Sexing & Bonding

Question
QUESTION: I have 2 bunnies that are 7 1/2 wks. I have had one rabbit before but, this time I want to breed. I have read a lot of Q & A on this site to help educate myself. I wanted to sisters so they could bond and one buck. I started w/ two from this liter, the couple I got them from have recently started breeding w/ only 1 buck & 1 doe. They were kind enough to allow me the option of exchanging if these two didn't turn out to be tow does. I've checked about twice a wk. since I got them. A few days ago 1 seemed to be forming a little more down there. They have bonded so well. They obviously miss each other when I take one out at a time. They are so cozy & loving. I don't want to breed bro. & sis. But, I'm scared of how it will effect them to take them apart & bring in another sibling. Should I seperate them all at once and get it over or gradually? Should I reintroduce the new sibling back to them 1st to help ease the seperation? I hope I don't sound crazy to worry so. I know animals have feelings & personalities and I can't help but think this way. I know I love them & am so attached that I'll cry over giving up the one & so I asume it'll hurt them, too.

ANSWER: If you are planning on breeding, bonding is really not going to work, anyway. Females should be seperate when they are pregnant and have their babies. The male should only be in with the female during mating to prevent problems with the pregnancy.

However, if you do not want to breed, even if one is a male and one is a female, that is actually the ideal pairing for bonded rabbits. They would need to be spayed/neutered, of course, but they could stay together after they were healed from their surgery. If you do find out one is male and one is female, it is best to seperate them right away (to prevent breeding), but keep the cages near (not touching though, as, while it is rare, rabbits have been known to manage to breed through cage wire) so that they can still smell and see each other.

You do not sound crazy at all. You sound like a very caring person. Bonded rabbits definitely can go through seperation anxiety issues if the are seperated. I have had bonded rabbits refuse to eat if suddenly seperated.

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

QUESTION: Plez answer another question for a new prob/concern. I'm very concerned, but I do overreact and worry too much a lot of times w/ my grandson and pets just as I did when the kids were growing up. If it helps w/ this question, I'm still iffy on rather one rabbit, Thumper, is a buck or doe. I don't think it actually looks like "male parts" as much as it just looks different, under what I hope is actually two skirts, ha, ha! Yesterday morning, I found them w/ white fur everywhere, Thumper is white, w/ grayish/taupe colored ears, if that color description makes any sense. I later realized there was a little fur from Cocoa, whose mostly mixed shades of brown, white on the bottom of "HER" body w/ black on the top side of her cute little tail, her fur had blown away from the cage in the wind, however Thumper's white fur was everywhere. Thumper is usually the boss and hog of the food. Cocoa get enough to eat but, Thuper makes sure she has all she wants when she wants and if Cocoa has to move over or "uder" for that to work out, so be it. Cocoa never seems to mind that Thumper walks all over her & even moves her out of the way at times, Cocoa is just laid back & could careless. They have never been anything but loving, cozy & sweet. However, when I found them there was some blood on Thumper. When I brought her in to chech her out she had a hole & no fur about 1/4 the size of a dime. She wasn't really bleeding anymore, but the blood was still fresh. The hole seems ok actually. There's on scab so far, I made sure there was no dried blood left on it. It didn't even seem to hurt her when I was checking it out. She only wanted me to stop so we could play & she could get tons of loving, like usual when I have either or both of them out of there cage. I discovered later that apperantly Cocoa did have a bite of something too. I can't really see it, I can only feel it, it's small & she has thick fuzzy fur. I can't seem to get the dried blood or whatever it is out of her fur. It's stuck to the skin or sore & it hurts her & she won't let me keep trying to get it of & be able to check on the sor or whatever. I just keep checking on it.  They now seem fine again. My hubby and future son-in-law are going to build a cage. I just got thru w/ the designs for how I want the cage. I want it build w/ three seperate cages, but actually one big cage. Thanks for noting that I need a space between the three seperate cages, I hadn't actually planned on that!!!  To finally round this up to my actual question; do I need to buy a second cage & seperate cage now, rather than wait till the larger cage is finished? It'll prob in about a month & a half w/ the hurry they are in. Are they as loving, friendly & playful w/ their owner if you are breeding them. My hubby still wants to breed, two does w/ one buck to serrvice them. That's ok but, I want a sweet loving bunny like my awsome loving baby Snuggles. Snuggles died about 4 months ago, he was my companion at nite cause, my hubby works nites. That's why I was considering making Cocoa, just a pet and still get two does & one buck to breed but, that seems like a lot for this to be so new. I definately need a new spoiled baby, but I don't want them to feel hurt cause one is more special. If I end up falling more & more for Cocoa, I'll keep him totally away from the others & not let them see it. Sorry this got so long. PLEZ advise me! Your first anwser was great! Thanks Bunches!!!! I will be giving you an excellent rating!!!!!

Answer
You do need to seperate them, since they have been fighting. Small fights can turn into deadly fights if they are left together. Two unspayed/uneutered rabbits generally will not get along together; even two females.

Here are two pages that may help you figure out what gender they are:

http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/sexing.htm
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexing.shtml