the animal. In males this is the presence of testicles and phallus, in females - a genital loop. In young years reproductive organs rabbits are similar, but closer to 2 months they change, which makes it possible to distinguish them.

Secondary signs include pet behavior and body features. The body of males is larger, the muscle reliefs are more clearly expressed, the head is large, and its outlines are angular. You can distinguish a male by his behavior:

he marks territory;
shows aggression - gets into fights with other rabbits.

The female rabbit’s body is smaller, her shape is more graceful, her croup and belly are rounded. The head also has softer outlines. Females are almost always calm. They can only show aggression during the period of sexual hunting.

Attention! Identification of the sex of a rabbit based on secondary sexual characteristics does not provide full confidence in the reliability of the result.

Gender determination at the time of purchase

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a pet of a certain gender when purchasing, it is better to purchase the animal from breeders. They have sufficient experience in this matter, since they have to seat small rabbits weaned from their mother, sorting them by gender.

If you buy a rabbit in a store, you will have to rely only on your own knowledge or blindly trust the seller. Rabbits up to two months of age have very similar genitals, so to avoid mistakes, you should buy older rabbits.

So, to find out the gender of a rabbit in a store, follow the instructions:

To examine the genitals of an animal, it should be laid on a flat, hard surface on its back. His body position is reclining.
While holding the rabbit in this position, you need to spread the hind legs and pull the skin in the groin area with your free hand.
Using your index finger and thumb, lightly squeeze the area just above and below the animal’s genitals. This allows them to open up as much as possible.

A sign that this is a female will be the presence of a large reproductive loop, a slit framed by thickened skin. The genital loop has the shape of an ellipse and is located in close proximity to the anus.

The male has a small hole round shape, from which, when pressed, a phallic-shaped appendage will appear.

Attention! Be careful when examining the reproductive organs of the animal; out of fear, the rabbit is capable of striking a strong blow with its hind legs and injuring a person.

Sex determination in young rabbits

To distinguish a rabbit from a female rabbit at an early age, you will need a magnifying glass. There are differences between the genital organs of different-sex animals, but they are barely noticeable. The baby rabbit should be placed on the table with its paws up. Next, with your free hand, lightly pull the skin into groin area and examine the genitals with a magnifying glass.

Baby rabbits are up to a month old

In children whose age less than a month, the genitals have not yet fully formed, so visually they are similar. By stretching the skin near the genitals, the male manages to detect a tiny tubercle with an opening located at a distance of 5 millimeters from the anus. This is an unformed prepuce; the penis is subsequently formed from it. Females do not have such a tubercle.

At 1 month

When the baby rabbits are already a month old, their genitals are still in the formative stage, but some changes have already occurred. At one month of age, the rudiments of the genital slit are visible in females. The male individual is already developing a prepuce.

Attention! At this age, you can distinguish a female rabbit from a male by the distance from the anus to the genital organ. In boys it is about 5 mm, and in girls the genital slit is located very close to the anus.

At 2 months

By two months, the genitals of the baby rabbits have already fully formed; moreover, they have become larger, which allows them to be seen better. In female rabbits, the genital loop is clearly visible, and in rabbits a penis has formed. The testicles are not yet visible; they descend later.

At 3 months

Three-month-old pets begin the process of puberty. Now it's easy to recognize the gender of a rabbit. The rabbits have a fully formed penis, and the testicles are already beginning to descend into the scrotum. In females, the genital loop can be seen without any magnifying glass.

How to determine the sex of a decorative rabbit?

You can find out the gender of a decorative rabbit using the same instructions. At an early age, the genital organs of animals are difficult to distinguish due to their small size. Armed with a magnifying glass, you will be able to examine the rudiments of the prepuce in males aged 1.2 to 2 months. The genital loop in female rabbits is almost invisible until two months of age.

Determining gender by indirect signs

If you have difficulty determining the sex of a rabbit based on its genitals, you should pay attention to the behavior of the animals. How do females behave:

they are calm most of the time;
during sexual hunting they show aggression;
They tend to engage in digging holes and arranging a nest.

Now let's look at how boy rabbits behave:

they are more active and inquisitive;
males fight with each other for the right to own territory;
They mark their possessions by scattering droppings and rubbing their snouts on the equipment to leave their scent.

Based only on indirect signs, it is difficult to determine the sex of animals. At an early age, their behavior is identical, all rabbits are equally mobile, and the instincts inherent in adults do not yet appear in them.

You can accurately determine the gender of a rabbit starting from 2.5-3 months. Until this point, identification is difficult even for people with experience. To avoid mistakes when buying a pet, enlist the support of the breeder. If this is not possible, examine the animal's genitals using magnifying glass. The presence of a tiny tubercle with an opening at a distance of 4-5 mm from the anus indicates that it is a boy. If there is no prepuce rudiment, then it is a female individual.

