How To Tell The Sex Of A Baby Rabbit

With how quickly rabbits reproduce, it's important to know the sex of your kittens before they mature. Female rabbits can procreate as early as 12 weeks of age, which can lead to numerous litters if you're not careful. Their sex will also determine the best age to spay or neuter.

Unfortunately, figuring out the sex of your baby rabbit isn't as easy as you'd think. Male rabbits, or bucks, may not have visible testicles until they are at least 10-weeks-old. Because of this, it's best to wait until your kit is at least six-weeks-old at minimum before sexing. If you don't have knowledge of the birth date, you can figure out how old your baby rabbit is by observing their physical characteristics. Babies that are at least four-weeks-old will have fully furry coats and ears. They will also be close to fully weaned from their mothers. Once you've determined your rabbit is old enough, you can proceed with sexing them. 

Per RSPCA, you can sex a baby rabbit at home by gently lying them with their tummy facing upwards across a towel over your lap. From there, you can check their genitals. It's important to hold onto them carefully to keep the rabbit from kicking or squirming, which can lead to injury. Once your rabbit is comfortable in your lap, you can apply gentle pressure to the top of their genitals with your finger, just above their anus. Male rabbits, or bucks, will have a penis that protrudes from a rounded opening. Female rabbits, or does, will have a vulva, with a vertical slit opening compared to the more rounded appearance of the male. If your baby rabbit becomes too stressed out or wiggly while attempting to sex them, it's a good idea to seek the help of a veterinarian.

Rabbits are social creatures, so it's a good idea to keep them in pairs to help with their well-being. However, you'll want to spay or neuter your bunny before keeping them with an opposite sex pairing to avoid producing any unexpected litters. Male rabbits are typically neutered once they are 10 weeks of age and their testicles have descended. Female rabbits are usually spayed around 5-6 months old, once they have matured and grown. Spaying and neutering can help keep your rabbit pairs happy and healthy without any unwanted surprises.