# Neutering bucks for pelt/meat use?



## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

To start this post off I have a question 1st.

I am raising standard rex's for fur and meat. Prime pelts that are actually useable are from rabbits 8+ months old. I have heard brief mentioning that pelts from bucks aren't useable. Why is that?? Surely people in the fur trade don't just use prime pelts from does only?? What's the difference between a mature doe and a mature buck pelt?

Now, onto the title of my post. I had read about this on another group, though it wasn't discussed in much detail and I was hoping to get some insights/opinions from the folks here.

The topic was on neutering rabbits. The breeder had fur & fiber rabbits. She was neutering the bucks she planned on using the pelts from, or in the case of her angoras, she was neutering them and using them for the wool (left alive, not processed like the pelt rabbits)

This poster noted she had better feed conversion on her neutered bucks as well and also had the benefit of being able to have them share cages with other rabbits (say some Jr. does or other young bucks that had also been altered) thus saving on that precious cage space as well. 

Her method, from what I gathered was to band them as soon as the testicles came fully down. Sort of like the way you band goats. She bought the variety pack of small rubber bands from the dollar store used the one that was about 7/8 of an inch (if I remember correctly) and wrapped the testicles about 3 times. She said that none of the bucks seemed bothered or distressed when the bands were put on properly and with in a few days the testicles shriveled, turned black and fell off. She added up her cost and by doing it herself she estimated the cost to neuter was about $0.02 per buck. Not to bad I thought. 

Anywho, I thought it was an interesting idea and would be worth while if it did indeed increase food conversion, enabled altered bucks to share cages and made the mature pelts just as useable as a doe's. 

Anyone have any opinions, thoughts on this?? Has anyone here ever tried it? If so, how'd it go?

I plan to grow out a few rabbits from each rex litter to prime pelt age, so I thought this idea was one that may be especially useful for me. 

All thoughts, suggestions and input on this is welcomed and much appreciated.

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## Epic (Aug 4, 2010)

I would try it, I might even do it in the future, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Epic said:


> I would try it, I might even do it in the future, it doesn't sound like a bad idea.


The process didn't sound too difficult. I think it would be easier if you had a helper, but the breeder who posted about it was able to do it on her own as her rabbits were handled often. She turned them on their backs, on a pillow in her lap (head by her knees) and wrapped the small rubber band snugly about 3-4 times on each testicle. She warned to be careful and make sure you put the band in the right spot (as you would on a goat) and to be very sure you didn't get the band on the penis. On average she said it took about 3 days and once the striveled testicles fell off the rabbits were really good about cleaning up the area on their own. 

I thought the whole thing was very interesting. 

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## Epic (Aug 4, 2010)

Thanks Crystal, would it be placed farther up on the rabbits "bits" ?
I'm not familiar with the whole goat process


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

the only reason to neuter a buck is to keep it for a pet like in the case of angoras where you want to keep calm animals that dont spray and harvest the wool, as to pelts it doesnt matter, older animals have tougher pelts i would guess but genders dont really matter, altering rabbits is more of a PETA, TREEHUGGER, idea, not really a common practice for farm people unless like i said they have angora to keep around for wool


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## a7736100 (Jun 4, 2009)

Would it be possible to get pictures or videos from her?

If I were to try it I would have to practice on a dead buck first.




LoneStrChic23 said:


> To start this post off I have a question 1st.
> 
> 
> Her method, from what I gathered was to band them as soon as the testicles came fully down. Sort of like the way you band goats. She bought the variety pack of small rubber bands from the dollar store used the one that was about 7/8 of an inch (if I remember correctly) and wrapped the testicles about 3 times. She said that none of the bucks seemed bothered or distressed when the bands were put on properly and with in a few days the testicles shriveled, turned black and fell off. She added up her cost and by doing it herself she estimated the cost to neuter was about $0.02 per buck. Not to bad I thought.
> ...


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I don't think neutering rabbits is as easy as that. I forget the details of their anatomy, but it's not like neutering other farm animals. I've always heard that it can be risky and is a job for the vet, which makes it pretty expensive. Please, for the sake of the rabbits, learn more about this before attempting a DIY job.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I agree with Maggie. I've handled and butchered a lot of bucks, and the way they're set up is quite a bit different from animals that are routinely banded/castrated. 

