Distinguishing Gender

[Little Bay Poo]

Ok, I think I already know the answer to this seeing as we've had so many gender fairies pay visits. But in an adult rabbit is there a way to accurately guess at the gender by just looking at the bunny without turning it upside down? Are there distinguishing physical characteristics (other than the presence of a dewlap) that will give the bunny a more masculine or more feminine look about them?

I have two males, but I always thought that Billy looked like a pretty little girl while Ronnie looked like a manly man. That could just be me being weird though

 

[BlueGiants]

Generally speaking, it's not accurate to try and sex a bunny without "turning it over". In some breeds, some bucks will have a wider head, does wil have a dewlap, bucks may be a little more laid back, does may exibit more "attitude". But does can act like bucks and bucks can act like does, Bucks can carry a dewlap, does can mount another rabbit.

So the only way to accurately be sure of a rabbits sex is the "check the equipment", and not just the external ones (because neutering can change that too!)

 

[Little Bay Poo]

Thanks for your response That clears things up because Billy (although male), has a narrow head, looks like he has a dewlap sometimes, does not mount anything, and has an attitude. So I guess all his displays of more "female" characteristics are what cause me to see him as a little girl, even when I know better!

 

[BlueGiants]

You can't go by appearences or behavior. We had a broken blackMini Rex buck... "Mr. Rogers"... that did extrememly well on the show table for my daughter. Was a Grand Champion with 7 legs. Beautiful bunny. But we could never get him to breed. Put a doe in his cage and he'd run to the back and hide his head in the corner. If the doe wasn't aggressive, he'd come out after 15 or 20 minutes and start grooming her. But he never bred... ever. He was a boy, had all the right "parts"... just didn't want to use them.

He eventually went to a lovely home with 2 girls who just adored him... and dressed him up and played with him. But he was happy!

 

[gentle giants]

BlueGiants wrote:

You can't go by appearences or behavior. We had a broken blackMini Rex buck... "Mr. Rogers"... that did extrememly well on the show table for my daughter. Was a Grand Champion with 7 legs. Beautiful bunny. But we could never get him to breed. Put a doe in his cage and he'd run to the back and hide his head in the corner. If the doe wasn't aggressive, he'd come out after 15 or 20 minutes and start grooming her. But he never bred... ever. He was a boy, had all the right "parts"... just didn't want to use them.

He eventually went to a lovely home with 2 girls who just adored him... and dressed him up and played with him. But he was happy!

Oh, man, that would be aggravating, LOL. Mabye he needed hormone treatment.

 

[Becca]

We definetly knew Dippy was a boy when he started spraying and what on earth are dewlaps?

 

[BlueGiants]

Does can spray too... so that is not an accurate indicator...

Dewlaps are the "neck pillows" that appear on some breeds (usually on Does, but there are exceptions!)around the neck. It's not accepted in all breeds, it's expected in others.