Is my rabbit neutered?

Carla D

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last night I was surprised to find out one of my female rabbits was actually a well endowed male. This morning I decided I should check my other three rabbits. Sure enough that bucks sister turned out to be a buck as well.

But, I have a slightly older rabbit, maybe 2 years old. His testicles look “deflated” and wrinkled up for lack of a better word. The previous owner wasn’t sure if he’d been castrated or not. This rabbit used to be a classroom pet at her school. Is it safe for me to assume he’s been castrated? We wanted to use him for breeding purposes.
 

DutchBunny03

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Rabbits can appear to look "deflated" if it is too hot out, if they are scared, etc., but he very well may be neutered. Observing his behavior may give you more information. Common buck behaviors, such as mounting and spraying urine, are usually not present in neutered bucks.
 

Carla D

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Rabbits can appear to look "deflated" if it is too hot out, if they are scared, etc., but he very well may be neutered. Observing his behavior may give you more information. Common buck behaviors, such as mounting and spraying urine, are usually not present in neutered bucks.
I haven’t seen or smelled any spraying from him or in his cage. I haven’t seen him interacting with a doe yet either. My only doe is being exposed to another buck at the moment. He is super calm and friendly though. I was holding and petting him earlier and he almost fell asleep in my lap. I don’t know if that’s a sign of a fixed rabbit or a very well loved and cuddled bunny.
 

Bunnylady

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Rabbit bucks can pull their testicles back into their bodies if it is cold or they are scared or excited. This ability is a nuisance for show folks, since one requirement is that a buck must have two visible testicles. I have often seen people walking around a showroom, gently bouncing a buck in their arms, trying to get him to "let the other one down." :barnie

Not all bucks are bad about spraying; some hardly do it at all, for others, it's like a hobby. Young bucks are the worst; most of my older bucks seem to get over the need to prove their buckness by leaving their scent everywhere.:rolleyes:

Mounting behavior is as much a dominance thing as it is a breeding behavior; you may see it in does and neutered animals, so the presence or absence of the behavior isn't a sure thing either way.

We've had a few much loved and handled bucks that would cuddle up and snooze, so that's not diagnostic, either.

The fact that this guy was a classroom pet is the only thing that makes me think it likely that he has had the ol' "snip, snip." Intact bucks can be lovable mushes, but spraying indoors is not endearing. The surgery is pricey in most locales, but I can see someone paying for it for an indoor pet. If you have him in warm conditions, put him in with a doe, bounce him and tickle him and still never see testicles, chances are, he no longer has them.
 

Carla D

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Rabbit bucks can pull their testicles back into their bodies if it is cold or they are scared or excited. This ability is a nuisance for show folks, since one requirement is that a buck must have two visible testicles. I have often seen people walking around a showroom, gently bouncing a buck in their arms, trying to get him to "let the other one down." :barnie

Not all bucks are bad about spraying; some hardly do it at all, for others, it's like a hobby. Young bucks are the worst; most of my older bucks seem to get over the need to prove their buckness by leaving their scent everywhere.:rolleyes:

Mounting behavior is as much a dominance thing as it is a breeding behavior; you may see it in does and neutered animals, so the presence or absence of the behavior isn't a sure thing either way.

We've had a few much loved and handled bucks that would cuddle up and snooze, so that's not diagnostic, either.

The fact that this guy was a classroom pet is the only thing that makes me think it likely that he has had the ol' "snip, snip." Intact bucks can be lovable mushes, but spraying indoors is not endearing. The surgery is pricey in most locales, but I can see someone paying for it for an indoor pet. If you have him in warm conditions, put him in with a doe, bounce him and tickle him and still never see testicles, chances are, he no longer has them.
Thank you @Bunnylady. He’s not in warm conditions. It’s a cold barn hovering at or slightly below the freezing point. He seems to love the colder weather. We just exposed our only doe to a different buck this morning and the deed was witnessed once. I know that may not equate to babies though. Should I expose her to him in a few days as well?
 

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