08/20/2026
~~ Back Feet & Hocks - the Foundation of your Rabbit ~~
Back feet/hocks are often overlooked, especially by novice breeders. They can tell you a lot about a rabbit. They are one of the first things you should examine when considering purchasing a rabbit, and a big point of criteria for evaluating youngsters.
The examples in these pictures are young rabbits around 12 weeks old, which is when most breeders make big decisions on who to continue growing out vs. who to cull.
TOO NARROW / LIGHT BONE / THIN FUR
- Even if the feet are parallel, a narrow footbase indicates pinched hindquarters. Pinched hindquarters are a problem because, in does, this will likely lead to birthing problems, which could be stressful or fatal due to stuck kits.
- In the picture, this rabbit also has light bone. You can tell because the heels are delicate and not very wide at the hock joint.
- This rabbit also has minimal furring on his hocks. Between the small surface area (due to the light bone) and the thin fur, this rabbit will be at higher risk for sore hocks than most.
~~ In my rabbitry, no matter how nice the rest of the rabbit is, this is an automatic terminal cull. ~~
COW HOCKED
- Cow hocks are when the heels are closer together than the toes. This is not ideal, as it means the rabbit's hips and body are not in proper alignment. If you place the rabbit on the floor and stand behind it and watch it hop forward, you will see the feet do not track parallel. The toes always stick out.
- The consequences of cow hocks vary based on how wide apart the feet are. If the heels are very close together, the hindquarters are pinched as in the first rabbit. If they are wider apart, it's not quite as much of an issue, although not ideal.
- Keep in mind that some youngsters can change their hip structure as they grow. I have seen some rabbits with milder cases of cow hocks slowly straighten out as they mature and their hips grow out. In this rabbit's case, both parents have straight hocks, as do their grandparents, so I think she may grow out of it, but if the parents are both cow hocked as adults then it will not change.
GOOD HOCKS // GREAT HOCKS
- Good hocks should be parallel to each other. This can be observed from birth. As they get older, you can place the rabbit on the floor and stand behind it and watch them hop. Good hocks will move in perfect parallel.
- Ideal placement for back feet is at least as far apart as the length of the feet themselves. Therefore, when you mentally draw a box around the outside of the shape the feet make, it should be a SQUARE. Even wider than square means the rabbit has a big frame and lots of room for muscle growth in their back end. The weight of the rabbit is distributed well.
- In Silver Fox and other commercial breeds, we are looking for MEDIUM bone. This is easily seen in the heels. The joint of the hock should be solid and rounded (not pointy like the first rabbit), at least the same width as the base of the toes.
- Good hocks should have thick fur, which is the best protection against sore hocks. The only thing that can cause a rabbit with good furring to get sore hocks is a medical issue, such as mites causing the fur to fall out, or unsanitary conditions, or abrasive flooring (which is why wire is better than solid flooring - it's more sanitary and does not rub the fur off their heels).
Hocks are one of the biggest considerations for choosing a breeding pair, for me. If a rabbit does have cow hocks, I will NEVER breed it to another cow-hocked rabbit. Also, a fine-boned rabbit NEVER gets bred to another fine-boned rabbit. Your herd will improve over time as you follow these practices.
