crazy junior doe?

jolly rabbit · #1 05/31/12, 08:01 PM

alright so my wife and i were cleaning cages and took one 5 month old female californian and tossed her in with another. we happen to look over and she is trying to do the hanky panky with the other female, immediately took her out to "sex" her. and she IS a female. has anyone else had this happen. and when we sexed her, her female parts were kinda purple.

rags57078 · #2 05/31/12, 08:28 PM

she is feeling frisky and wants a buck

jolly rabbit · #3 05/31/12, 08:31 PM

thats what i was thinking, but she is only 5 months. isnt that too young? i figured at least 6 months.

rags57078 · #4 05/31/12, 08:37 PM

yes thats a bit young she will wait

**mygoat** · #5 05/31/12, 09:10 PM

Does are VERY territorial. In many species, mounting and breeding-like behavior is common among two females, and is USUALLY a dominance thing. It can be a challenge to fight if the subordinate takes offense, or it can be just a more dominant animal throwing her weight around.

Once rabbits are a few months old, NEVER leave them with another adult or even another of similar age. Too many incidences of two does fighting to severe injury, or castration of bucks. I left two NZB does together for too long and there was constant fighting until I could put them in separate cages.

Does can easily breed by 5 months. I've bred several at 5 months myself. The purple means she was feeling frisky, which probably has little to nothing to do with her behavior mounting the other female.

jolly rabbit · #6 05/31/12, 09:37 PM

yes, normally i would never put 2 grown or almost grown (over 3 months) rabbits together but i had been told female that are raised together typically dont have to many issues until they are pregnant. but thanks for the heads up. so do you think i should try to mate her, or give her another month or so. she probably weight 8 pounds or so. again she is a cali.

**mygoat** · #7 06/01/12, 08:21 AM

It's up to you if you want to breed her. I usually wait till my does hit standard weight for their breed, but that is because I also raise for show, so having standard weights on the pedigree looks good for sales. Most people go by the rule of 8lbs or 8 months for meat breeds. I've had several does hit 10lbs (standard weight for SF and NZ's) by 5 months and they're bred then. I've got two SF does who will be bred this weekend because they're a few oz's over 10lbs.