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Rabbits are animals, for breeding and proper maintenance of which you need to know how to determine the sex of a rabbit. This causes difficulties for young breeders. It is easier to determine the sex of adults than of a small rabbit that is not yet 3 months old.

General points

The procedure for determining the sex of animals is carried out only after they reach one month of age. After birth, females and males have similar external genitalia, so sex determination of the rabbit should not be done during the first month. Professionals will not undertake sex determination at this time, so breeders who are ready to tell the sex of a rabbit from the first days are not trustworthy.

It is worth buying a furry pet only at 1 month, when its organs are already formed, so it will be possible to distinguish a female from a male. Grown-up rabbits have better health, because... they were fed with mother's milk for a long time.

Determining the sex of a rabbit is required to separate males and females. Rabbits reach puberty early - at the age of 3 months. After this, they are able to begin to mate uncontrollably. This will lead to weakening of their health and the appearance of poor offspring, so it is worth immediately determining who was born: a girl or a boy.

Primary and secondary sexual characteristics

Rabbits, like any other animals, have primary sexual characteristics. Only after identifying them in a pet can we accurately talk about its gender. To do this, it is necessary to examine the primary sexual characteristics of mature individuals at the age of 3 months.

It will also be possible to determine the sex of rabbits through secondary sexual characteristics:

The body shape of animals of different sexes is always different, so after several years of working with rabbits, a person will be able to distinguish the animal with an 80% probability. Males differ from females in body shape. Male animals have a more massive body and a larger head.
Boys are protective of their territory and tend to leave marks.
Female rabbits, like hares, are more graceful and their bodies are smaller. If you turn the rabbit over and look at the abdomen, in males the surface will be smooth, but in females small tubercles can be felt and visible - these are the nipples.
Girls are usually calmer. Males are capable of starting fights both in youth and in adulthood, so they should be seated in different enclosures.
It will be possible to determine gender by behavior during the mating season. Males are usually more active, although temperamental females are able to imitate male behavior. They are able to jump on other rabbits.

Determination of gender

For the procedure to be successful, it is important not to injure the animal or frighten it. To do this, the individual must be treated gently. Before this, the pet is sat on your lap, spoken to affectionately and stroked. When the animal calms down, it will be possible to recognize its primary sexual characteristics. In this case the following actions are performed:

they pick him up, turn him over, lay him on his back;
turn the head towards you, hold it with 2 fingers;
They fix the head and body with one hand, and with the help of the second they try to understand the gender.

You can determine the sex of a rabbit using 2 fingers of your right hand. They carefully spread the skin and fur over the genitals. Using the index finger of the right hand, the skin is stretched towards the anus, but there is no need to touch it. At this time, the thumb pulls the skin on the other side. Fingers must be kept parallel.

Females are identified simply: their genitals are a loop of pale pink color in younger individuals and dark red, burgundy in older rabbits. This loop resembles an equilateral triangle in outline when viewed from an angle. A small gap extends from this loop towards the anus, which gradually narrows.

In male rabbits, the external genitalia changes over time. In young and newborn individuals, it is a small elongated organ of white or beige color. In its center it is possible to discern a small perforation. Over time, the rabbit's genital organ changes. In adults older than 3 months, the genital organ is darker, it is dark red in color. With age, it increases and a slight thickening forms at its distal end. The shape of the organ can be different - from straight to curved in different directions.

Pair of chinchillas

We continue to tell you about the features of keeping and caring for chinchillas at home - read more about this. And, today’s topic, as we promised, will be the topic of breeding chinchillas at home.

What the owner of these pets needs to know, how to approach rodent breeding correctly, and what surprises – pleasant and not so pleasant – should be prepared for in the process of such breeding. Our publication today will tell you about all this...

Family for a chinchilla

We already wrote in one of our first publications that chinchillas are very sociable animals, therefore, it is not surprising that it is not easy for them to live alone. Well, if you are constantly busy with your own affairs at work, then your chinchilla may even start to get sick from boredom. To prevent this from happening, get her a mate. True, in order for strong relationships to develop in this chinchilla family and love to break out, you need to know about the peculiarities of building relationships between such animals.

Features of building relationships between chinchillas

First of all, among chinchillas reigns... matriarchy. It is the female, and not the male, who is the most important and the most important in the family. Therefore, if you plan to introduce animals, then place the young female with the male on his territory, and not vice versa. Since the female is unlikely to like the invasion of her square centimeters, and she can behave aggressively towards the male. If, however, a situation where a gentleman comes to visit a lady cannot be avoided, you should first introduce the rodents on neutral territory. This does not mean that you will have to buy another cage - although this would be an ideal option. You can simply move the cage with the female to a new location, and place a temporary cage with the male nearby. And, although the animals will be separated from each other by the walls of the cage, they will still be able to exchange fluids and smells, so when the time comes for them to get to know each other better, they will not react so warily to each other.

