Jan 22, 20234 min read

Gender Of Your Rabbit Buck or Doe

Updated: Jan 23, 2023

Determine the gender of your rabbit using our photo illustrations and step by step instruction. With a good eye, proper lighting, experience and the assistance of magnifying glasses you can determine the gender of your kits as young as 7-12 days old.

Many rabbitries do not guarantee the gender of bunnies until the age of departure at 8 weeks old. Some rabbitries do not ever guarantee the gender of a rabbit and it does simply take experience. New owners and breeders want to know what they are buying. It can be very frustrating to purchase a doe and come to find out the day of breeding that the gender is actually a buck. It’s equally frustrating to purchase a bonded pair of the same gender only to discover a litter of kits 5 months later. It does happen from time to time as the anatomy can vary slightly from rabbit to rabbit. Some rabbits are obvious while others are questionable. If in doubt the best remedy is to wait for more time, growth and development. Mature rabbits are easier to identify gender as they are full grown in size.

Rabbits are cooperative with the handling and procedure of checking gender. We raise Holland Lops so i’m basing my findings from experience with that breed. It is good practice to trim your rabbits nails when you have them out. Since your trimming nails you can also deworm them as a good habit. We deworm using Fenbendazole and Toltrazuril. Recommendation of clothing to wear would be an apron if you have one, long sleeves and eye protection. You can wear gloves if you choose. The suggested clothing is simply the precautions we take anytime we are in the rabbitry going through the herd working with multiple rabbits. Im often in a short sleeve t-shirt but i do like the protection of my apron and i wear glasses. Use your own discretion with how you like to work. When we breed rabbits we prefer that they have been dewormed in advance. Put your bun on a scale to weigh and record them as long as they are out.

Handling Holland Lop rabbits - Mountain Brook Farm & Rabbitry

Take your rabbit into a room full of light or under a lamp. Put your magnifying glasses on. Checking the gender of your rabbit you will want to pick them up to your chest supporting the head with one hand and the hind quarters with the other hand. Now cup your hand over the bunnies ears supporting the head and turn him on his back while holding him up to a light or flat back onto a table. Locate the tufts of fur genitals between the hind legs. Take your hand that is supporting the hindquarters and use your thumb and fore finger to spread the tufts of fur open showing the genitals and press downward. The downward pressure will bring the genitals out and up that you may clearly see them. Be gentle as not to damage the genitals by over stretching them. Use enough pressure to bring the genitals into clear view. If you see a raised Volcano, circle or (penis) it’s a boy. If you see a fold of skin or line it is the Vent (vagina) and a girl. The young rabbits have less development and will take experience to determine the gender. Older mature rabbits are fully developed and easy to see.

Handling Holland Lop rabbits - Mountain Brook Farm & Rabbitry

Locating the genitals between the hind legs. Holland Lop doe in picture above - Mountain Brook Farm

Volcano, Circle or Penis on young Holland Lop buck from Lovely Lops Rabbitry

Volcano, Circle or Penis on young Holland Lop buck from Lovely Lops Rabbitry

Volcano, Circle or Penis on young Holland Lop buck from Lovely Lops Rabbitry

Volcano, Circle or Penis on young Holland Lop buck from Lovely Lops Rabbitry

Vent, fold, line & vagina on a young Holland Lop doe - Mountain Brook Farm

Vent, fold, line & vagina on a young Holland Lop doe - Mountain Brook Farm

Vent, fold, line & vagina on a young Holland Lop doe - Mountain Brook Farm