3 buns - and a couple of questions

Question
Hi,

We just got our first ever bunnies about 2 weeks ago: a pair of brothers (aged around 2 months) and a non-related female (around 4 months).  In the
last few days, she's been "mounting" the boys, which I've read can be more of a dominance-establishing thing rather than a sexual thing.  My husband wants to know how young can t he boys get her pregnant?  We're not really looking to breed them.  They're kept outside, overnight, in a divided pen, with her on one side and them on the other, so we don't worry about them then, but when we bring them inside and let them in their indoor pen, that's when there might be the occasion to impregnante her.  We're going to get her spayed, but since it's $150, we thought we'd wait til after Christmas.  Also, do we just let her mount them, or do we try to "stop" her?  If so, how?
Thanks so much in advance for your advice to my various questions.

Answer
Dear Dannielle,

The boys should be neutered now, if their testicles are descended.  This can be done as soon as the testicles are down, and then their getting her pregnant won't be an issue.  

A rabbit can be impregnated surprisingly early, but the actual onset of fertility varies a lot among individuals.  She may be fertile at the age of three months (an age at which she should definitely not be getting pregnant, for her own safety!), or as late as 8 months.  She will eventually need to be spayed, as unspayed, unbred female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine cancer.  But if she does calm down and stops humping the boys, it might be best to not do this until she's about 8 months old, so her estrogen can help build a strong skeleton, as it is meant to do.

So getting the boys neutered now--before they start to become aggressive with each other and have a real risk of impregnating her--would be the wisest course of action.

Please read:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The best source for all the information you need on caring for your new pals is here:

www.rabbit.org/

Have fun!

Dana