Male pulling fur?

[bigrockfarm]

What are the odds that a male would pull fur?
We had a litter born at the end of July 2021. I thought this one was a male. We were going to keep him for breeding. I am VERY new to rabbits so I am not skilled at sexing them.
Sometime in early January, one of the kids did not latch his cage properly and he escaped. I didn't see him, so I feared the worst.
Then, about a week ago... my neighbor called and said my rabbit was living the good life in his hay barn. Also 2 other rabbits were there that did not belong to me.
So, fast forward to this morning. I went to feed him. He has pulled hair and stashed it in the corner with the little bit of hay he had in there. He is in a bad mood, growling at me.
I gave him a nest box just in case lol
so my guess is, this buck is actually a doe. Is there anything that would cause a male to nest and act aggressively?

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

I have never had a buck pull his fur. Shed a lot, yeah, but pulled and stashed in the corner? Nope.

I'd assume he is a doe and pregnant. Pregnant does can often become grunty and more territorial because of the hormones in her body. Are you able to sex him to confirm? You can post the photos here of the genitals if you are unsure. But it does sound like the famous Sex Fairy came and turned your buck into a doe!

Because (s)he was also exposed to the other 2 rabbits, I would also suggest keeping this rabbit in quarantine away from the rest of your herd if you've not already done so. Same with the 2 rabbits, if you got to take them home, too.

 

[bigrockfarm]

I have never had a buck pull his fur. Shed a lot, yeah, but pulled and stashed in the corner? Nope.

I'd assume he is a doe and pregnant. Pregnant does can often become grunty and more territorial because of the hormones in her body. Are you able to sex him to confirm? You can post the photos here of the genitals if you are unsure. But it does sound like the famous Sex Fairy came and turned your buck into a doe!

Because (s)he was also exposed to the other 2 rabbits, I would also suggest keeping this rabbit in quarantine away from the rest of your herd if you've not already done so. Same with the 2 rabbits, if you got to take them home, too.

S/He is busy rearranging the hay in the cage. Yes this rabbit is separate from the others and I did not get the other two. I am here alone right now so I think it would be a struggle for me to get a picture by myself. If nothing happens by the time my daughter gets home from school I will have her help me.
I put the nest box in, but the rabbit doesn't seem interested in building in the box, it's dead set on the corner. What should I do about that?

 

[a7736100]

At her age now it would be very easy to sex her. A male would have easily visible rabbit testicles. You can google "what do normal rabbit testicles look like" for pictures.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

If you sex them and they end up being a Buck, it could be from stress, but this sounds a lot like a Doe making a nest

 

[MuddyFarms]

S/He is busy rearranging the hay in the cage. Yes this rabbit is separate from the others and I did not get the other two. I am here alone right now so I think it would be a struggle for me to get a picture by myself. If nothing happens by the time my daughter gets home from school I will have her help me.
I put the nest box in, but the rabbit doesn't seem interested in building in the box, it's dead set on the corner. What should I do about that?

Are you able to put the nest box in the corner she is wanting to nest in?

 

[MuddyFarms]

Also, since you have a box in there, it doesn't seem too important to sex the rabbit right now, unless you are super curious! You could always wait a bit and give her some time to kindle if she is going to.

 

[bigrockfarm]

Just checked, definitely a girl!! Huge belly and very angry

 

[MuddyFarms]

Okay! Well, maybe her litter will make up for the Rex doe that isn't kindling...

 

[Buknee]

Good luck with the little ones!

One of my Giant Flemish does became very aggressive once impregnated. I hoped it would change but she is even more so with her babies. She lunges, bites and scratches when I put my hand into the cage to feed her. Babies are now 20 days old. I have to remove her from her cage and put her in a separate cage to clean, inspect babies, etc....
When I reach in the cage without the little ones, she is her normal sweet self and loves to be pet. She is an excellent, protective mommy, but a very wicked wabbit.

 

[arachyd]

One difference you might see in a mature doe is a dewlap under her chin and in bucks their face gets a little broader around the cheeks. Unfortunately this isn't always apparent in younger rabbits. Good luck with the litter!

 

[ladysown]

If she refuses to use a nestbox give her TONS of straw/hay to make a nest with. Leave her be. Then after the kits are born, transfer them to the nestbox.

 

[bigrockfarm]

She seems to have lost interest in nest building and didn't end up constructing anything useful. Lol these rabbits are trying to drive me crazy!
I still think she is pregnant because she is very heavy and has a big belly.
She does have a dewlap.

 

[SixGun]

She'll kindle before too much longer would be my guess. Nest building can occur any time from a week before kindling to after kindling (depending on the doe and their hormones and mothering instincts).

 

[bigrockfarm]

She built a nest overnight in the nest box

 

[MuddyFarms]

Aha! She is doing well then.

I have noticed that sometimes a doe will get the nesting instinct, but won't quite know what to do with the hay yet. They just know that they have to move it somewhere! They go around to every corner with a hay bone in their mouths and constantly move the hay all over the place for hours. I see that as at least an indicator that she is pregnant. Those does tend to make a nice nest the next time they get that desire to move hay. It can be pretty funny!

 

[bigrockfarm]

Still waiting for kits...
My rabbits are driving me crazy
She adds a bit to her nest daily. A few pieces of fur in there but not much.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Still waiting for kits...
My rabbits are driving me crazy
She adds a bit to her nest daily. A few pieces of fur in there but not much.

Have a look at these while you wait


I will torture you with baby pictures... >:]

 

[bigrockfarm]

Have a look at these while you wait


I will torture you with baby pictures... >:]View attachment 29111View attachment 29112View attachment 29113

So cute!!!!!!! How lucky you are!

 

[Cosima]

Have a look at these while you wait


I will torture you with baby pictures... >:]View attachment 29111View attachment 29112View attachment 29113

Lol