Opinions on bonding young unfixed buns

I'm after peoples opinions on bonding young unfixed rabbits to fixed rabbits or other young unfixed rabbits (excluding obviously unfixed m-f because that's just down right stupid).

I'm after things like problems that can arise, opinions on if it should be done, have you done it successfully/unsuccessfully, etc. Anything and everything. Also how rescues deal with young bunnies and bonding.

I do just want to point out I'm not asking this through ignorance, I'm asking to gain as many people's perspectives as possible. This is currently a relevant issue for me (not with my own bunnies), and so I'm after other people's opinions. This is very relevant to rabbit rescue, so if you have any strong opinions or ideas relating to that, they are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance. I'm hoping to use any info gained in a very positive way.

I wouldn't try it with boys - I did when I was new to buns & looking back I don't know how I got away with just a mild scuffle.

I've bonded unspayed females into my group before - with the intention of getting them done at the first sign of chasing, or when they reached 6 months. Kendra was actually 18months old before her spay(cos she was tiny), but she's always lived with other buns, & never really turned into a stroppy teen She actually gets on with everyone in the group

I wouldn't usually bother with adult unspayed buns, cos if they do fight, it'll be harder to get them together after their spay. I try to give the first bonding as much chance as possible

I bonded Toffee and Ghostie when Ghostie was still entire and we had hardly any problems at all.
Although Ghostie was and still is very dominant and can be a little moo at times, but that's just down to her fiesty character anyway.
I wouldn't do it again saying that, i'd deffinitely wait until all their hormones have cleared.

When I was new to rabbit's I kept two unneutered males together. When they reached 18 months old they fell out violently over night and my mini-lop Fiver still bears the scars to this day, he actually has a hole right through one ear .

I did keep two females together happily unspeyed though, they were neutered when they reached about 12 months because I was worried about uterine cancer.....shortly prior to this they lived with the afore mentioned males who had then been castrated....again, no issues.

I have bonded a couple of immature doe's with neutered adult males too, but on the provision the does were neutered at maturity.

I wouldn't risk it, too much of a chance of injury in my opinion. We only leave young babies together if they are litter mates, and will separate if they start to scrap before they have been neutered.

Thanks for opinions guys, keep them coming.

I have two boys together at the moment, they are not quite 6 months old though and litter mates. they are being neutred on thursday though cos Im rettied they will start scraping and not love each other anymore!!! Im hoping if I get them neutred before they fall out they will always be loving brothers!!!

Up until this year we have only had entire females with neutered males, and never had any problems. The first group of rabbits we had was a neutered, wild bun with 2 entire females. They didn't fight, but he was in charge and kept them in order.
Only this year have I started to spay the girls, as we lost Bertha to uterine cancer, and we then found out how common it is. In hindsight, we probably lost a few of the girls to this,but it wasn't diagnosed at the time.

I have never bonded un-neutered Buns (exept littermates) and as I have a multi-Bun household I would never try !!

Hormonal aggression + possible referred aggression = :shock:

In the past I have bonded two young litters together, they were about 8weeks old, and at that age they just got on with it and we neutered as they matured. Young males usually end up scrapping when they mature, even litter mates, but I have had sucessfully bonded neutered males with entire females (although we do eventually get them spayed) and it is not an infrequent way for buns to come in. Just last week we had an 8year old neutered male come in with his 3year old entire mate. The other way round is just not even worth thinking about as an entire male will do a neutered does head in. :shock:

Oh no, do you think my two boys will scrap eventually? I havent seen any signs of it yet and I have been watching them really closely! Sorry, I know this thread was not for me to get advice but I have had lots of conflicting advice!!

I tried two very young, unspayed females together (I think they were 8 & 12 weeks at the time). I did everything in a neutral area with all the rules followed and it didn't end well, big fight, fur flying, one very angry rabbit and one very frightened rabbit. I felt awful afterwards. Despite being so young, the elder of the two was very territorial so I wouldn't bother bonding unspayed/neutered rabbits to be honest. I don't think it is worth the effort and there are too many things that could go wrong either immediately or down the line.

dawnieb said:

Oh no, do you think my two boys will scrap eventually? I havent seen any signs of it yet and I have been watching them really closely! Sorry, I know this thread was not for me to get advice but I have had lots of conflicting advice!!

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I'd err on the side of caution and get them done as soon as you can as fights between unneutered males are inevitable.

I bonded unneutered female with neutered male. Charlie is really laid back, and just takes the humping, but you can see he is not very happy

Autumn is in for spaying on Friday, so hopefully things will resolve themselves.

Oh, I know, they are actually being done on Thursday, Im keeping my fingers crossed for them. I guess rabbits are just like people really. All different personalities!!!

I introduced an 8 week old doe to a neutered adult doe in May and they are still fine although the baby has obviously matured now- she will be neutered in the Spring.
I also have 2 unneutered does living with a very dominant natured neutered doe- the 2 unneutered were rescues and bonded before I got them. The combination works well but I think I've been lucky.
I know the 2 rescue does should be neutered- hopefully spring too.

Thank you everyone for your views.

Just thought I'd do a bit of explaining now.

I have contact with any family who has a adopted a rabbit and see them straight through the first three months, and then beyond if they do need support or help (such as with bonding, illness, accommodation, etc).

Just recently some of the bondings the centre have done have been having problems. The main one is where they adopted out a spayed female with an unneutered male. This bonding worked fine for a while. The boy, due to his hormonal behaviour became the dominant one (i.e. the chasing and humping), and then when he was neutered, despite the owners keeping them together and doing everything right, his lack of hormonal behaviour has meant that the female has started to fight him for the dominant role, and now both buns have been fighting viciously and are now separated, and facing return to the centre. Had the RSPCA waited until the boy was fixed then bonded, this would now not be an issue.

I spoke to my supervisor about this in great detail, and she contacted a rabbit guy that the centre listen to (as I'm only a volunteer I carry no weight) and he actually agrees with me, which is fantastic. He has told my supervisor that all bucks should be neutered before they go out and before they are bonded, but the girls, because they have to wait longer, can go out only with a bun of similar age, or a litter mate. I also reiterated to my supervisor about keeping a neutered guy from an unspayed female for 2 months after his neuter because he can still do it, and they would not want to be responsible for more unwanted rabbits. She really listened and took it on board, which was good, and I think she will talk to the right people and get this sorted.

So that's what the issue was about But it looks like its on the way to being sorted and situations like this won't rise again

I have a pair which consists of a neutered male and an entire female. They are unrelated. She is slightly younger than him which is why she is unspayed as she isn't old enough yet.

My other pair were bonded the same way, although the female has now been spayed once she came of age. I never really had any probs behaviour wise, but it may be that she was spayed before she got hormonal.