Any farmer who keeps rabbits on his farm must know how to distinguish a female from a male and be able to determine the age of the animal. Study what the healthy genital organs of animals look like, this will help you recognize the onset of diseases in time.

How to distinguish between a rabbit and a female rabbit

The average lifespan of rabbits is 6-7 years, but on farms animals are kept for only 3 years. Males are used for breeding from 5-6 months, and females from 5 months.

Farmers determine the sex of the cubs in the first months after birth and place individuals of different sexes in different cages. It is important to know how to distinguish between males and females in order to prevent them from living together after puberty (3.5-4 months).

External sexual characteristics

External sexual characteristics include secondary sexual characteristics of animals. Males are distinguished from females by the shape of the body and head. The female rabbit has nipples on her stomach (two rows), the lines of the body are smoother.

There are also differences in the size of the animals. Here are the signs of male rabbits:

they are smaller than females;
the body is rougher;
the head is shortened and slightly angular.

Females have wider croup than males, and their heads are noticeably narrower. However, when determining gender, one cannot rely only on external signs.

Rabbit genitals

It is very difficult to recognize the gender of small rabbits. Do this when the babies are at least 2 months old. In adult animals, the genitals are more different, so you can easily find a female and a male. To make the task easier, look at the photo of determining the sex of rabbits.

It is more convenient to inspect animals with an assistant. Place the animal on its back and gently apply pressure with your fingers to the area around the genitals. In females, the loop is located close to the anus, it resembles an oblong slit.

In male rabbits, when pressing on the lower abdomen, a conical genital organ is visible from the prepuce. It is located a short distance from the anus. In adult males, already descended testicles can be easily felt.

Are there differences in the behavior of males and females?

Many farmers observe differences in the behavior of animals of different sexes:

males rub their chins on objects around them to leave their scent on them;
males are more likely than rabbits to mark their territory with urine; they have special glands that secrete substances with a pungent odor;
females are noisier because they are constantly setting up their home and digging a lot.

Females behave in a special way during periods of estrus:

they lose their appetite;
hide in dark corners;
scatter litter;
some individuals pull out fluff from their belly.

How to determine the sex of young rabbits

It is very difficult to determine the sex of babies under 1 month of age. The farmer carries out this procedure alone, but an inexperienced breeder is unlikely to distinguish a male from a female, since during this period their genitals are very similar.

In young rabbits, when you press on the bottom of the abdomen, you will see a small gap that narrows towards the anus and is very close to it (1-2 mm). In boys, the genital organ looks like a tubercle with a hole in the middle and is located far from the anus.

Before you begin sexing young rabbits, practice on older rabbits. Few farmers correctly recognize males and females, because this requires experience.

How to determine the age of a rabbit

It is impossible to determine the exact age without knowing the date of birth, but the following measures will help you understand how old or young the animal is:

babies up to 6 months have soft ribs; their hardness is determined by palpation;
the older the rabbit, the more yellow its teeth become (applies to individuals over 1 year old);
Animals' claws grow throughout their lives, and their approximate age can be determined by their length;
the eyelids of older animals droop and swell.

It is impossible to determine the age of animals by size, since each breed has its own criteria for weight and height. You can easily make a mistake if you rely only on this point.

External signs of aging

Animals begin to age at the age of 3-4 years. The animal becomes less active, the membranes of its eyes become cloudy. The rabbit's belly takes on a saggy appearance, deteriorates and hair falls out. An aging individual begins to have problems with teeth, pay attention to this.

Determining the age of rabbits of decorative breeds

It is best to purchase a decorative baby rabbit from a breeder; in this case, you will be provided with a document indicating the baby’s date of birth. Pay attention to the genitals - the testicles of males descend only after 3.5-4 months.

Determining the age of decorative and meat breeds carried out the same way. Feel the ribs; if they are soft, the rabbit is not six months old. Animals' teeth turn yellow starting from the age of one year; pay attention to this when examining them.

How long do rabbits live?

Decorative rabbits live longer than meat breeds, because they rarely reproduce, and females are usually sterilized. The lifespan of small animals is shorter than that of large animals.

Representatives of meat breeds live on average 7-8 years, but usually upon reaching 3 years they are sent to slaughter. Decorative rabbits often live up to 10 years, and sterilized animals - up to 12 years.

Every livestock breeder must be able to determine the sex of animals. This will allow the young animals to be seated correctly and eliminate early births.

Do you have rabbits on your farm? Can you correctly recognize their gender? Share your experience in the comments!