Will sibling rabbits breed?

[Karrakov]

This isn’t about my own rabbits, but rather someone I saw online. She recently got two baby rabbits, boy and girl, from the same litter (im assuming) and has them living together. They aren’t fixed yet as they are too young and I’m just curious if rabbits are one of the animals that don’t care if they are related our not when it comes to breeding. Once they reach maturity and before they are fixed, is it possible they will breed with each other? I’m generally curious, but also want to give her a heads up if that’s the case (she doesn’t seem overly educated in general)

[Wick & Fable]

Rabbits do not recognize family units, so yes, siblings will both attempt to breed and harm each other as a result of reproductive and territorial urges. While we have general estimations of when a male and a female become sexually mature, there’s no explicit sign and there’s such variation; therefore, it’s typically recommended to separate siblings earlier, rather than after they have a fight or have a chance to reproduce. Some rabbit vets require females to be at least 6 months of age before spaying, so waiting until both are fixed is not a good timeline. Hormonal behaviors can crop up as early as 12 weeks (potentially early probably), and even if viable reproduction isn’t possible (male doesn’t have viable sperm), the fights between rabbits are very dangerous. Even humping can be harmful, in terms of distressing one rabbit (the receiver).

I would recommend doing your best to help educate the person, if possible, or motivate them to learn more themselves. There’s a lot of preconceived notions people have about rabbit care. Sometimes, bombarding them with what they are “wrong” about makes it less likely they’ll explore resources on their own to educate themselves. It’s a difficult line, especially online when they may already be getting bombarded(?), but education is key with rabbit care, and having a closed mind usually doesn’t bode well for the pet(s).

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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