Practicing on dead rabbits is a good idea, but I think I'd get much more detailed information and instruction before I attempted this on a live buck.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

KSALguy said:


> the only reason to neuter a buck is to keep it for a pet like in the case of angoras where you want to keep calm animals that dont spray and harvest the wool, as to pelts it doesnt matter, older animals have tougher pelts i would guess but genders dont really matter, altering rabbits is more of a PETA, TREEHUGGER, idea, not really a common practice for farm people unless like i said they have angora to keep around for wool


I'm having a _very_ hard time understanding how the altering of bucks would be a "TREE HUGGER" or "PETA" thing. :grump: Yes, I understand that PETA likes to pretend to be an animal welfare group that advocates no breeding and total "animal liberation" (which means no raising animals for food, fur, farm and even as pets, all the while their own "animal shelters" euthanize more animals than that of most shelters...such hypocrites) 

BUT as you could tell from my postings I'm obviously not a believer in those preachings as I am raising animals for food and hopefully fur use. I also made no mention of wanting to keep a bunch of neutered bucks as pets so I'm having a hard time figuring out how some of your comments fit into my original post topic.  Not to mention, the altering of meat animals is a very common FARM practice, used by FARM people. We've altered goats, pigs and cattle for use as meat and know MANY, MANY people who follow the same practice. 

Anywho.....

I am asking about this because from what I gathered from someone who does this, it makes raising/housing rabbits to an older age much easier and more efficient. Not sure if the food conversion and better growth rate is accurate, but in the opinion of someone who practices keeping older bucks for fur and fiber use, it is. 

As for the gender/age/pelt thing..I have seen & heard mentioned from several people that they prefer to use does for prime pelts vs. bucks, which is why I asked if there was any legitimate reason backing this up, or if it was a personal preferance. 

To a7736100:
The idea of trying it on a dead buck is a sound on IMO. I'd hate to have a botched job done on a live buck!  At least then you could practice a bit with making sure your getting the bands in the right place. You obviously wouldn't be able to see the end results (least I wouldn't keep a dead rabbit lying around) but it would give you a non-squirming, non-feeling "test dummy"

To Epic:
I am going to dig around on my computer and see if I can find contact information for the woman who made that post about neutering on another board. Perhaps if I can get in touch with her she can fill in some of the blanks that were missing from the thread I read. For some reason I was the only clueless reader of the thread because everyone else involved seemed to understand all the ins and outs perfectly :hrm:

MaggieJ: 
I understand your caution, but I honestly don't think it's all too complicated.Complicated to an extent yyes, but not on an unreasonable level.. This is not the first time I've heard of people doing this at home on rabbits that are livestock, in a very similar manner as you would young goats. I volunteer for a local rescue group and the vet we use up there neuters rabbits for about $18 a pop and will spay does (much more complicated) for about $45. Any rabbits I've seen fresh out of neuter are fine as a fiddle and up and going like normal within hours. Of course, it's not economical to pay to have all my bucks I want to keep for pelts neutered, and I doubt the rescue group would look fondly on my raising rabbits (and wanting some of them neutered at a cheaper price than most vets) for meat and fur use..In fact I think if some of them knew I was raising rabbits for meat they'd have a heart attack. People don't seem to object to raising chickens and such for meat, but just mention even eating rabbit seems to cause many distress....Then again these are usually people who only eat meat and food that's pre-packaged from your local grocer....

Obviously I don't know enough about this to actually try it (plus I don't have any young bucks that I don't plan on using for breeding) which is why I posted here to get some insight and opinions. It might end up being something I can't do myself while ensuring I'm not causing suffering or screwing up something. But I thought it was at least worth asking about.  

I think *if* it could be done safely, it would be very beneficial just by allowing a few growers to house together, save space and *hopefully* prevent them from spraying each other. 

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

by neutering all animals that we keep as pets there is no way for them to reproduce, they have even gone so far as to spay female rabbits, female rabbits dont even have an active heat cycle that would be detectable to anyone other than a buck rabbit, 

after haveing worked in PetSmart for over a year i saw the pet industry from a compleatly differint point of view, PETA was up our back side about just about everything, 

other than that topic which i am sorry for haveing brought up, the neutering of a rabbit is not the same as neutering Cattle or goats or what ever, buck rabbits taste just the same, an old buck will possibly have tougher bits thru the shoulder region but an OLD buck is past the prime pelt stage anyway, 
i just dont see a point in going thru the truble with a scalple to try and castrate them, but thats just MHO,


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

I think the process of banding to castrate is horrible. Its a very old way to do it and I think it is considered animal abuse nowadays..in fact I think it is illegal in Canada. Don't know why the feed rate would change, maybe it does but there are way more humane ways to neuter. As an animal gets older it gets less active but that could be true for unaltered animals too.


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## Jackie (Jun 20, 2008)

Devoville said:


> I think the process of banding to castrate is horrible. Its a very old way to do it and I think it is considered animal abuse nowadays..in fact I think it is illegal in Canada. Don't know why the feed rate would change, maybe it does but there are way more humane ways to neuter. As an animal gets older it gets less active but that could be true for unaltered animals too.


Its not illegal to band sheep or cattle here. And I would MUCH prefer to band calves rather than to just cut them out without anesthetic like the alternative. 

Although I would NOT try banding cats, dogs or rabbits.


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

KSALguy said:


> the only reason to neuter a buck is to keep it for a pet like in the case of angoras where you want to keep calm animals that dont spray and harvest the wool, as to pelts it doesnt matter, older animals have tougher pelts i would guess but genders dont really matter, altering rabbits is more of a PETA, TREEHUGGER, idea, not really a common practice for farm people unless like i said they have angora to keep around for wool


Lots of species of meat animals are "tastier" if they are neutered. Cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, etc. Any meat animal that is wanted for meat but, for whatever reason, will be kept after they become sexually mature, are commonly altered.

Crystal, I recall that conversation. I asked about keeping Rex in colonies for grow out and that was a suggestion I got. I do intend to give it a shot, but I'm probably still a few months off from even having my first Rex litter on the ground!


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

Devoville, banding is a VERY humane way to castrate. The alternative would be going under a scalpel, putting the animal through all the stress of a car trip and a vet stay, anesthetics, scalpels....how is that more humane? With banding of other animals I've had, it's a very quick process, the animal shows no discomfort directly associated with the banding, mostly just fussing over being handled. I've never seen an infection develop. I've never seen them act is if there was anything different at all after the deed was done.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

PulpFaction said:


> Lots of species of meat animals are "tastier" if they are neutered. Cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, etc. Any meat animal that is wanted for meat but, for whatever reason, will be kept after they become sexually mature, are commonly altered.
> 
> Crystal, I recall that conversation. I asked about keeping Rex in colonies for grow out and that was a suggestion I got. I do intend to give it a shot, but I'm probably still a few months off from even having my first Rex litter on the ground!


Are you on the Rex yahoo groups?? I am on several, and I read about this banding of bucks on one of them, I just can't remember WHICH rex group, and the yahoo groups are not near as easy to navigate as discussion boards like this one, so I'm having a hard time finding that particular thread...if I remember correctly, the thread topic wasn't even about banding/neutering, it just got side tracked and turned into a discussion about it. 

It sounds interesting and I know the original poster had great sucess with it, which is why I was looking for more thoughts and opinions on it.

I'm still a few months off on having Rex litters myself as my does won't be ready to breed until October/November  Can't wait to have nest boxes full of velvety lil' bunnies 

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

My goats tend to act uncomfortable after banding. Heck, this year I had one buckling act like he was DYING and wouldn't eat well for two days. After that he was fine. Most babies simply act as though nothing has happened, some do act a little uncomfortable. 

The blade method of castration is also fairly humane. Most of the time it is done at home by the farmer. It's quick, relatively painless, and often doesn't have any problems. I don't prefer it, though... 

I would never ever ever band a dog or a cat. If someone else tried rabbits I MIGHT try it... though I don't think it's a good idea to band any animal that can reach their testicles.


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## Devoville (Mar 23, 2009)

I am talking from an agricultural view... most vets visit the farm to castrate lambs etc. Most farmers also do it themselves, however even just a topical anesthetic or a local should be used. Banding CUTS OFF CIRCULATION. We all know what that feels like after only a few minutes, now try to imagine the banded area actually dying and atrophying over the course of many days. No I disagree that surgical is more stressful; it is over and done with in a couple minutes with very little pain. The animal also can go on to recover much faster. Banding is an ongoing process thats lasts several days and if your rabbit goes off its food because of severe pain then you are going to get into gi stasis and all sorts of things like that.Our farm vet 30 years ago was very opposed to that and we had no problem with docking tails and neutering and extra stress via a local and surgically doing the procedure.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Law here. Rabbits are not legally considered livestock. Here we have the premise program for all livestock and rabbits can not be recorded because they are considered pets. As such pets can only be neutered by a vet. 
So here its illegal to neuter a bun yourself.

Now my opinion!
I raise angoras and I have no prob harvesting the wool from my mature bucks. They don't spray themselves!!! Their wool is exactly the same as the does.
Its clean, soft and has no odor. I see no reason to cause undo pain when their is no reason.

Also we have French angoras, dual purpose. The meat from a muture buck is no different than a doe. Again no reason for neutering!

The only way I could justify neutering is a house kept male that may get urine on the walls outside its cage. Then, here, legally you would have to pay for a vet.

IMO comparing a goat to a bun is oranges to apples too.
2 totally different species and totally different behaviors.
Heck buck goats even pee on their own faces! Buns do not.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

a thought on bucks peeing on walls: up until last week (or the one before?) I kep all fifteen of my rabbits inside. they ALL peed on the walls, except the new baby kits. Even the eight weeks old does did. My mama rabbit did, but I always thought she was trying to keep her cage cleaner, since she is an abnormally clean rabbit (as opposed to my others). But they all peed out of the cage. Doodle, the buck, did smell a BIT worse, when he was going through puberty, and my new buck, Maverick, smells a bit worse than the girls. But not crazy bad. (but then, I am a crazy bunny person and kinda like the smell of rabbits in general. I only am opposed to my carpets being drenched by pee, which tends to be a revolting smell no matter what species does it)


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## Narshalla (Sep 11, 2008)

Anatomically, I cannot see how one could band a rabbit, or a cat or pig, though just about everything else mentioned can be, that I know of.

I would like to see pictures of a video of this, if possible. I only have pet rabbits, so naturally they are all fixed, but if there is a very cheap, easy method, the rescue I volunteer at might be interested in using this method for bucks instead of the (relatively) expensive vet.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

My buck often has urine on his face. I think the does do it to him when I'm not looking...

(And I'm speaking of my RABBIT buck, not that goofy yearling goat buck who thinks his pee is the best thing since Aqua Velva...)


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

It would be far simpler to band a cat or a dog than a rabbit. Cats and dogs have a single scrotum, with both testes in it. The opening thru which the vas deferens passes into the body has a stricture, and while a young puppies or kittens testicles can be drawn up into the body once they drop for good the stricture tightens with age and that is no longer possible. Rabbits on the other hand have two scrotums, each with a teste which for the life of the rabbit can and do move freely in and out of its body thru the large testicular opening that never tightens up. When a rabbit is neutored the vet has to sew this large opening closed to avoid a possible herniation once the testicles are removed. Also rabbits are well known to die easily from shock, and do not tolerate anesthesia well.

I've spoken to a number of breeders about the benefits of 'caponizing' rabbits, seems that there aren't many benefits to it, and the potential loss to shock and damage is quite high. I don't think that pelts off of does are better than pelts off of bucks, I breed Mini Rex and I've seen some awesome pelts on bucks, I really don't feel that there's a difference between a mature buck coat and that of a doe. Quite frankly I normally expect a buck to have better coat than a doe.

You can band just about anything, how ever I would not band a pet rabbit, I would have a vet do the surgery, there's too many things that could go wrong, and what if it herniates and needs another surgery? Or just flat out dies? Of course in a meat rabbit situation a certain level of loss is expected, so if I felt that banding the rabbit would provide some substantial benefit I'd do it. However I do not see that there is an added benefit in the attempt to improve bucks pelts by caponizing. If your unhappy with the quality of your bucks pelts its time to switch out your herd bucks and work on better coat, or review what your feeding.

