I have an impossible time trying to sex kits under ten weeks. Does anyone else have trouble with this? I have resorted to the old washer on the end of a string trick where a circle indicates a girl and a line indicates a boy. I guess I will know whether this is actually helpful in the not so distant future, but I wonder if anyone has any other tips for me? Thanks!

BTW, I want to keep the does which is why I am so concerned with this. One doe had (supposedly) five does and three bucks. I felt pretty good about that!:)

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 04, 2002

Answers

Um... sorry to say, but I believe you have that all wrong. A "circle" represents a buck, while a line (slit) is a doe.

You need to be able to use two fingers to push down on the casing on EACH SIDE at the same time... have someone hold the rabbit while you use both hands, if necessary, until you get the hang of it. The genital will protrude, and it's the manner of protrusion which tells what sex it is.

A buck will protrude EVENLY all the way around, and the tip of the protrusion will be round (the "circle").

A doe will protrude UNevenly... highest point toward the stomach and slanting downward toward the tail. A "slit" will be obvious.

The younger the rabbit, the more difficult it will be, but a 10 week old meat rabbit should be quite obvious. Once you get the hang of it, you should be able to sex at 3 weeks of age.

Pat Lamar

-- Pat Lamar (fuzyfarm@3-cities.com), April 05, 2002.

Hey Pat, I know the genitalia is the circle as a male and the slit as a female, the string with the washer goes the other way tho,. Either that or my whole family has the wrong genitalia including my Mom!:).

Thanks for the tips on that. I wish I could get someone to hold for me! Maybe next time a friend comes over I can coerce them. If I get good enough at this to sex at hree weeeks, I'll be doing a happy dance;)

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 05, 2002.

Well, I guess I just don't understand your "washer and string" method, then.

You can perform this yourself and without any help. Simply lay the rabbit on its back on a flat surface and hunch over it so that it is between your left arm and body. You can also lay your left arm on the rabbit to help to keep it confined. Then you can use both hands freely for sexing. Of course, the smaller the rabbit, the more difficult it will be, but by the time you're ready for 3 week old bunns, you should have it perfected enough to use only one hand while cradling the tiny bunny in the other hand.

-- Pat Lamar (fuzyfarm@3-cities.com), April 05, 2002.

But remember they are sneaky little critters.....also will find one or two that want to embaress you by "changing" when you least expect it! Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), April 05, 2002.