Is it possible to guess a bunns age?

[lyndsy]

As you all know I just got Emma.

When they found her, she was just loose outside. "stray"

She was an adult, and then in foster care for a year.

I was just wondering if it's possible to try and narrow down a rough estimate of her age?

Is it possible?

:monkey::monkey::monkey::mrsthumper:

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Jane, Queen of The Jungle, :wave:

Sometimes by their teeth, but it would only be a guess and you'd haveto have someone really rabbit savvy to be able to pick it out.

As Mrs. Walker, the woman who raised Flopsy, the oldest rabbit in theGuinness Book of World Records, told me on the phone, "As he grewolder, there were no geriatric signs of his aging other than his hairturning gray. He hopped around as usual up until the day he died. Hewas a bit less vigorous, but still hopping around."


-Carolyn

 

[Carolyn]

Lyndsy,

Thought you might be interested in this part of my conversation with Mrs. Walker as well.

She said, "The Department of Agriculture took Flopsy when he died andthey measured his bones and checked the rings around his eyes. Theyagreed he was old, but weren't able to confirm the actual number ofyears. It was then that we had gotten neighbors, family, and friends toattest that he was that old. I had my son that year, and I certainlyknew how old he was; but we still had to get people to sign letters andswear that he came to us the day he did to prove it. We had to provehis age, and we did."

-Carolyn

 

[pamnock]

The teeth actually give no indication of age(except they are smaller in very young rabbits). I'vecompared theincisors of a healthy 6 month old rabbit to ahealthy 6 year old rabbit and there was no discernibledifference.

In rabbits (and most rodents), new tooth is continually being formed asthe old wears away (monophyodonts have only 1 set of teeth), unlikemany other herbivores that have deciduous then permanent teeth whichshow signs of wear indicating age (horses, deer, bovine, etc.).

Pam

 

[BlueGiants]

I remember reading an article in Domestic Rabbitabout using nail length, vein length and nail developmenttohelp assess a rabbits age. The longer the vein, the older therabbit? I don't remember how accurate that is...and I can't see that much difference in my mature rabbit's nails(especially the dark ones!)

 

[pamnock]

An older rabbit would indeed have a much thickernail and longer veinthan a rabbit under 6 months ofage. The judge can use this indicator to deem an obviouslyolder rabbit in a younger age class as "unworthy of anaward". The nails are only useful in distinguishing between avery young rabbit and a much older rabbit, but narrows age down no morethan comparing the younger rabbit's smaller teeth to the older rabbit'slarger teeth.



Pam

 

[lyndsy]

Thanks everyone!

Well her nails are VERY thick! I have to go out and get a biggger nailclipper for her! The one I have for Tucker and Buster is too small!

So that much I know!

It remains a mystery....

The reason I ask is, she is not nearly as active as my Monkeys! So Ijust assumed she was older, and wanted to know based on what I know ofher, if it was possible to guesstimate her age...

again thanks!