On the other hand, why not try it? You'd be out some rabbits, time and food at the worst, maybe it would work for you, maybe not. I do know from hanging out on some pet rabbit forums that altered rabbits can fight just as nastily as intact ones, the secret is keeping family groups together, thats what the colony people do. If their raised together it increases chances of them bonding and getting along. I've heard of something funky in the pet rabbit circles that they call a 'divorce', its when a previously bonded pair fights, normally instigated by just one of the rabbits. Then they have to try and rebond them or often have to try and bond them with another rabbit.

I'd be very interested to know how it went if you decide to go forward, what your losses were, how well they healed, if you had any problems with herniation, and if it did improve the coat. I don't have problems with you being a bunny hugger, or trying something a bit risky, do keep me in the loop, I'm terribly curious.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Honorine said:


> I've spoken to a number of breeders about the benefits of 'caponizing' rabbits, seems that there aren't many benefits to it, and the potential loss to shock and damage is quite high. I don't think that pelts off of does are better than pelts off of bucks, I breed Mini Rex and I've seen some awesome pelts on bucks, I really don't feel that there's a difference between a mature buck coat and that of a doe. Quite frankly I normally expect a buck to have better coat than a doe.


Thank you for this tidbit!  I've always had NZW or Cali's (and some mini satins for a brief time)for the most part so I am new to the idea of raising rabbits for meat and their pelts. So many people keep telling me that you can't use a prime pelt off a buck (and the pelts from fryers won't be durable enough for what I'm wanting), but no one would tell me WHY.  If I can raise does & bucks to prime pelt age and all pelts be useable, then I wouldn't have to worry about neutering. My main issue here was I was trying to sort fact from fiction and if the issue of bucks pelts being useless was legit, I wanted to find a way to remedy that.

Thanks again to everyone who responded, gave me lots of food for thought 

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

The reason why pelts from fryers aren't durable is because their thin skinned, and of course the coat isn't prime and so its a waste to tan them. Also fryer pelts rip easily and are difficult to sew because its like punching thru paper, stitches don't hold well and if you pull too tight it rips. I've tried. I don't know why you were told that about bucks, perhaps they were thinking urine scald? I don't know on that one. I can tell you to stay away from dark selfs, as they get humidity burn and sun scorch, and then you have to wait until they molt out. Best to stick with whites, but of course it depends on what your trying to accomplish. There's this vendor who sells teddy bears and pillows and such made out of Rex fur in all different colors, its really neat, interesting niche market, just a thought.


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Honorine said:


> The reason why pelts from fryers aren't durable is because their thin skinned, and of course the coat isn't prime and so its a waste to tan them. Also fryer pelts rip easily and are difficult to sew because its like punching thru paper, stitches don't hold well and if you pull too tight it rips. I've tried. I don't know why you were told that about bucks, perhaps they were thinking urine scald? I don't know on that one. I can tell you to stay away from dark selfs, as they get humidity burn and sun scorch, and then you have to wait until they molt out. Best to stick with whites, but of course it depends on what your trying to accomplish. There's this vendor who sells teddy bears and pillows and such made out of Rex fur in all different colors, its really neat, interesting niche market, just a thought.


Of course you tell me to stay away from darks after I have decided I want NOTHING white!!! LOL I am only wanting two color varieties of the Rexs, Castor and Black Otter as they are my favorites and in general I'm just not a fan of white rabbits (though I understand they'be probably be a more sensible choice for fur use as you could dye them..) I already have my start on the castors, and am on a waiting list for some black otters... 

I don't plan on using fryer pelts as I've heard that would be a huge waste of time.....hense the reason I was so worried about being able to use prime pelts from bucks...the thought that I could only use doe pelts for my projects was a bit discouraging and I'm so happy to hear that is not the case :bouncy: I have considered practicing on a few fryer pelts just to figure out the tanning process though. It wouldn't be a huge loss if I totally ruined one and it would give me a first hand idea of what to do and not to do before I try to tan a pelt from a rabbit I spent 8+ months growing out....

