Sexing Newborn kits **pics**

[MamaSheepdog]

I say hoo-hoos!

 

[avdpas77]

avdpas, what are your reasons not to? I have found it to be beneficial in many ways- checking health, checking for any dead, and it makes for wonderfully tame and friendly rabbits. My does are not bothered by it, and always get a treat while I check the kits.

If I really think about it, I guess my reservations are simply personal preference. Since I raise meat rabbits, I am not terribly enthused about getting "close" to my kits, I find it hard enough to dispatch warm-fuzzy things as it is. Contrary to popular opinion, newborn rabbits usually don't get fed for the first time till the morning after they are delivered. They don't have a yolk like a chick, so they have to exist that time with no food, and may have trouble getting adjusted at the first nursing, which may mean it will be another 12 to 24 hours. I raise youngsters all winter, and it is my thoughts that they don't need any more stress that first couple of days than they already have. I can pull back the fur in the nestbox and see if there are any expired ones without else wise disturbing them. I am less tentative about checking them later, but I feel no need to pick them up until they are a week or so old. With some experience, one can tell rather quickly whether they are getting fed simply by looking at them. True, one can expire and get down under the bedding, but I guess I have a pretty good nose, and can tell that by just by getting close and smelling the nestbox. I am not saying these are hard and fast rules, but I have seen others (especially those with kids) cause problems because newborn baby kits are "hassled" too much. I seldom ever lose a kit, and I raise several hundred kits a year.

That being said, I know lots of breeders that handle their baby kits with no problem, so perhaps I am simply over-cautious.

 

[Secuono]

avdpas, what are your reasons not to? I have found it to be beneficial in many ways- checking health, checking for any dead, and it makes for wonderfully tame and friendly rabbits. My does are not bothered by it, and always get a treat while I check the kits.

If I really think about it, I guess my reservations are simply personal preference. Since I raise meat rabbits, I am not terribly enthused about getting "close" to my kits, I find it hard enough to dispatch warm-fuzzy things as it is. Contrary to popular opinion, newborn rabbits usually don't get fed for the first time till the morning after they are delivered. They don't have a yolk like a chick, so they have to exist that time with no food, and may have trouble getting adjusted at the first nursing, which may mean it will be another 12 to 24 hours. I raise youngsters all winter, and it is my thoughts that they don't need any more stress that first couple of days than they already have. I can pull back the fur in the nestbox and see if there are any expired ones without else wise disturbing them. I am less tentative about checking them later, but I feel no need to pick them up until they are a week or so old. With some experience, one can tell rather quickly whether they are getting fed simply by looking at them. True, one can expire and get down under the bedding, but I guess I have a pretty good nose, and can tell that by just by getting close and smelling the nestbox. I am not saying these are hard and fast rules, but I have seen others (especially those with kids) cause problems because newborn baby kits are "hassled" too much. I seldom ever lose a kit, and I raise several hundred kits a year.

That being said, I know lots of breeders that handle their baby kits with no problem, so perhaps I am simply over-cautious.

I try and not bother them until 2-3 days after. I also look in a day after, but not much more than that.
A dead kit won't cause issues until a few days anyway. Heck, I found a dehydrated kit in a nest 2wks later, never saw it, it never caused any issues either. Nest was one of the cleaner ones, too and kinda odd.
So I agree w/you.

As for sexing, if I see a triangle then it's a female. A tube then it's a boy, that's how it stays until 3-4wks and rarely do they change on me.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Since I raise meat rabbits, I am not terribly enthused about getting "close" to my kits, I find it hard enough to dispatch warm-fuzzy things as it is.

That was my attitude as well at first- but then I ended up with unfriendly does that were kept for breeding. They are far better now, but not nearly as sweet as the handled kits.

As for butchering these ultra-friendly litters that we have now, I think my eldest son put it best. He said "These rabbits are going to taste so-o-o good." "Why?" I asked. "Well, they wont be stressed at all when we take them out to shoot them- they'll be just as happy as always, and will never know what hit them." I can't think of anything much better for an animal than dying happy like that, and then going on to nourish the family that cared for you.

Thank you for sharing your reservations regarding early handling- your points about the first day or two of life being stressful enough are food for thought. In the depths of winter I often just reach into the nest to check for any dead kits, but I will also sometimes just carry the nest to the house to get a good look. In the warm months I check nests twice daily since they start to rot pretty quickly in the heat.

 

[akane]

I fail to see how it adds anymore stress since they are so young they have no idea what's going on. It's actually the ones we didn't touch for the first 5-7 days who get extremely stressed by first handling and may even scream. If we grab them up day 1 on they will actually try to drink off your hand and fall asleep in it. They don't know any different from mom shoving them around.

 

[AnnClaire]

I always check (OK, only 3 litters to date :lol the morning after birth to make sure they are getting fed and will mix and match kit size in litter boxes ... I was able to get both does to kindle within 24 hours of each other this last time, and was able to move all the large kits to the same doe, and to balance the 11 kits from one litter to the doe with only 5 in that litter.

Next time, I will move all the EA kits to the Satin doe as she seems to have better/richer milk. I would definitely rather fat, butterball EA kits than the somewhat bony kits of this time. Now that they have all been weaned for the past 2 weeks, the EAs are not nearly as bony compared to the Satin X EA kits.

I also agree that daily handling makes for a calmer kit and ease at butchering. Plus, it is just plain fun to play with the babies :lol:

 

[rittert3]

I'm going to try this now, I have 8- 2 day old kits. The doe dosn't seem to mind me checking on the kits.

 

[ollitos]

Can this be a sticky? I am always having to search for it.

 

[tailwagging]

I pick up and count kits daily

 

[3mina]

"Stirring" the nest makes the kits easier to deal with throughout their lives IMHO and anything that makes my rabbits easier to deal with is a plus in my book.

 

[Piper]

Can this be a sticky? I am always having to search for it.

I agree. This would be nice as a sticky!

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

what i dont understand , Why on earth do you want to know the sex that soon. I sex mine at 3 weeks of age, ..Only if i am keeping a few does in that litter. If not they all go for meat and i dont care what sex they are.

 

[Piper]

what i dont understand , Why on earth do you want to know the sex that soon. I sex mine at 3 weeks of age, ..Only if i am keeping a few does in that litter. If not they all go for meat and i dont care what sex they are.

For me - practice. It will also let me fill out that part of the pedigree, on live births, sex - and so on. Oh, because I am nosy! lol

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I have that "I must know everything" syndrome too. Lol
and NO patience at all. My DH always says women are gatherers and men are hunters. (Rolls eyes)

 

[Bad Habit]

this needs to be stickied. I noticed that the males seem to have a much larger "mound"... is that just how it is on these pictures, like one had to pee and one didn't, or is that something else that can be used to determine gender?

 

[Miss M]

Your wish is my command. I agree, it is a good one to have as a sticky.

 

[squidpop]

Wow- that was so helpful! thanks

 

[garden lady]

By the pictures, I think I have 5 bucks and no does. :shock: I will check again, but that is what it looked like. Now about a month and a half later I think I have all does. :? They all have dewlaps, but going to try to check them again.

 

[user 1590]

Lol I felt a little perverted coming into this thread, it did catch my eye!

Great for future reference!!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Lol I felt a little perverted coming into this thread, it did catch my eye!

Great for future reference!!

We *do* talk about the oddest things....don't we? :lol: