Friends to lovers

by Melissa
(Buckinghamshire)

I bought what I thought were 2 boy rabbits in August who are 6 months old this November. I have now discovered they are a boy and a girl. They have grown up together and seem to be good friends. will I spoil this friendship if they start mating and having babies? The girl (Lex) is not letting the boy (Harvey) mate at the moment but if she does do they need separating? And will their friendship end?

I'm not even sure what I will end up with as they are a harlequin and a lionhead. Are there any factors towards this mix not working?

****Karen Sez****
Very cute rabbits, for sure! But... Someone in the background of the harlequin (at least) asked the same question you ask - what'll happen if I breed my two rabbits together. I'm guessing that besides harlequin, your fellow has some lop, and possibly a blue-eyed white or a dutch rabbit or both. That said, without pedigrees, who knows what recessive colors and traits lurk within the genetics that you cannot see?

Mix all that with a lionhead (is it single- or double-maned?) and you'll get some oversized mismarked 'lion-quins', and possibly a few undersized, button-nosed, 'harle-heads.'

If you were willing to put some or all of the offspring into the freezer en route to a stew pot, then no problem! You've made 'pethood agreements' with your two rabbits, but not with the babies. (Rabbits are livestock animals unless you personally choose to make yours a pet. Just so you know, 10-12 weeks of age, or 2-2.5 kg is harvesting time.)

If Lexus is really a girl, then one of these days she will allow a breeding. (She may be bred already.) If you let the two hang out together, you'll get bunnies eventually. And, when she delivers that first litter, Harvey will immediately rebreed her within 24 hours of kindling.

Whatever you do about all this is fine. If you want bunnies, just let life happen. And if you let life happen, you can expect a nearly monthly stream of new babies until the doe is plumb wore out, gets sick and dies.

At some point, you're gonna have to give up on the friendship thing, which exists in your head but not in theirs. Or, you can keep up the appearances by getting Harvey fixed. That might be the easiest way for you to keep the two rabbits together. (Don't forget to keep Harley away from Lex for 8 weeks after alteration.)