It is not worth leaving the introduced female or male in a new cage if the animals have not become friends. The fight for their territory may be stronger than the reproductive instinct, and the male or female will see only an enemy in the newly arrived rodent. And, this can result in both injury to the chinchilla and its death.

Physiological characteristics of the chinchilla body

Well, after we delved a little deeper into the psychology of the relationship between these rodents and learned how to introduce them correctly, it’s time to answer the question of when you should start expecting offspring from a female chinchilla and a male. So, Male chinchillas reach sexual maturity at 7-9 months, while females “mature” earlier and can mate at 6-8 months.. However, as you understand, reaching sexual maturity does not mean that the rodent’s body is physically stronger and can withstand such a load, especially for females, such as giving birth and feeding small cubs. Because, It’s still better not to mate animals before 1 year. The main thing is that the animals develop fully physically, then you will still have time to enjoy the long-awaited offspring. By the way, If the weight of a female chinchilla is less than 500 grams, it is not yet recommended for her to give birth.

As a rule, a pair of chinchillas can produce offspring several times in a year. On average, a female gives birth to 2-5 cubs at a time. However, it is still not worth mating rodents too often, since constant stress such as pregnancy, childbirth, and feeding chinchillas negatively affects the health of the chinchilla.

The female's sexual cycle lasts 30-50 days, and the estrus itself can last from 2 to 4 days. In other words, every 40 days (on average), a female chinchilla is ready for mating within 2-4 days. By the way, it is not at all difficult to distinguish a female from a male. In the female, her genitals are located close to the anus, but in the male there is a gap between them and the anus where the testes are located, which are hidden under the peritoneum.

How to tell if a female is ready to mate

In addition, it is recommended that chinchilla owners keep a calendar in which they will mark the beginning of the hunt and its approximate completion - in the future, this will help to most accurately calculate the approximate date of birth of the offspring, and the start date of the next hunt. Also, her behavior will help you find out that the female is physically and psychologically ready for the mating process. The chinchilla begins to behave more active than before; it may refuse food and even scatter it around the cage. The female's genitals increase in size and become pink.

Mating chinchillas

Chinchilla and her babies

Healthy and active chinchillas, over 1 year old and weighing at least 500 grams, are allowed to mate. By the way, breeding can be carried out either monogamously - you get one male and one female, or polygamously - you need one male and several females.

As a rule, chinchillas, due to the fact that they prefer to be nocturnal, postpone the mating process until the night. Therefore, you are unlikely to be able to see what happened and how. Well, you can guess that the rodents have finally found a common language by the presence of scraps of fur scattered throughout the cage and a small flagellum with a waxy consistency.

Oh, and after a week or two a change in the female’s weight will tell you that pregnancy has occurred. So, during pregnancy, every 2 weeks she will gain from 30 to 50 grams.

Chinchilla pregnancy

Pregnancy in a female lasts from 106 to 114 days. And, the ability to reproduce remains even at the age of 12-15 years. Later, it is no longer recommended to mate the female. Since the rodent’s body becomes less resilient, and the female can either die during childbirth, or she will give birth to non-viable offspring.

It is noteworthy that the process of pregnancy in a chinchilla does not interrupt the development of eggs, which mature faster after the birth of offspring. That's why, If you do not want the female to become pregnant again after the birth of small chinchillas - this is not very good for her body, since it has not yet had time to recover after childbirth, then it is better to separate your pair of chinchillas for a while.

On the 60th day from the start of pregnancy, the female chinchilla’s nipples begin to swell, and the belly itself also increases in size.

How to care for a chinchilla during pregnancy

During pregnancy, your chinchilla needs to be cared for more carefully. This means that its nutrition must be complete and healthy, the cage must be clean, the rodent must be protected from drafts, bright light, cold, heat and stress. Also, to maintain the body of the expectant mother, it is recommended to give her special vitamins. They will support her body and help her bear and give birth to healthy offspring. However, such vitamins should still be prescribed by a veterinarian. He will also recommend the dosage of such medications and the frequency of taking them, because both a deficiency and an excess of vitamins can lead to disastrous consequences.

The chinchilla's cage should be clean and comfortable. It’s better not to bother your pet with your attention if she doesn’t take the initiative herself.

10 days before the expected date of birth (you can calculate it using your calendar), the container with sand will need to be removed from the chinchilla’s cage, and the nesting house itself will need to be covered with fresh bedding. If the rodents have been together all this time, then it is better to move the male away so that he does not distract or irritate the female.

Chinchilla giving birth

As the breeders of these rodents testify, Generally, labor in females begins in the morning, from 6 to 8 am. Moreover, the birth itself can last a few minutes or drag on for several hours. If everything is fine with your pet and she is healthy, the chinchilla can cope with this task on her own. If you see that labor is being delayed for an indefinite period of time, and the animal is exhausted, it is better to contact a veterinarian. Perhaps we are talking about pathologies during pregnancy, which you can read about in more detail here.

As a rule, after giving birth, the female should produce milk within 1-2 days. However, if you notice that small rodents are squeaking from hunger, or are sitting hunched over in the corner of the cage, and their tail is down (this is a kind of indicator of the mood and condition of the chinchillas), carefully examine the new mother. If she does not have milk, you will have to take care of feeding the offspring. By the way, The frequency of feeding chinchillas is every 2-3 hours.

Parrots cannot get pregnant because birds lay eggs to reproduce. Therefore, there is no way to know that a parrot is pregnant. However, budgies are showing some signs that they are about to lay eggs.

A female parrot lays three to eight eggs

Before laying an egg, the bird usually produces noticeably larger than normal bowel movements. She may begin to moult and use her feathers for nesting, or become more interested than usual in the nest box. The parrot may groom itself several times a day or walk around the cage in a certain way, but this should only last a few hours.

Be attentive to the behavior of the bird:

the female will try to make a nest from any material available to her in the cage;
she may spend more time than usual on things she used to do. Birds like to sit and conserve the energy needed to lay eggs;
some female parrots become more aggressive than usual;
the bird may be hiding in the corner.

Stay aware of physical signs:

A female parrot may experience loss of belly feathers. This is called a brood spot and appears right before the eggs are laid.
You may also notice that the bird's belly has become rounder than usual.

Once it has been possible to understand that the parrot is “pregnant”, it is worth paying attention to the behavior of the female in order to notice signs of complications in time. Parrots can have problems laying eggs, especially when the female does not get enough vitamins or varieties in her food, or her diet lacks calcium.

When a bird fails to lay an egg, it becomes lodged in the vulva and can put pressure on the female's internal organs, eventually leading to death. Signs of this complication include a swollen belly (a bird's belly will not swell unless there is a problem), difficulty breathing, or limping. Limping may be a sign of severe nerve damage due to a stuck egg. Sitting on the ground for long periods of time is also a sign of complications.

If a female parrot sits on the ground for long periods of time this is a sign of complications

It is worth taking your female parrot to the vet if there are signs of complications.

the veterinarian will be able to feel the swelling caused by the eggs;
The veterinarian will also know how to check the cloaca (the reproductive opening of birds) for hanging or swelling;
react quickly to such problems in the female, as it only takes a few days to create an egg.

Egg laying in budgerigars begins approximately one to two days after mating. Once the female has laid her eggs, you can keep all of them or remove some of them based on your reasons for breeding parrots.

Some breeders breed parrots to obtain good or new genetic combinations. These breeders will likely remove the eggs from the nest. They remove them because they believe the parrot cannot care for more than four to six chicks at a time.

Breeders remove eggs from the nest because they believe the parrot cannot care for more than four to six chicks at a time

Breeders who raise budgies for sale will likely keep all the eggs to sell more birds later.

Why do some eggs need to be removed? Imagine if the female lays 9 eggs, once every two days. This will make the laying period 18 days. She simply does not have enough time to feed all the chickens to make them strong and capable of life.

It may also happen that the mother bird will simply throw out some of the chicks that are not yet ready for life, and after a while they will die. Therefore, it would be better to remove the eggs before it is too late.

Once egg laying begins, the female will sit on them the entire time. Often a male comes to her. You can even observe at this time how he sits on the outside of the clutch and feeds the female through a round hole. In general, it is best to simply keep the male parrot in a cage and let the female incubate the eggs as best suits her.

When eggs begin to be laid, the female will sit on them the entire time.

Sometimes after laying eggs, budgies act as if nothing happened. If a female lays an egg and does not sit on it, remove the egg from the cage.

While waiting for the eggs to hatch, only the female will sit on them. She will do this about 18-19 days before the first bird is due to fly. The eggs should be kept at a temperature close to the mother bird's body temperature. This ranges from 40 to 43 degrees Celsius.

Once the budgerigar chicks hatch, check if everything seems normal and if the female is feeding them. She will throw all the eggshells out of the nest herself, so there is no need to look there too often.

Since eggs are laid every second day and there can be anywhere from 4 to 9 eggs, it may happen that the first chick to hatch already has feathers and the last one hasn't even hatched yet.

Budgerigar chicks grow very quickly. As soon as they gain a little strength, they begin to explore the world around them and rise to their feet. The female will try to push them away and remove them from the nest because she is immediately preparing for the next mating.

Parrot chicks leave the nest when they reach the age of 30-35 days. About two months after hatching there is little difference between parents and chicks.

