How to distinguish male and female rabbits? Do rabbits need to be sterilized?

In addition to rabbits for eating, there are also special breeds of rabbits for pets. The ancient Chinese poem "The Ballad of Mulan" says, "Two rabbits walk side by side on the ground, how can I tell which is male and which is female?" So how do you tell the difference between male and female rabbits? Is it really that difficult to tell?

How to tell the gender of rabbits

It is easy to distinguish between male and female adult rabbits, but for novices, it is the young rabbits that are difficult to distinguish.

To identify baby rabbits: Grab the rabbit with your left hand, with its belly facing upwards, pinch the rabbit's tail with your right index and middle fingers, and then flip it down. If the genitals are cylindrical, it is a male rabbit, and if they are diamond-shaped, it is a female rabbit.

There are two ways to distinguish the sex of adult rabbits: 1. The sex can be clearly determined from the external genitalia, as male rabbits have testicles while female rabbits do not. 2. The head shape, as male rabbits have strong and square heads while female rabbits have relatively delicate and slender heads.

Do rabbits need to be neutered?

Whether or not to sterilize a female rabbit depends on how the rabbit is raised and the purpose of the breeding. If the female rabbit is raised for mating and reproduction, sterilization is not necessary. However, if it is raised as a pet rabbit, it is best to sterilize it to reduce reproductive system diseases such as mastitis, breast cancer, uterine pyometra, ovarian cysts, etc. as much as possible, and it can indirectly increase the life span of the rabbit.

Rabbits are prone to five types of tumors, among which reproductive system tumors and breast tumors account for a considerable proportion, so it is recommended to sterilize female rabbits, and the best time is before 2 years old.

How long does it take for a rabbit to give birth to a litter?

Rabbits generally live for 30 days, or about a month, with some breed differences. A litter is about 6-8 puppies, of course the number varies depending on the breed. Rabbits are animals with strong reproductive capacity. If you want to keep them as pets, it is recommended to sterilize them, which can appropriately increase the lifespan of the rabbit and avoid some rabbit diseases.