seperating sexes

[gardenbunny]

hi everyone haven't been on here for awhile, been focusing on my quail which finally gave me eggs yesterday woohoo.

I got two new bunnies for future breeding, one male one female brother and sister, they are 8 weeks old, my question is when should I separate them, I don't want any surprise litters.

thanks

 

[ottersatin]

I would separate by the time they are three months old.
Knowing that, if you have the cage space I would separate them even earlier.
Do you have another Buck and or Doe?
You could breed the brother and sister together if you have no alternative,
but watch the offspring and cull those that show any defect/poor qualities.
It's always possibly to double up on all of the best genes and have a super Rabbit!
Use care when breeding so closely.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[WildWolf]

I separate at 12 weeks old. I think the youngest breeding I've ever heard of was at 16 weeks old, but their hormones start activating at 12 weeks.

 

[gardenbunny]

thank you I will make sure they are separated by 12 weeks.

I have two pregnant females( one California/new Zealand and one florida white) I bred them with my rex male. I just got these babies to add different genes to my gene pool someday. the new ones are new Zealand/ dwarf

 

[Miss M]

My recent bunnycapades had a brother and sister successfully mate at 15 weeks. The litter of 8 is currently growing out.

 

[akane]

I had sibling mini rex breed at 8weeks and produce 2 kits that were abandoned by the young mother. Offspring of the same buck and a different doe were sold at 8weeks and separated at 10 weeks because lots of mounting had been going on the week before. Surprise... the person got 2 litters about the time they would be due if bred between 8-9weeks. If you want to be really safe separate at 8weeks but it's probably not common to have them breed then and even less so if you have larger breeds. Usually they don't breed until around 4 months and some not until 6 months. I'm not saying you always need to rush to separate them but it can happen.

 

[ckcs]

I would definitely not go to 12 weeks I have had Lionhead's get pregnant at 11 to 12 weeks. I understand that larger breeds take longer to mature.

 

[Sagebrush]

I just had a doe breed through the wire at 12 weeks.

 

[gardenbunny]

I had sibling mini rex breed at 8weeks and produce 2 kits that were abandoned by the young mother. Offspring of the same buck and a different doe were sold at 8weeks and separated at 10 weeks because lots of mounting had been going on the week before. Surprise... the person got 2 litters about the time they would be due if bred between 8-9weeks. If you want to be really safe separate at 8weeks but it's probably not common to have them breed then and even less so if you have larger breeds. Usually they don't breed until around 4 months and some not until 6 months. I'm not saying you always need to rush to separate them but it can happen.

oh no i guess i will separate them now, was putting off renovating my grow out area, thanks everyone

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

I raise New Zealands. I usually separate the sexes right after weaning - that's when I tattoo them - and I have yet to have any surprise litters.

Does go in one pen and bucks in another. Then I separate the bucks around 10 weeks. If a buck hasn't sold by 12 weeks, I have to decide whether or not I'm going to keep him.