Sick of looking at bunny hooha's

chickenista · #1 03/21/08, 05:02 PM

I have been looking at bunny hooha's so often and so much now that they are are just starting to blur... I think maybe I am applying too much pressure when checking the sex.. I guess if you stretch it back enough even the girls urethras will poke out.. I am now doubting if my Violet is a doe... I have hooha burnout. I have gone back and restudied the online pics of the genitalia... but can't apply it to what I have seen today at the feed store.. the feed store that i do not shop at keeps getting rabbits in and I keep going and looking... aaarrgghhhh. I can no longer tell!!!
They had some gorgeous ones today.. lops all creamy mocha with violet areas....and some other ones the were all woolly on the bottoms of their legs.. I THINK that it was a male/female pair... they need good homes.. the floor of the back of the feed store with nothing but poo in their feed dish is not acceptable...
And I almost bought a lop just for a housepet... but DID NOT! haha..take that you enablers!!
Any clues that you can give me about not pushing too hard..or if I can stretch the genitals too far so that they all look male would be helpful. And how to tell the age.. on the woolly ones i did not know if they were still young or not.. they need homes.. they look just miserable.. much more so than the other rabbits I have been checking out lately. Good size and healthy..just miserable. Oh DRAT!! DH has to take my van to work tomorrow..his truck blew the head gaskets today... nevermind.. I will check and see if they are there on Monday.

Oh and they did have a ton of these black and white broken kits.. they all had black mustaces and spots all over.. but in poor shape and very stinky.
And some very sleek yet fluffy greys....
oh well

jil101ca · #2 03/21/08, 05:07 PM

Don't look for things that may stick out. Alot of girls stick out. look for a donut 0 = boy or a taco l = girl. A boy is definately a circle, anything that looks like neither is due for a visit from the sex change fairy at anytime.

chickenista · #3 03/21/08, 05:14 PM

I am just starting to doubt myself all over the place....I guess I was stretching them too far, because they all stuck out.... I am just over it for now.. maybe by Monday I will feel refreshed and able to look again.. plus..thay may be cheaper after Easter....
I will try again and not rely on sticky outy parts...

jil101ca · #4 03/21/08, 05:24 PM

Don't beat yourself up over it. I can't tell for sure until they are at least 6 weeks old. And even then the sex change fairy will be sure to visit.

MaggieJ · #5 03/21/08, 06:05 PM

Yeah, just relax and don't think about it over Easter. If you are speculating about the Easter Bunny's hooha, you're overstressing yourself. What's the worst that could happen? You'll end up with an extra buck or two. And we know the answer to that problem. Either freezer camp -- or buy some more does to keep the boys happy.

Jill has given you excellent advice. Rabbit genitals can be confusing, especially when the buns are young. If you remember to relax, just apply very gentle pressure on each side, just enough to expose the parts to view, and look for the circle (boy) or slit (girl). If you are not sure, you can either take a chance or choose a different rabbit. And if that pesky sex-change fairy is about, swat it hard.

nutsburg · #6 03/21/08, 07:10 PM

I feel your pain! Oh the agony!!!

What makes things worse is having angoras. Their kibbles & bits are covered under so much fur that I have stopped trying.....

Beaners · #7 03/21/08, 07:17 PM

Good luck explaining the eye strain to your family!

I have two and a half week old babies, and I can kinda/sorta tell on a few, but a few others I am totally not sure about. I think they are getting tired of me turning them upside down every other day though, for sure.

I have found that most of my "probably female" babies are larger, and most of my "probably male" babies are smaller. These are NZWs, does that sound right to everyone? Of course, the one that my husband picked to keep is an "I don't know" but it is big and chunky and growing faster than the others. And it tries to hop out of the cage every time I open the door.

Kayleigh

Kittikity · #8 03/21/08, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaners

And it tries to hop out of the cage every time I open the door.

