Hi guys, I have posted a couple of questions on here before but haven't been on for a while, so will give a bit of a re-introduction before I ask my questions.
In September I bought two mini lop does, one was 8 weeks and the other about 9 weeks, and they are not at all related. They instantly bonded despite having VERY different personalities - I was amazed at just how much personality such little creatures can have! - and have been close ever since.
Samantha, who is the slightly younger of the two, is much more sociable with people and regularly climbs up anything she can to get into our arms for snuggles and face licks, whereas Miranda is a total snob and will only seek out snuggles if she feels she is being ignored (my phone regularly gets either bumped out of my hand or pulled out by her teeth so she can put herself into my hands instead) but neither like the other to be out of sight, and always sleep snuggled together even on hot days.
I had originally planned on taking one or both of them to a breeder for a stud when they hit 6 months so they could have a litter before desexing, as I have family who wanted rabbits and thought it would be nice to see them grow up and know they were going to good homes. I had even worked out which colour bucks I would prefer to put them with. Then I asked about it on here and was quickly convinced that it was not a good idea, so have decided to get my girls desexed and tell family to instead get their rabbits either from a rescue or a breeder.
Recently they have started humping each other a bit. Not a problem, I watched to make sure it wasn't getting nasty and they were both doing it, so aside from making a note to myself that it might be time to get them fixed I didn't think much of it. Sammy seems quite clumsy with her humping, which seemed to fit given she is the smaller and more placid of the two, and gets bored quite quickly, whereas Miranda goes at it like a pro and won't let up! At first Sammy just ignores it, but then she starts to get sick of it and moves away, but Miranda would follow. Even after removing her, giving her time to calm down and have a snuggle or treat, more often than not when put back in she would go right back to humping Sammy.
Sounds like Miranda is the randy teenaged boy, yes? Then she got a bald patch on her back, right where Sammy's mouth is when she humps. Sammy may not be so aggressive with it, but given how much they had started annoying each other with it I decided to separate the next humping session. When I grabbed Sammy off Miranda's back I swear it looked like the was a pink worm quickly sucked back up into her body!
Sammy came from a registered show rabbit breeder, who told me she was a doe. She's got thick dark fur so wasn't easy for me to even find the bits on (Miranda was SO much easier for me to confirm sex!) but when I did manage it looked like girl bits. Now that I've had a good look the genitals don't seem as distinctly penile as they did when Sammy was aroused, but I think I see small bald spots where testes would come through.
It seems Samantha may potentially be Samuel.
So now that I've put you all to sleep with a novel about how we got to this point, if anyone is still reading I have some questions.
Can a male rabbit who's testicles have NOT yet dropped get a proper erection going, or was I imagining that creepy worm?
If he can, is it possible for him to get a female pregnant before they drop? Sammy would be 4 months and 1 week old.
Miranda is approximately 4 and a half months, although I wasn't given as exact birth date for her as the woman was getting rid of a surprise litter from her mother's rabbits. She has grown quickly and is bigger than Sammy (her nickname is fatso, she LOVES her food) but I don't know if that means she's a little older than I thought or just a big pig. I know they shouldn't be allowed to get pregnant so young, but will being bigger make it any safer for her at all or is it purely an age/maturity thing?
They've been separated since I saw wormy and Sammy will be getting knackered ASAP, but I'm concerned about the potential for Miranda to be pregnant, especially so young. If she is, will she survive the birth? I've hear and read that rabbits often have either stillborn first litters or the kits are live birthed but don't survive long, but then I have also read that this is just because people let them breed too young. Either way, is this true?
More out of curiosity than anything, if she is pregnant and all goes well, what colours would you expect from a solid black buck with a chocolate father and a doe who is either broken orange or broken sooty fawn (she's come through darker on her ears and nose over the last month or so and I'm not really sure anymore)?
If you've finished reading this epic post, thank you! I'd really appreciate some answers/advice.
In September I bought two mini lop does, one was 8 weeks and the other about 9 weeks, and they are not at all related. They instantly bonded despite having VERY different personalities - I was amazed at just how much personality such little creatures can have! - and have been close ever since.
Samantha, who is the slightly younger of the two, is much more sociable with people and regularly climbs up anything she can to get into our arms for snuggles and face licks, whereas Miranda is a total snob and will only seek out snuggles if she feels she is being ignored (my phone regularly gets either bumped out of my hand or pulled out by her teeth so she can put herself into my hands instead) but neither like the other to be out of sight, and always sleep snuggled together even on hot days.
I had originally planned on taking one or both of them to a breeder for a stud when they hit 6 months so they could have a litter before desexing, as I have family who wanted rabbits and thought it would be nice to see them grow up and know they were going to good homes. I had even worked out which colour bucks I would prefer to put them with. Then I asked about it on here and was quickly convinced that it was not a good idea, so have decided to get my girls desexed and tell family to instead get their rabbits either from a rescue or a breeder.
Recently they have started humping each other a bit. Not a problem, I watched to make sure it wasn't getting nasty and they were both doing it, so aside from making a note to myself that it might be time to get them fixed I didn't think much of it. Sammy seems quite clumsy with her humping, which seemed to fit given she is the smaller and more placid of the two, and gets bored quite quickly, whereas Miranda goes at it like a pro and won't let up! At first Sammy just ignores it, but then she starts to get sick of it and moves away, but Miranda would follow. Even after removing her, giving her time to calm down and have a snuggle or treat, more often than not when put back in she would go right back to humping Sammy.
Sounds like Miranda is the randy teenaged boy, yes? Then she got a bald patch on her back, right where Sammy's mouth is when she humps. Sammy may not be so aggressive with it, but given how much they had started annoying each other with it I decided to separate the next humping session. When I grabbed Sammy off Miranda's back I swear it looked like the was a pink worm quickly sucked back up into her body!
Sammy came from a registered show rabbit breeder, who told me she was a doe. She's got thick dark fur so wasn't easy for me to even find the bits on (Miranda was SO much easier for me to confirm sex!) but when I did manage it looked like girl bits. Now that I've had a good look the genitals don't seem as distinctly penile as they did when Sammy was aroused, but I think I see small bald spots where testes would come through.
It seems Samantha may potentially be Samuel.
So now that I've put you all to sleep with a novel about how we got to this point, if anyone is still reading I have some questions.
Can a male rabbit who's testicles have NOT yet dropped get a proper erection going, or was I imagining that creepy worm?
If he can, is it possible for him to get a female pregnant before they drop? Sammy would be 4 months and 1 week old.
Miranda is approximately 4 and a half months, although I wasn't given as exact birth date for her as the woman was getting rid of a surprise litter from her mother's rabbits. She has grown quickly and is bigger than Sammy (her nickname is fatso, she LOVES her food) but I don't know if that means she's a little older than I thought or just a big pig. I know they shouldn't be allowed to get pregnant so young, but will being bigger make it any safer for her at all or is it purely an age/maturity thing?
They've been separated since I saw wormy and Sammy will be getting knackered ASAP, but I'm concerned about the potential for Miranda to be pregnant, especially so young. If she is, will she survive the birth? I've hear and read that rabbits often have either stillborn first litters or the kits are live birthed but don't survive long, but then I have also read that this is just because people let them breed too young. Either way, is this true?
More out of curiosity than anything, if she is pregnant and all goes well, what colours would you expect from a solid black buck with a chocolate father and a doe who is either broken orange or broken sooty fawn (she's come through darker on her ears and nose over the last month or so and I'm not really sure anymore)?
If you've finished reading this epic post, thank you! I'd really appreciate some answers/advice.