There is no easy way to tell the age of a rabbit.It is not possible to date a rabbit's age down to a particular number of years.If you look at some specific clues, you should be able to determine 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, but that is not much.
Step 1: The rabbit can be categorized by general age categories.
This will allow you to start your assessment in a good way.A young rabbit is 9 months old.An adult rabbit is 9 months to 4 years old.An old rabbit is 4 to 5 years old.Some rabbits live to be 12 years old.
Step 2: Don't assume the age will be easy to remember.
The reason rabbit's are hard to age is that they don't have any distinguishing marks or features that change as the rabbit ages.rabbits can look very similar in young and old age.This is in contrast 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 teeth as the animal ages.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.
To gauge what age your rabbit might be, you want to make a list of its attributes.The activity levels of the rabbit should be looked for.Does the rabbit move in a graceful manner or is it stiff and sore?Is the rabbit's coat soft or harsh?Does the rabbit have sores on the hocks?
Step 4: If the rabbit is still a baby, you have to figure that out.
Is the rabbit still growing and spending a lot of time with its mother?Baby rabbits are blind.They are very small and 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 - 5 weeks old.By 8 weeks of age, weaning is complete and the child no longer feeds from the mother.
Step 5: If your rabbit is full grown, you must determine if it is.
To figure this out, you need to know how big your breed of 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, take weekly photographs of the rabbit and compare the pictures.Each week include the same object as a reference or a rule.The top of the range for larger breeds are rabbits that are 6 - 9 months old.
Step 6: Determine the reproductive behavior of the rabbit.
The rabbit begins to produce reproductive hormones during adolescence.A 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 environmentTheir hormones may cause them to fight if they encounter another rabbit of the same sex.A young rabbit is likely to engage in a lot of back paw thumping at perceived dangers.They may try to mate if they meet the opposite sex.
Step 7: If you see behavior that indicates an adult or elderly rabbit, you may have one.
Adult rabbits can show hostile behavior, but they are less interested in their environment.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 seem less interested in their environment when they are awake.
Step 8: The rabbit's appearance should be assessed.
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 don't interact with their environment as much as an adult rabbit.They are likely to look stiff and awkward when they move.
Step 9: If you see sore hocks, look for it.
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 it is that these factors occur.
Step 10: The rabbit's teeth are large.
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.The rabbit may have a wet chin or it may be grinding its teeth.