Kayleigh

Probably a female.. lol

chickenista · #9 03/21/08, 08:09 PM

Of the two I have.. the one I pegged as a doe originally IS bigger than my "buck" and she is continuing to retain her lead... I found that promising.. I would always rather have a larger female than male...
DH is not working tomorrow..so off I go to the bad feed store again.. to look at more bunny hooha's.. I will apply much less pressure and look for the telltale signs... I really need more rabbits... before the two I have get too big and too territorial.

tmfinley · #10 03/21/08, 08:26 PM

I know what you mean! I'm afraid I have a girl left in a cage by herself because I can't tell boy and girl hoohas apart. And now that you have me paranoid, I'm pretty sure I probably have some boys in the colony with the girls

Guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow.

Tiffany

Beaniemom · #11 03/21/08, 10:06 PM

Don't feel bad, I went to a show in January where I sexed an entire litter wrong. Yep, all five of them! I was positive they were all the same thing, turns out it wasn't bucks! LOL

I really have a hard time sexing much before 12 weeks or so, sometimes I just can't tell on the younger ones, plus they're super squirmy too!

MaggieJ · #12 03/21/08, 10:24 PM

It's only recently that I've been able to make the kits lie reasonably still so that I could sex them without help. I take the bun very firmly and confidently in my right hand and flip it and tuck it into my left arm, with its head a little lower than its rump and against my elbow and my left hand gripping its hips. Once you get them in position, they are usually quite tranquil and there is nothing for them to kick against. Then I use my right hand to expose the genitals. It sounds more complicated than it is. Grab, flip and tuck, check and release. It's all in the wrist.

chickenista · #13 03/21/08, 10:56 PM

You know what... poop on the mean feed store... the rabbits there are in terrible conditions and I cannot be sure of anything about them... I am just going to find a breeder somewhere near me or wait until the stars line up....
I do have the numbers for two folks and I think I will give them a try.. I may pay more..but it is worth it...
And I always have the wonderful Maidservant to look forward to.

I am going to stay away from the cute lops and all the other temptations...
Though upon looking at the breed site.. I do think I love Checkered Giants...anyone?

MaggieJ · #14 03/21/08, 11:14 PM

Checkered Giants are not considered a meat breed. The giants are slow to mature, eat an enormous amount while doing it and have a poor meat/bone ratio. There would be absolutely nothing wrong with the meat... just not your most economical choice.

If you want something prettier than New Zealands or Californians, there's always Silver Fox, Champagne d'Argent, Creme d'Argent etc. Lots of good breeds.

I think waiting to get rabbits from a reputable source is a good idea. Brian "surprised" me with our meat mutts (yard sale rabbits and not in the best of condition) and it took a couple of months of proper care before I felt okay to breed them. They rewarded us though by breeding like rabbits... and with judicious culling over the past couple of years we now are getting some very nice, dependable litters. So it has worked out fine for us, but if I had been choosing rabbits, they woud not have been my first choice.

turtlehead · #15 03/22/08, 01:47 PM

Hooha burnout!

Don't let your sentimentality and compassion lure you into purchasing inferior rabbits. It's sad they're in bad conditions, but you have to think of the health of your group at home.

Beaniemom · #16 03/22/08, 02:18 PM

Besides, If you wait, oh, a month or so there will be a ton of them free on CL, all these people who got bored, or their "mini" isn't a mini after all!

Terry W · #17 03/24/08, 02:00 PM

i made another purchase today-- I have more 'hoohas' thet need looking at--- Such is the rabbit life

Bernadette · #18 03/24/08, 03:03 PM

Well! I'm feeling left out. The doe I had bred to produce Easter Bunnies missed. And I know 100% for sure the orientation of every rabbit I have here. All the does are bred. No babies due here until after April 16. So no Hooha happenings around here for a while.

Now what shall I do while I wait.....

Terry W · #19 03/25/08, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernadette

Now what shall I do while I wait.....

build more cages......

white eagle · #20 03/25/08, 10:40 PM

OH boy more people having to look at them. I have some bunnies I soon will have to look at to see who is what. Just do not make the mistake as I did an have a boy bunnie about wet you in the face. It is funny in a way thinking about it now.