Is it true smaller rabbits become sexually mature faster?

[l.lai]

I read larger rabbits are usually ready for neutering/spaying at 6 months of more, but smaller breeds can be ready anytime from 3-5 months.

How true is this?

My Netherland Dwarf is 5 months old next week and i still cant see his nuts! I want to get him neutered ASAP so i can start bonding him with my sisters mini lop doe!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Are you sure he is a male? At 5 months, you should be able to see the testicles in a dwarf breed. He could also be pulling them inside him when you look.
You might want to take him to your vet for a pre surgery check up so they can check the sex. As he is 5 months and a dwarf breed, he should be ready to be neutered or spayed (if he turns out to be a she).

 

[l.lai]

Well, i've got a certificate from the breeder showing his linage etc and also the birth date and sex, unless the breeder got it wrong.

I also suspect Racer is a boy because when i put him with my mini lop doe, racer, despite being 2 months younger and much smaller, he chased my sisters mini lop around and jumped on her back and started humping her.

Racer (Dwarf) will be 5 months old on the 27th!

 

[Runestonez]

Athis age if you check he may not have any testicles...having pulled them up inside...our vet calls it the Bunny Kung-Foo Move ...but you should be able to see the scrotal sacs (flappy bits of skin with a bit less hair) to either side where the testicles should be...most rabbits begin to sexually mature at around 12 weeks...we just took our boys in for their pre-surg...one was 16 weeks the other was 13 weeks and both are ready to go! (since we are bonding them together we want to do it asap before they get too hormonal!)

(both our boys are holland lops FYI!)

Hope this helps!

Danielle

 

[l.lai]

Thanks for your help guys, he turns 5 months in 9 days now, i think i'll have him neutered after christmas, as all through december its xmas parties, holidays, family time etc etc etc and even the doctor is likely to be busy, atleast by the time he's more than 6 months i know he'll definately be ready.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Yes, smaller breeds tend to mature faster (around 4-6 months). Whereas larger breeds tend to mature a bit slower and be ready to breed around 6-8 months.

If your ND is 5 months, he should have dropped by now. But if not, he still has time. Some are late to drop.

 

[Happi Bun]

Some rabbit's also have reserved testicles (not sure what the technical term is) where they will never drop. My Dunkin had this. We saw he had a penis, but no testicles? It made everything very confusing. He was well past the age they would usually drop, if I'm remembering correctly he was around 9 months old when we finally just took him in. It made the surgery more invasive, similar to a spay, but he recovered without any problems. Not long after his surgery we had a male rabbit come into the rescue I volunteer at with the same problem.

The vet was unsure what kind of complications later in life a bunny with reversed testicles may encounter, or why they don't drop. But she agreed neutering was the best thing to do, that way I wouldn't have to worry about health complications later.

This is just something to look into if they continue to show no sign of dropping. The testicles descend usually around 3-1/2 months old, but many veterinarians like to wait until they reach 5 months of age. So your boy should be ready to go. With females is when the veterinarians recommend waiting until 6 months. [size="-1"]

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:wave:

 

[l.lai]

Thanks for all your help guys!

I'll update you all when Racer goes in for the chop!

 

[Happi Bun]

Good Luck! :clover: