rabbits: sexual maturity and separation

Question
QUESTION: hi there!

Well my baby rabbits are nearing the 8 week mark and i'd like to ask you
about sexual maturity and when to separate them. I have (with almost
certainty) a baby boy and baby girl rabbit, and one mother rabbit. I would like
to keep the family together if at all possible.. They are all free house rabbits. I
spoke to my vet who told me they will not neuter before 6 months so untill
that time what should i do? Do i have to separate all the rabbits? Or can
they be kept together longer? Wgat about the mother and her lactating? Will
keeping the family together bother her too much? When do dwarf rabbits
mature sexually? I dont want any more mistakes but want my rabbits to have
the companionship of eachother. I am asking this because i caught the boy
baby trying to mount the girl today. While im sure his testicles have not
decended, i dont know when this will become a risk. Thanks! Any help
muchly appreciated.


ANSWER: Dear Lauren,

The male bunny can be neutered as soon as his testicles descend, though it's wise to wait much longer to spay the female.  You can find an experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who will be experienced and confident enough with rabbit neuters to do one on a bunny who's testicles are still small, though fully descended.  Once this is done, you won't have to separate anyone, and the risk of unbonding the family will be minimal.

It's a good idea to take all three bunnies to the vet when the boy is neutered, both for moral support of the boy and so that the girls won't attack him when he comes home smelling strange and having been separated from them for a while.  Rabbits can become unbonded alarmingly quickly, and the best way to avoid this is to not separate them, if at all possible.

You can read more here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html

The testicles usually descend at about 2-4 months, so if you're vigilant, you can see just when he's "ready" for this life-changing operation.  The risk of his impregnating his mother is low when the testicles first descend, but it's not zero.  

If you really can't have him neutered right when his testicles descend, then you can physically separate him from the girls, but keep him in an adjacent pen where everyone can see/smell and touch each other, and let them play together daily while supervised so you can prevent any mounting from getting too serious.

Hope this helps!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Whats the risk of him impregnating his sister? That is my primary concern as
the mother is already warry of him from breast feeding and will be spayed
next month. When do baby female rabbits become viable? I think that will be
a better assessment of when they should be separated.

Also, will unaltered females definately have false pregnancies if they are
around an altered male?

Thanks again!


Answer
Dear Lauren,

Female rabbits can become fertile as young as four months, depending on size, breed, and general health condition.  So that would be really the outside, if you want to be really safe.

Most unspayed females will have false pregnancies whether or not they're around other rabbits.  A few may not have false pregnancies, but they're the exception.

The main reason for spaying, though, is the *very* high risk of uterine cancer in unspayed/unbred females.  Please see:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

if you haven't yet had a chance.

Good luck with the family!

Dana