Help - Bunnies Had a Fight!!!!! .... UPDATE

Morning

OH woke me this morning at 4.45 to say that Dizzi (the girl) was trying to mount Rascal (boy) ....... next news - they're fighting!!

OH broke them up but there was fur all over the place - I checked them both over and they seem ok but as soon as I turned my back (for like 2 mins whilst I nipped the loo) ....... they were fighting again!!

Proper going for it ..... again, fur all over the place!

They've settled down now and she's been grooming him but I daren't leave them alone.

We have two spare hutches that I've made up so I can put them in there ....... didn't really want to separate them but I can't risk them having a proper full on fight whilst I'm at work.

They're only 11 weeks old (today) and now I'm really worried. Will separating them for the day break their bond .... or is it already broken now they've fought??

Thanks, Jo x

PS/ they're sat together now quiet content and happy but I can't risk it can I!?!

Are you CERTAIN they are Buck + Doe and not 2 Bucks ?

Either way, if you are not able to supervise them today then you'll have to seperate them and then wait til they are BOTH neutered before rebonding them xx

The lady I got them from and the vet both said one of each!?!

I've put them in the spare hutches now as I have to get ready for work.

So do you reckon that's it now? If they go back together before being 'done' the same thing will happen? Or could it have just been a one off?

Isn't she a bit young to be getting jiggy?? The vet said that she shouldn't be able to get pregnant until she's around 4 months old so it was ok to keep them together then get them both done at the same time .... that way I wouldn't have to re-bond or anything.

Nightmare!

I feel awful separating them, they look sooo lonely in those hutches on their own - but I know its for their own good - just wish this had happened tomorrow if it had to happen at all so I could supervise and see how they go.

I completely agree with Jane's advice. And yes my first thought was -wonder if these buns have been mis-sexed.
Yes you'll feel mean separating them but you'd feel worse if you didn't & they had a major scrap & got hurt.
So best to bite the bullet & separate for their own safety, desex & then re-bond.
In the long term it will be for the best.

Might be getting their sexes checked again - it's very hard to be 100% sure when they're very young.

My vet thought I had 2 boys and 2 girls when I first got mine checked - 2 weeks later it was 4 boys!

If you're not there to supervise then it may be best to separate. It only needs one of them to be getting hormonal to cause friction. Just have them still close to each other if you can.

They're due at the vets on Tuesday for their second lot of jabs so I'll ask him again then to sex them ..... but it will be the same vet as last time (not got a lot of faith in him tbh) unless I can ring and try and book in with someone else instead.

The spare hutches they're in are side by side and attached to each other so they can't see or smell each other at the moment.

OH said he'll bring his tools home from work tonight and make some sort of divider in their normal hutch and run with 2 lots of mesh a few cm's apart so they can still see/smell each other but can't bite or get jiggy through the mesh.

I did think it was unusual for a girl and boy to be fighting .... especially as she instigated everything - thought it would have been him trying to hump her and getting a bit snappy if anything!

Actually, would I be able to let them out in the run together if supervised?? I know it only takes a second or two for jiggy, but if they're so young would it be ok as long as there was no fighting?

Cheers, Jo x

PS/ What age can I get them 'done' at?? ETA : Thinking about it, I spose it depends on their definite sex doesn't it!

Just another thought ...... at this age, is there any chance I would be able to sex them myself?

If so .....erm what am I looking for - or will it be obvious??

Thanks, Jo x

Bitzy said:

Just another thought ...... at this age, is there any chance I would be able to sex them myself?

If so .....erm what am I looking for - or will it be obvious??

Thanks, Jo x

Click to expand...

General how to: http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexing.shtml
Boy pics: http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexingboys.shtml
Girl pics: http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexinggirls.shtml

Bitzy said:

Just another thought ...... at this age, is there any chance I would be able to sex them myself?

If so .....erm what am I looking for - or will it be obvious??

Thanks, Jo x

Click to expand...

If you search in the health section here there will be threads on sexing buns.

The easiest way to tell for boys is if you can see/feel their testicles

Thaaanks ........... I've had a look at them both but can't tell, but then I was trying to do it on my own and was a bit nervous of hurting them ....... think I might have another look tonight when OH is around to help. :?

I presume its not normal for a boy and girl to fight??

How about two girls??

Neither of them have any injuries but there was definite fur pulling .... there were small clumps of it in the hutch and run .... both colours.

