Referred aggression...Help

Joey is being a little at now, he can smell new bunny when they are out in the garden and chase tinkerbell off when she comes new the fence, he's going mad. Had to put them in to clam down... saff and him were like this to begin with when dreamer and tinkerbell arrived but Joey seems much more upset this time do you think its because he can smell an entire male? Im hoping it will calm down, i want them to be able to go out and play withoout the stress.

nursecroft said:

Joey is being a little at now, he can smell new bunny when they are out in the garden and chase tinkerbell off when she comes new the fence, he's going mad. Had to put them in to clam down... saff and him were like this to begin with when dreamer and tinkerbell arrived but Joey seems much more upset this time do you think its because he can smell an entire male? Im hoping it will calm down, i want them to be able to go out and play withoout the stress.

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It is DEFINATELY because he can smell an entire male.
You will need to keep new Bun as far away as possible from your other three as the RA problem will just get worse the more Joey can smell new Bun.

If new Bun exercises free range on the same land that will just exacerbate the problem.

Ok well ive split the garden so perhaps i need to fence off the hutch too. The new bun has not been out free range only in the run the other side of the fence. I dont know where im going to put him when the others have exercise

He needs his vhd a week monday, i wanted him to settle first before he's neutered... when do you think it would be safe to neuter him?

I think this is common with entire bunnies coming in. Hoping it settles down soon for you.

nursecroft said:

Ok well ive split the garden so perhaps i need to fence off the hutch too. The new bun has not been out free range only in the run the other side of the fence. I dont know where im going to put him when the others have exercise

He needs his vhd a week monday, i wanted him to settle first before he's neutered... when do you think it would be safe to neuter him?

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If your Vet thinks he is healthy I'd get him done ASAP. Middle of next week maybe and then his vaccinations 2 weeks after the neuter. It will be stressful (frustrating )for an entire male to be around other Bunnies and his entireness puts the bond of your three at greater risk.

Having Bungle in our house made Strawberry much worse in his dominance. We ended up with three single buns as he attacked Snowdrop.

We are hoping that they will all bond together in a few weeks.

Jack's-Jane said:

If your Vet thinks he is healthy I'd get him done ASAP. Middle of next week maybe and then his vaccinations 2 weeks after the neuter. It will be stressful (frustrating )for an entire male to be around other Bunnies and his entireness puts the bond of your three at greater risk.

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He's already had his Myxi on Monday, will that make a difference?

It takes a fortnight to develop immunity after vacc, I would now get him booked in for his neuter on about day 15 and do the VHD after he has recovered from his neuter.

Unfortunately this is very common and it's likely to get worse, not better. This is particularly the case if the 'intruder' rabbit is entire, on what they consider to be their territory and they can see him. They will probably smell him anyway but you need to minimise it and do everything you can to keep him well separated and especially out of sight.

I remember when Nomad was first rescued by Sparklefairy, her two started fighting even though he was caged away from them, and it got worse and worse and resulted in very serious eye injuries to one of her rabbits. You really can't be too careful I'm afraid

Hope everything is ok xxx

Well i moved the run right down the end of the garden, the fence dividing the garden is a good 3 ft this side of the apple tree. I let the others out and Joey has settled right down thankgod and was happpily eating with the others, Dreamer and tinkerbell arent bothered at all. I will get him booked in for the 15th day after his myxi jab as you said.

Thankyou x

Excellent news, so pleased to hear that things have settled after a few adjustments. Fingers crossed it stays that way

I have to keep any "entire" bunnies [ie Ollie] in the house as Loppy developes "small man syndrome" if he smells an entire male,even bags of waste when I'm cleaning out is enough to set him off Daisy on the other hand isnt in the slightest bothered [and neither is Ozzie] :roll:

I have 4 pairs of my own rabbits, and see referred aggression in three of the pairs.
All my buns are neutered, and this behaviour happens when there are no entire rabbits on the premises, and has continued for the last few years.

They all have shared time free ranging in the garden and they don't seem to mind the smell of the other pairs in the garden, but show aggression if they ever see the other rabbits, which means I have to cover the front of the other pairs enclosures whilst one pair uses the garden for free range time.

(eta I have several baby rabbits on foster until they are old enough to be neutered living at the top of the garden. Even though these youngsters are entire my rabbits are quite happy to see these (through double wire I hasten to add!) without being aggressive to each other:roll::roll: