Rabbit in heat

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This topic has 7sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 1 month ago by BinkyBunny.

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- 10/31/2007 at 10:51 AM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Erm…This might sound like a stupid question…
  
  I have seen several mentions of a rabbit being in "heat" in this forum and others… But…
  
  My understanding of "heat" is basically when an animal is ovulating and ready to mate…Depending on the animal they go into head at certian types of the year and only a certain number of times a year. With certain animals you can induce "heat" -for instance, horses can be "teased’ into "heat" …..My understaning of rabbit’s is that they are "induced ovulators" which means that they ovulate after copulation, which means they don’t experience heat??
  
  Could someone tell me where I am missing something? Or is "heat" being used to describe when the bunny is sexually mature until they are spayed? Or??
- 10/31/2007 at 10:56 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Actually you are correct. I’m not entirely sure what people are meaning when they mention their rabbit is in heat – I think they may not realize that rabbits are induced ovulators – I can only think they are describing some behavior issue related to sexual maturity too.
- 10/31/2007 at 5:14 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  My guess would also be that they are describing when they reach sexual maturity and they have raging hormones. Like Osprey said, it’s induced ovulation.
- 11/02/2007 at 11:42 AM
  MooBunnay
  Participant
  3087 posts
  How interesting – I just learned something new about bunnies today! I didn’t think they were ever in “heat” but I guess I never thought about why…thanks for the info
- 11/02/2007 at 6:36 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  You’re welcome! We’re all learning something new every day!
- 11/04/2007 at 11:25 AM
  beth82
  Participant
  6 posts
  Rabbits don’t go into heat? I thought all mammals did – or at least had "cycles" of some kind, so there are only certain times when a female can get pregnant.
  
  I know cats are also induced ovulators, and they do go into heat, very obviously. So, the two are not mutually exclusive.
  
  Just curious about this as I’ve never thought about it before.
- 11/04/2007 at 1:55 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  Hmm, I’m reading a bit more myself and it seems that observations have been made where females have an oestrus period where they will "accept" the male. It seems to be only speculatory and there really is no "cycle." Female bunnies will ovulate after mating, usally about 10 hours.
  
  Here is the article I was reading up on:
  
  http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5082e/X5082E07.htm#3.%20Reproduction
- 11/04/2007 at 11:57 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Female rabbits do not go into heat They are considered spontaneous ovulators. So they don’t release an egg until they’ve been mated with. Though there are seasons (more daylight) where they would be more receptive to mating because their eggs are in their ovaries,but they don’t go into heat like cats do. Females cats in heat are almost begging to be mated with, while with rabbits, it’s more like if the right male came along, she’d let him mate with her, but otherwise it’s not that urging type of behavior that female cats display.
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