I actually find it easier to sex a rabbit by myself. But like you said, you gotta get awfully personal with 'em!
Rabbits breed
very quickly. I have seen it take as little as 3 seconds. Wham, bam, thank-you, ma'am, by the time you are sure what's happening, it has already happened! They are capable of breeding as young as 12 weeks of age, the gestation period is 28 - 32 days.
The very first rabbits that I had were a couple of pets, that I thought were both bucks. I was half right! Fortunately, I found out my mistake the easy way (by looking) and separated them at the appropriate age. In case Gandalph turns out to be "Gandalphina," here are some things to watch for:
Bucks spray urine to mark their territories, IME it's much less common in does. A doe that is "in the mood" may chin things more than usual, but is more likely to raise her hindquarters when being petted. That isn't a "set in stone" sign, as many of my does will only raise up for a buck. Some does will pull fur when they want to breed - I have seen does that wrecked their coats mere days before a show doing this.
Pregnant does usually resent a buck's attentions. They will squeak, whine, growl, or even launch an all-out attack on an irritating buck. It may be hard to tell the difference between the behavior of a cranky doe and that of a buck at this stage, but the animals must be separated immediately, as irate does have been known to remove the offending organs of persisitant bucks!
A doe usually begins nest-making behavior about a week before she kindles. Her instinct to create a burrow often causes her to dig in one corner of her cage. She picks up hay or other similar materials and carries it, crosswise in her mouth, to the place she has selected for her nest. Many rabbits will dig or play with hay, but the only ones I have ever seen actually carry hay like this were does that either were pregnant or wanted to be.
Does may not pull fur until
after they have kindled, but some begin a few days before. If they have access to another rabbit, they may pull the other rabbit's fur instead of their own. I once had a call from someone who had a pair (different colors) that they kept together, and they were very puzzled about why the
buck's fur was in the nestbox.
Of course, getting the animals surgically altered prevents little "surprises," whatever the gender.