I am not looking to sell my furs, I only want them for myself.  My grandmother's sister has a huge queen sized blanket made of castor rex pelts (with a cream colored satin type lining on one side) and it is soooo amazing and it cost her a fortune!! I want to make one for myself once I have enough pelts saved up. I know it's kind of silly, but that blanket, along with meeting the standard rexs in person (love their personalities!) were the main factors in me deciding to raise them. Since I'm also wanting meat for my family and my RAW fed pets, I think the standard rexs fit my needs to a "T".

Now, I know about sun scorching...I had a black Great Dane who loved to sun bathe in the yard..but only on one side and as a result one side of him was brownish all the time...looked ridiculous! 

But what is humidity burn?? How is it caused and is there a way to prevent it?

My rabbits are in a metal barn, with concrete floors, 2 fans, 3 windows, 1 normal sized door and 1 huge sliding door you could fit a car through...they aren't in the sun ever. So I'm hoping that rules out sun scorching? 

My climate isn't exactly what I'd called very humid either...were generally subjected to dry heat during the summer and don't have huge stretches of high humidty on average..

Thanks for all the tips/info. I really appreciate it. :cowboy:

Best Wishes,
Crystal
http://noodlevilleadventures.blogspot.com


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

Anyone interested can find the original thread on the Rex Rabbits Yahoo Group, search "neutering".

This is the applicale portion of the first message concerning the topic:



> OK, we were talking about Neutering male rabbits via castrator/rubber band
> method earlier, & I had promised to report my results. Now seems like a good
> time, since I have done at least 12 bucks, and since one of the reported effects
> is to make the coat come in better. I also have Angora rabbits (for my Fiber
> ...


Since my ONLY reason for wanting to do it was to allow male rabbits to stay in a colony while growing out the extra time needed for good pelts, I think it will serve my purposes beautifully.


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

The general rule is to not band anything that can reach the area with their teeth. You don't see bulls or stallions scratching -that- with their teeth, but dogs, cats, rabbits - they do it all the time. You can imagine the terrible, horrible mess they'd make of themselves if they started ripping at the band with their teeth.

Also, like Honorine said, you'd need 2 bands and I'd be worried about prolapse. If I was going to start neutering rabbits I believe I'd use a scalpel and close it with superglue. Have you ever cut yourself with a scalpel or something just as sharp? There is surprisingly little pain.


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

If I have any DQ males in my latest litter (and I well might) I will try the banding and let you all know how it goes.


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## RedSonja (May 16, 2010)

So has anyone tried this to report back on yet? I have two intact Angora bucks living as house bunnies and fiber factories, it would be nice to be able to band them and not have to keep separate hutches for them... I've banded goat bucklings and have assisted in horse castrations in the past, but bunnies are new to me... Alternatively, if someone in the Huntsville AL area knows a vet that will neuter rabbits, let me know contact info for them. 

-Sonja


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

problem with trying to band a rabbit--or a cat for that matter-- they retain the ability to withdraw the testices from the scrotum. You can actually band the wrong part!!!most of your livestock that people band do not draw testicles into the abdomen during cold stress or fear periods. I know of some Amish that will band their dogs-- but please-- it can be very cruel.
I found that intact males can be housed together, with no spraying issues, as long as there is no chance that they will be breeding. They seemed to recognize- 'we are both in this cage, she is in there, we can't get to her, so why fight about it'


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

Otter said:


> The general rule is to not band anything that can reach the area with their teeth. You don't see bulls or stallions scratching -that- with their teeth, but dogs, cats, rabbits - they do it all the time. You can imagine the terrible, horrible mess they'd make of themselves if they started ripping at the band with their teeth.
> 
> Also, like Honorine said, you'd need 2 bands and I'd be worried about prolapse. If I was going to start neutering rabbits I believe I'd use a scalpel and close it with superglue. Have you ever cut yourself with a scalpel or something just as sharp? There is surprisingly little pain.


 I have a friend that used to castrate rabbits, rats and mice--always at a tender young age, before the nerves start to really develope. I will see if she can't write the directions for me to forward.


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