Has anyone ever heard of putting a notch in a rabbits ear like you would a pig to tell the gender and such? I bought a young buck today and the breeder notches his rabbits ears. It was a very healthy rabbit aside from two half circles notched out of its ear.

Probably not usually done because it would not be acceptable to the show or pet crowd. Pet people tend to dislike their animals being marked in any way and find it every method cruel and in shows ear damage would be a DQ. Shouldn't actually do any harm though. I have a doe with a half moon out of her ear. Not sure how she did it. We never even had to put anything on it to help it heal or stop infection. So long as the veins are missed it wouldn't be very risky or traumatic.

Just wondering, I've heard of the tattoo method, and sharpie, food coloring etc. But never of actually notching the ear. I mean... would this be an acceptable practice if one wasn't worried about showing a rabbit, I guess i'm asking if it would be morally accepted I suppose.

Morals are subjective. Morally according to the pet owners who think tattoos and ear tags in livestock is cruel? Morally according to those livestock owners who use ear tags and the many rabbit owners that tattoo? That question cannot be answered in that form.

Why would anyone want to mutilate the rabbits look?
OK, I suppose the notched ear gives Character!
I would prefer my rabbits to be tattooed,
using a number and or letter identification system.
Hey, I guess one man's Rose IS another Man's Daisy!
I'll let my Roses and Daisies grow in the pot
or in the ground and let my rabbits form their
own character.
Ottersatin.

it could have its advantage when penning young does out of two different breedings together for replacement purposes until they are older.

I'm not hugely in favor of notching ears, personally, in hogs or rabbits or otherwise, but I can see how it'd be an attractive idea and I understand why it would be done. I suppose if the rabbits aren't going to be going out of the barn, just being produced for meat, it'd probably be a nice idea. I think though that at the rate that rabbits reproduce that if you have a lot of litters during the year you'll probably have to use a different system other then the hog ear notching system.

I really don't have a problem with it, but I don't see what it gains. You know your breeders, which are does and which are bucks. If their offspring are for meat, why mark them? The marks would barely have healed, and they'd be ready for freezer camp. If they are for pets or show, you can't mark them. I understand with livestock that goes out to pasture or something, you have to identify them as yours so you can protect them better from being stolen. Maybe also for very large operations, to identify each animal, and connect them to a file on their medical history, since you wouldn't be able to remember which cow or sow was which.

I don't know why do it with rabbits, though, even in a large operation.

Thanks for the replies. If in the future I would need to mark a rabbit for ID purposes I would go the tattoo rout so I would have both market avenues open to me.

I actually find it would be very useful. With pens of young or in my colony I have to catch each rabbit every time to check it's gender which leads to spooky rabbits from chasing them about and me torn up. I always butcher bucks first and grow out does to control random breeding. I just bought some red wound kote for horses so I can spray the bucks of the next litter when I determine gender and then just catch those to butcher first. I wanted some blue too so I can spray blue on known does, red on known bucks, and leave some questionables to recheck but I'm a little short on cash until Jan invoice goes through and the next batch has a few more weeks before sorting. I don't actually need each individual marked anymore unless I keep them for breeding or the few purebreds I sell for show which are only the small breeds. You could also mark between 2 litters in a colony or pen by notching one and not the other. Also useful. I need more wound kote colors... maybe I'll try to find some nontoxic spray paint that won't wear off too quickly. Bucks from that litter get to be yellow and bucks from that litter get to be green....

Thats really why I was interested in marking the rabbits. I only have two does old enought to breed at the moment so it wont be bad. Although four does having litters within a week or two might get a little confusing. Thats the only slight inconvenience with having a colony that I have encountered so far. I even thought of setting up a few cages and right before a doe kindles putting her in one, so her litter is in a cage and in one area. It will all fall into place and become a routine for me I think. I just have to find it.

Nail polish is what I use. I have blue for the boys, pink for girls and I mark green on those I want to watch and keep. I was marking the inside right ear but I have found that a quick mark on the outside of the ear and I can see them easier and it lasts a full 10 weeks. It is very easy to take off with nail polish remover. Don't mark the back fur. It does not last as long and the moms freak out trying to get it off their kits, at least on of mine did. I think she finally cut it out with her teeth.
I know it is not non- toxic but it is a very small brush stroke and is not harmful in that amount.
I have a buck that I bought that someone notched. I think it is very bad looking and wish they had not done it.

I like the nail polish idea. Though someone on hear suggest an eyliner tattoo pen? That is also something that I will look into. Thanks for the ideas.

How about just shaving a patch of fur? No permanent disfigurement, good duration... you could vary location according to sex, bloodlines, etc. In cattle there are different brand placements- hips, shoulders, belly, neck... endless possibilities.

If you're keeping for show, shaving is a bad idea. White patches or large amounts of white hairs might come back in. I've seen it on our mutt rescue wooly I keep shaved down in the summer to what's comfortable for him and have seen our cocker spaniel do the same.