Buying unneutered brother and sister rabbits

[Barush]

Hi,

As the title says, we are thinking about getting a doe and buck from the same litter. We thought about keeping them both in the same cage and spay the buck immediately after his testicles drop, at about 12 weeks. Of course, we don’t want any funny business to happen, so when is the earliest time a doe can get pregnant and is it safe for them to share the cage for now?

[Bam]

It is generally believed to be safe to house young rabbits together until week 12. Of course keep an eye and separate if you see signs of aggression! Also check often for testicles- rabbits can pull them in so they dont show.

Girl rabbits can potentially become pregnant as early as at age 12 weeks,  but it varies between breeds. Small breeds mature sooner than larger breeds.

After neutering, viable sperm can persist in the vas deferens (the duct that carries sperm from the testes) for 4-5 weeks. During this time the rabbits will have to be separated so nothing unfortunate occurs. Keep in mind that rabbits can mate through cage bars!

 

[Hazel]

What Bam said. If you get him neutered at three months he could still have viable sperm for another month, so they will have to be separated no matter what. Even if he couldn’t get her pregnant after the neuter, they should still be separated because she will be hitting puberty at that point as well which will likely result in them fighting. Since separation is inevitable, there really is no reason to neuter the boy so early. Personally I would separate them at 3 months of age at the latest, and get them both fixed once they’re done growing (early spay/neuter can negatively affect their growth). Then go through the bonding process.

[Author]

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