After the parrots are “born”, pay attention to the female. As soon as the chicks grow up, she will begin to push them away and prepare for another mating. Owners should not allow her to mate more than three times a year, as this is too tiring for the female budgerigar.

Having decided to purchase a pair of budgies, you need to understand that sooner or later they will have offspring. So that the appearance of testicles in a cage does not come as a surprise to you, you need to know how to determine the pregnancy of a parrot and find out how many days after their appearance the chicks hatch.

How to understand that a parrot is courting a female

The beginning of the courtship period between birds is noticeable even to a beginner. At this time, the male begins to show active interest in the female. He begins to flirt with her, attracts her attention in any way and shows off in front of her. The female must reciprocate; she will not leave his side and make sounds indicating that she is ready to mate.

Did you know? One of the main signs that the female is ready for motherhood is the appearance of a brown skin growth on the beak.

If your pets show these signs, then you need to prepare the nest. It can be purchased or made by hand. Regardless of what it will be, the female will put things in order herself. They will jump inside from time to time and scratch in it for a long time.
Sexual behavior of Alexandrine parrots, male feeding female

How to tell if a female parrot is pregnant

Having noticed that the male has shown interest, it is important to know how to determine whether there will be offspring.

The interesting position of the bird is determined by the following visual signs:

The female's abdomen increases in size.
The tail begins to move in time with the bird's breathing.
There is an increase in the amount of droppings in the cage.
The bird spends a lot of time in the nest, preparing it for laying.
The female, despite remaining active, dozes more and becomes clumsy.
The expectant mother is intensively gnawing on a mineral stone.

Important! In preparation for the appearance of eggs, the female combs the lower abdomen, namely the place of the cloaca, plucking out feathers there. In addition, the cloaca itself increases significantly in size.

A pregnant female's belly is growing

How many days do chicks hatch?

Parrots are responsible parents and do not leave the eggs until the chicks hatch. Most often this happens on days 15–20. The chicks are born weak, helpless and also blind. At first, the mother feeds them with crop milk and warms them with her body. They become more independent after 15 days. At this time, the eyes are already open, the paws have become stronger. The chicks can already eat the softened grain, but the parents take care of them for some time.

As you can see, determining pregnancy is quite simple; the main thing is to carefully monitor your feathered pets. It is important at this time to provide the birds with a balanced diet and good care.

In order for parrots to produce offspring in captivity, several steps must be taken:

Selection of a pair.
Determining the breeding season.
Observation of mating games.
Home improvement.

Matching

It is advisable to purchase a perroque from a trusted breeder, who will advise the beginner on many issues. These should be healthy birds, preferably of the same age, then there will be no problems with incompatibility.

You need to find out the sex of the parrot from an ornithologist, because the owner may have the idea of breeding a perroque spontaneously. In this case, a partner of the opposite sex is purchased. He is placed in the next cage. The birds communicate, and if the owner notices that they have begun to talk, they place a new partner in the cage with the old one.

Determining the season

The main stimulus for the onset of oviposition is the lengthening daylight hours. Therefore, if a cage with birds is located on a window, the best time for breeding is spring. You can organize artificial lighting using a table lamp. Since the ancestors of domestic parrots lived in the tropics, the day should not last more than 14 hours. A six-month interval between clutches should be observed so as not to exhaust the female.

Mating games

If the owner of the perroque wants the parrots to start breeding, he watches them intently. The male begins courtship, dances, chirps, attracting attention. If the female does not object, the owner of the perroque purchases or builds a nest. This will serve as a signal for mating, which the ornithologist may not notice due to the short duration of the action. In parrots, several egg follicles mature, so their condition resembles pregnancy.

Home improvement

The female reacts positively to the appearance of a house in the cage, not paying attention to its shape. She fusses around, putting things in order inside. The nest should not be placed in a cage when the parrots are molting. They do not tolerate additional stress while nursing chicks. A decade passes from the moment of mating until the eggs appear. The female lays eggs every other day, laying from 3 to 10 eggs, most often 5. Incubation lasts about 18 days. At this time, the parrot family needs increased care from the owners.

Definition of pregnancy

The beginning of oviposition is preceded by the following signs:

The abdomen increases.
The tail oscillates synchronously with breathing movements.
The volume of litter increases.
The parrot constantly sits in the nest.
The female plucks out the feathers around the cloaca.
The consumption of mineral supplements increases, and the bird actively pecks at them.
The male regurgitates food for the female.

During incubation, the parrots stop feeding, limiting themselves to grain components.

Signs that determine the pregnancy of a female parrot help ornithologists organize proper care for the hen. It is necessary to ensure optimal air temperature (25–27 °C), prepare for the reception of offspring and figure out how to feed the chicks.