There is no easy way to know the age of a rabbit.It is not possible to date a rabbit down to a specific number of years.If you look at some specific clues, you should be able to tell if the rabbit is young or old.It is possible to figure out if a rabbit is young, a youth, or a young adult with a little further investigation.
Step 1: The rabbit should be categorized into general age categories.
This will allow you to start your assessment in a good way.A young rabbit is young.An adult rabbit is 9 months to 4 years old.An old rabbit is 4 - 5 years old.Some rabbits live to be around 12 years old.
Step 2: Don't think that the age will be easy to identify.
The reason rabbit's are hard to age is that they don't have any distinguishing marks or features that change over time.rabbits in young adulthood and old age can look very similar.This is different to horses, which can be aged fairly accurately by examining their teeth because they have a unique set of marks which grow out with the animal's age.Even if there were helpful marks on rabbit teeth, they would not be easy to see because they are right at the back of the mouth.
Step 3: Evaluate the rabbit's appearance and behavior.
To gauge what age your rabbit might be, you want to make a list of its attributes.Is the rabbit mostly sleep and eat or does it exhibit playful behavior?Does the rabbit move in a graceful manner or is it stiff and sore?Is the rabbit's coat luxurious or harsh?Does the rabbit have sores on the hocks?
Step 4: If the rabbit is still a baby, figure it out.
Is the rabbit still growing and spending a lot of time with its mother?Baby rabbits are blind.They are usually nursed by their mother at night.The eyes and ears are open by 8 days.They will have a coat of fur by 2 weeks of age.rabbits start nibbling grass and herbage at two weeks of age.By 3 weeks of age, they are leaving the nest and reacting to sounds.Young rabbits look like miniature adults when they are about 4 to 5 weeks old.By 8 weeks of age, weaning is complete and the child no longer feeds from the mother.
Step 5: Do you know if your rabbit is full grown?
To figure this out, you need to know how big your rabbit should be.If you don't know if you have a small breed of rabbit that is an adult or a young rabbit still growing, then take weekly photographs of the rabbit and compare the pictures.Each week include the same object as a reference or rule.The top of the range for larger breeds are the rabbits that are 6 - 9 months old.
Step 6: Determine the rabbit's reproductive behavior.
The rabbit begins to produce reproductive hormones during adolescence.The typical age at which rabbits become interested in the opposite sex is 4 - 6 months.rabbits are very inquisitive and love to check out their environmentThey may fight if they encounter another rabbit of the same sex.A young rabbit is likely to engage in a lot of back paw thumping.They may try to mate if they meet the opposite sex.
Step 7: You should look for behavior that indicates you have an older rabbit.
Adult rabbits can show hostile behavior, but they are often less inquisitive.When rabbits are awake and feeding, they divide their time between these activities and sleeping.They give the impression of being alert when they are awake.Older rabbits may lose weight and become skinny because they sleep more and eat less.They may be less interested in their environment when they are awake.
Step 8: Determine the rabbit's overall appearance.
A young rabbit is still growing, so you should be able to see a change in size.An adult rabbit is likely to have a glossy, shiny coat, have bright eyes, be a good weight and move in an easy fluent manner.An older rabbit has a dull coat because they don't groom themselves as much.They may not interact with their environment as much as an adult rabbit.They are likely to look stiff and awkward when they move.
Step 9: There are sore hocks.
Some rabbit keepers have noticed that older animals are more likely to have sore hocks.This condition is caused by the animal's body weight pressing down on the thin skin of their hocks, causing the fur to rub away and thick skin to develop.There are many variables in the development of sore hocks, which include the animal's weight, the depth of their bedding, and how clean or dirty the bedding is.Young rabbits don't have all of these factors in place, so sore hocks are rare.The older the rabbit gets, the more likely these factors are to occur.
Step 10: The rabbit has teeth.
Rabbits can suffer from overgrown teeth at any age, as this can be caused by their diet and teeth not getting worn down, rather than age.Older rabbits are more likely to have overgrown teeth because they tend to eat less.The rabbit may have a wet chin or it may be grinding its teeth.