Is this a "pinched" hind end?

[ek.blair]

This is one of my Silver Fox does, 4mo old.

I know she is not posed 100% correctly, but we are still working on that. She likes to move about. When I flipped her over I didn't notice that her feet showed a V so maybe she just has a narrow hind end? It just looks "off" to me and I'm wondering if anyone has seen this before and knows if she will grow out of it or not. How bad it really is...

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It is hard to say from the pictures, especially since I am used to the smooth coats of Rex and Satins...

The best way to tell if a rabbit is pinched is to place your thumb and forefinger on either side of its body starting near the shoulders. Glide your fingers over its body (about the level of the base of the loin) and down to the tail. If, as you pass their hips you feel the back narrowing to a "V" toward the tail, they are pinched. Your fingers should stay a good couple of inches apart as you travel to the "base" of the rabbit.

This will also allow you to judge the overall width of the rabbit- some are narrow shouldered and widen as you go back, which is also not good on a meat rabbit.

As to whether she will "grow out of it", I would say no if she is pinched. Some rabbits will peak too early or too far back and will "shift" as they grow, or perhaps have other faults that will correct themselves, but that is something that you need to watch for in your own lines. I keep notes as they grow to see if certain traits will correct or not.

 

[3mina]

That certainly looks pinched to me. Try holding her on her back and tapping her belly, if she straightens her heels then she isn't pinched but if she doesn't she is.

 

[skysthelimit]

Honestly, at 4 mos old, that's pretty narrow, and very unlikely she would grow out of it. She would look like a half of a honey backed ham from behind.

 

[ek.blair]

Thanks! I am wanting to replace this doe from one of the first litters I get from her or the other doe I have. This just reassures me that I am right in not liking what I see. Luckily my buck and other doe seem to have nice hindquarters so I will get a litter out of this girl and see what she produces and then to the chopping block she goes! It's all about learning!