when should i seperate my does from the buck?

[hops-the-bunny]

my girlfriend and i just got 3 american dutch bunnies. 2 does and a buck. right now there in a 30" x 36" cage. there around 2 to 3 months. there different colors and i dont want them getting together. when should i seperate them and will they get along for the time being? thanks

 

[dbunni]

Time to separate now. You should not keep bucks & does together past 3 months of age. Dutch are a small breed and can/will try to reproduce not long after 3 months.

 

[hops-the-bunny]

ok. thanks

 

[Bunnylady]

Time to separate now. You should not keep bucks & does together past 3 months of age. Dutch are a small breed and can/will try to reproduce not long after 3 months.

x2 I generally separate at 10 weeks to be safe. I also don't breed until they are 6 months old.

 

[hoodat]

You may already be too late. Rabbits will sometimes surprise you on how young they can breed. Early breeding won't harm a buck but it can be bad for does. Raising a litter may be more than they can manage at that age.

 

[debiraymond]

I heard a story recently about a gal that didn't know they should be seperated and the doe, once bred, bit off his man thing.

Seperate early!!!!

 

[Pancake in the River]

Ya if the doe doesn't want to be bred she can "mess up" the buck with one nasty bite
You should seperate them soon

 

[Ms. Research]

On a serious note, basically for the health and well being of your rabbits, you should separate the doe and the buck kits as early as possible. As Hoodat stated, does can conceive at a very young age, which is NOT healthy for them or their kits. Also aggressive behavior can occur between does as well as does and bucks.

If you plan to make them pets, maybe consider neutering the male and put him in with a doe? I think that would be better than putting two attached does together?

Hope all is well. Let us know how it's going.

 

[4-H forever!<3]

I know this sounds gross, but you can tell if a male rabbit is mature by how "developed" it is in its vent area. However, they can sometimes breed before they develope. The easiest solution is to separate them as soon as they are weaned from their mother. I also recommend keeping two attached does together over a male and a female.