Mature Doe, no Dewlap.

[Lindsay Krawsczyn]

So, one of my does is about two years old but lacks a dewlap. She’s a breeding doe and has had one litter so far, she pulled quite a bit of fur in fact more than the usual amount my bunnies pull. She’s healthy, my veterinarian and her two healthy nearly four week old kits can attest, and she’s simply never had a dewlap for some reason. I’m sort of just wondering if anyone has any clue as to why exactly? She weighs about 4.2 lbs, she’s very muttly with the rabbits she came from having simply been whatever random rabbits I could get ahold of (would have kept better track but my grandfather who was helping me at the time never did and I was like, eight at the time the crossbreeding started. Didn’t help that my first doe I got for free off of some lady that just called her a ‘dwarf rabbit’. She wasn’t even a dwarf, she was just small. Not one of her descendants ever produced a dwarf either.) I know there’s some Cali, Lionhead and probably Mini Rex in there among other things though.

I don’t have any good pictures that demonstrate her lack of a dewlap currently, however I could get some.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

It's normal for a Doe not to have a dewlap

 

[Lindsay Krawsczyn]

It's normal for a Doe not to have a dewlap

Oh, ok, thanks. I just haven’t seen it happen before is all, most of my rabbits are pretty meaty but she’s a pretty thin doe, super energetic too. It does bring into question where she pulled all the fur from though, she’s a small rabbit and has a very lean frame yet somehow pulled and enough fur to fill her nest box to its ceiling. Not a bald patch or anything on her.

 

[Alaska Satin]

So, one of my does is about two years old but lacks a dewlap. She’s a breeding doe and has had one litter so far, she pulled quite a bit of fur in fact more than the usual amount my bunnies pull. She’s healthy, my veterinarian and her two healthy nearly four week old kits can attest, and she’s simply never had a dewlap for some reason. I’m sort of just wondering if anyone has any clue as to why exactly? She weighs about 4.2 lbs, she’s very muttly with the rabbits she came from having simply been whatever random rabbits I could get ahold of (would have kept better track but my grandfather who was helping me at the time never did and I was like, eight at the time the crossbreeding started. Didn’t help that my first doe I got for free off of some lady that just called her a ‘dwarf rabbit’. She wasn’t even a dwarf, she was just small. Not one of her descendants ever produced a dwarf either.) I know there’s some Cali, Lionhead and probably Mini Rex in there among other things though.

I don’t have any good pictures that demonstrate her lack of a dewlap currently, however I could get some.

Yes, some does don't have dewlaps, especially ones from the smaller breeds. In fact it's a disqualification for Polish, Britannia Petite, Dwarf Hotot, Himalayan, Netherland Dwarf, Silver, and Tan rabbits to have dewlaps. Several other breed standards consider it a fault.

Most of our Polish does, even ones that have an "illegal" dewlap, pull fur from all over their bodies. One particular chocolate doe, Cookie, likes to take it from her legs, which end up looking like pink sticks!

 

[Lindsay Krawsczyn]

Yes, some does don't have dewlaps, especially ones from the smaller breeds. In fact it's a disqualification for Polish, Britannia Petite, Dwarf Hotot, Himalayan, Netherland Dwarf, Silver, and Tan rabbits to have dewlaps. Several other breed standards consider it a fault.

Most of our Polish does, even ones that have an "illegal" dewlap, pull fur from all over their bodies. One particular chocolate doe, Cookie, likes to take it from her legs, which end up looking like pink sticks!

Ok, thank you for the information. Funny enough I have this New Zealand, she somehow has decided to pull fur from under her front leg instead of her very nicely developed dewlap. Didn’t pull enough to keep her kits warm but somehow made herself a sizable bald spot, you never really thing about how wrinkly they are until you look at them without fur.

 

[eco2pia]

This just goes to show how breed specific all of our knowledge is.

I would have responded that it is odd for a doe not to develop a dewlap and would worry she was not maintaining her weight...and I mostly breed large meat breed rabbits. I have never raised dwarfs at all, and have rarely even handled them. My english angora are the smallest rabbits I have ever had experience with, and they get dewlaps, though maybe less prominently than my meat buns.

It never even occurred to me that this would vary among breeds, let alone breed standards--it would seem like a expecting to have rabbits not develop tails or something! I am glad we have such a diverse range of knowledge to pull from in this community!

 

[MsTemeraire]

This just goes to show how breed specific all of our knowledge is.
---
It never even occurred to me that this would vary among breeds, let alone breed standards--it would seem like a expecting to have rabbits not develop tails or something! I am glad we have such a diverse range of knowledge to pull from in this community!

And country specific, too.
While we allow small dewlaps in many breeds in the UK (apart from the breeds mentioned above), they are very heavily penalised in most of Europe.

 

[dlynn]

Oh, ok, thanks. I just haven’t seen it happen before is all, most of my rabbits are pretty meaty but she’s a pretty thin doe, super energetic too. It does bring into question where she pulled all the fur from though, she’s a small rabbit and has a very lean frame yet somehow pulled and enough fur to fill her nest box to its ceiling. Not a bald patch or anything on her.

A couple of my silver fox pull from their sides. Nutmeg will make both sides bald and pink. She's my skinny girl so often looks quite raggedy.but she's a good momma. And a sweety.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

All my Does pull fur from their belly


We call them "naked piggies" when that happens