Maximum age for kit separation by gender?

[LPH_NY]

I am having such a horrible time sexing my 4 week old kits. I know I still have time... but I wondered (and searched RT and couldn't find it) what is the maximum age kits should be separated out by gender? I kind of wanted to separate them by size/weight first... but can they stay together until butchering age 10-12 weeks? Or will they start fighting and attempting to breed before then?

 

[Zass]

I prefer to separate at 8 weeks.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It depends on the rabbits. Some lines mature earlier than others, and I think there have been cases of rabbits getting bred as early as 8 weeks.

Most can go to 12 weeks (or more) before the bucks start to fight.

I like to get them sexed and separated by about 8 weeks. My growout pens are large, so having a litter together in one up until that age isn't a problem. Once you have rabbits separated into groups and then mix and match them, fights will break out... so it is best to divide them and then leave the groups as is.

 

[HoppyMeal]

I have kept NZ together up to 12 weeks. I recently left 2 siblings of the opposites sex together by accident and the buck bred the doe at 14 1/2 weeks and 1 month later I came home to 10 dead buns on the wire.

 

[LPH_NY]

I have kept NZ together up to 12 weeks. I recently left 2 siblings of the opposites sex together by accident and the buck bred the doe at 14 1/2 weeks and 1 month later I came home to 10 dead buns on the wire.

GAH! That's horrible. I'm so sorry.

Thanks for your input, everyone. Looks like I better practice my sexing skills, lol!

 

[TerriG]

Yeah, mine are fine until butcher age. If we don't get them done on time though, by about 16 weeks is when mine start breeding. Found that out the hard way.

 

[MaggieJ]

Rabbits mature at different rates. On all natural feed, mine have always been fine until 16 weeks, when they are ready for freezer camp. The natural diet seems to slow sexual maturity as well as actual growth. I have never butchered a young doe and found her pregnant nor has there been any fighting. This is in an indoor colony. The extra space may have helped.

In cages, on commercial feed, I would expect faster maturity and more problems... and would recommend separating the rabbits by gender by 10-12 weeks.

 

[BlueMoods]

I butcher at 12 weeks, except the few that may be growing a bit slower so, that's when I separate them if I need to let a few grow another few weeks. I did have one spunky little buck that bred his 14 week old cage mate when he was just 11 weeks old. She went on to give me six beautiful kits so, she and that buck got to stay. She's 2 now and still a wonderful mother. (they were not siblings, I had combined two small litters at weaning.)

 

[akane]

I did have 8week olds breed but it was mini rex so not a large breed. Most of my commercial breeds and the larger meat mutt crosses didn't try until at least 12weeks and many until 16 weeks. I just did the bucks first at a lower weight than the does so they wouldn't start breeding before I got to them all.

 

[ckcs]

I have kept NZ together up to 12 weeks. I recently left 2 siblings of the opposites sex together by accident and the buck bred the doe at 14 1/2 weeks and 1 month later I came home to 10 dead buns on the wire.

Same thing happened with a Lionhead pair that I was holding back. I kept them with the mom somewhere between 12 and 14 weeks before I could get cages to place them in. 3-4 weeks later out pops a litter of 2. Both were dead and very small. I was surprise the dam didn't get pregnant. I guess the little boy knew who was in charge One thing that shocked me was they still occasionally nursed at that age. I was a sight to see these 2 very large rabbits flipped over feeding.

I would keep them together no more than 10 weeks.

 

[skysthelimit]

I go longer but I would not recommend anything past 16 weeks.

 

[michaels4gardens]

at my place ,-some of the bucks will start to breed at about 12 weeks, -- so-- I make sure the sexes are not mixed that long.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

when I wean from mom is when I sex at the same time ... I put does in one cage and bucks in another.. So mistakes don't happened

 

[JulieCunicole]

Yeah, mine are fine until butcher age. If we don't get them done on time though, by about 16 weeks is when mine start breeding. Found that out the hard way.

My American male "kits" start mounting everything in sight at 14 weeks or so. Now that I have a large freezer, I can finally dispatch them all in time!

 

[michaels4gardens]

If you can accurately sex kits at 4 weeks , that is very good, even amazing, -I am not 100% accurate at 4 weeks- I have been sexing rabbits for a lot of years, and have a hard time getting it 100% accurate before 6 weeks. So I wait until I can be 100% acurate at 6 to 8 weeks, when it is easy to tell the sex-, so I don't have to keep sorting later. For me mistakes with sexing can cause problems, as I do not check, and re check my animals, once sexed, they are in breedstock pens until they are needed/ sold. If I goof, I will have kits on the floor[or someone else will] , and fighting will be a problem , as they try to find / make private space to "nest -build".

 

[skysthelimit]

have a hard time getting it 100% accurate before 6 weeks. So I wait until I can be 100% acurate at 6 to 8 weeks, when it is easy to tell the sex-, so I don't have to keep sorting later. For me mistakes with sexing can cause problems, as I do not check, and re check my animals, once sexed, they are in breedstock pens until they are needed/ sold. .

Neither do I. I used to keep cards and make guesses at birth, then check my accuracy at weaning. But for me it really doesn't matter, meat buns will get culled way before they need to be separated. Show buns, they won't get separated till 12 weeks, and they will not be culled according to gender that early, pretty much it's keepers and non keepers till jr prime, then I worry about gender.