They're both in their temporary hutches and they're not happy! I've given them a couple of treats to try and appease them and hope they'll forgive me soon! (if only they could understand its for their own good).

You really need to find a rabbit savvy vet, if your vet is the usual dog, cat vet he's not going to be as good as an exotic specialist (extra vet qualification).

Why not post a thread asking for vet recommendations in your area? My exotic vet is amazing, Ashleigh Vets Chorlton, Manchester. Prob too far for you but they are the bees knees when it comes to buns!

Thanks Hannah ....... I have found one on recommendation from RU.

However, as I paid up front and in full for both sets of vacs (it was cheaper if I did this) I have to take them back to the crappy vets just for their second lot of vacs.

As soon as they've had it, I'm registering them with the recommended 'rabbit savvy' vet.

Just thought I'd give you an update ......... I came home from work and put both bunnies in their run together and sat with them (with a water squirter and some big thick gloves) ....... first off they just kinda ran round ignoring each other and having a good sniff of everything then Rascal went and flopped in the shade ..... Dizzi ran over to him and sat next to him and then he put his head down for grooming.

So, she's groomed him ...... he's groomed her ...... they've been flopped side by side for about half an hour oh and they even visited the litter tray (same one) together!

I'm now sat in the dining room with the patio doors wide open so I can see them (and they're only a few feet away from me)..... the gloves and water squirter are by their run and they're just flopping and grooming like mad!

They've been sniffing each others bums a bit too!?! :?

So ..... what do I do now? :?

If they carry on being nice to each other do I let them stay together tonight and see how it goes ....... or do I put them back in the separate hutches again tonight and only let them out for supervised play together?!!?

Any advice would be really appreciated .... thanks, Jo x

If you are gonna stay awake all night to watch them they maybe leave them together... if not.. then I wouldnt not risk it.

Hhhhmmm good point!

Think I might leave them playing for a bit (as they're still getting on really well, snuggling, grooming etc etc) and then stick them back in the spare hutches for the night ....... would it be a good idea to swap them round so put Rascal in the hutch Dizzi was in today and vice versa?

So they can still smell each other ...... cos its two double decker hutches attached so they can't see each other?!?!

Thanks, Jo x

I would swap them around to mix up the scents and get them neutered/speyed asap so you can fully bond them. They sound adorable.

Thanks, I did swap them round last night and this morning I've put them out in the run together and they seem sooo pleased to be back together..... lots of binkying and grooming and sniffing going on......only thing is, I can't get any jobs done now as I'm supervising them! (oh well ....will just have to sit in the garden all day eh)! Damn! lol

I felt awful separating them last night .......it will have been their first night on their own - ever!! (well ok in the 11 weeks since they were born) ..... I did contemplate staying up all night so they could stay together but thought better of it!

As soon as they've had their jabs on Tuesday I'm registering them with the recommended vet and discussing getting them 'done' (once we establish their sexes).

For the time being I'll just keep doing what I'm doing - separate hutches at night and supervised play in the day (if it all carries on going well of course).

Jo x

Right well that 'if it all carries on going well' is down the drain ...... they've just had another fight!! :shock: :shock:

The water squirter didn't work so I had to get in the run and separate them ...... I dunno where it sprung from - one minute they were bouncing round the run - the next they were fighting.

Both of them had mouths full of fur when I separated them. :shock:

Really wish I hadn't chanced it now but I just felt sooo sorry for them .... lesson learnt, won't be doing that again!!

I've checked them both over and Dizzi's managed to bite Rascals ear and bum .... she's slightly broken the skin but its not bleeding or anything .... they're back in separate hutches and I've rung OH to say we need to go back to our original idea which is to separate their new hutch and run down the middle with 2 layers of mesh so that they can still see and smell each other but can't get to each other .... luckily we designed the hutch with two runs so they can both still have permanent access to the (separated) run so can come and go as they please!

I'll have them re-sexed by the vet on Tuesday then ring the new rabbit savvy vet to get them registered there and talk about neutering.

Is there anything I can put on Rascal's sore skin? They're only really small marks but as its broken the skin I just wondered if there was a need to put anything on??

Well Saffy (doe) was a nightmare when she reached 11 weeks, Joey (buck) was 6months older than her and neutered already, she started a big fight and ended up under a GA getting stitched up :? Seperate them until she is done and then bond them properly is my advice, thats what i did.

So happen she is a girl afterall!

Oh well ........ I'll just have to wait and see. Will definitely get them both done as soon as they're able tho.

How long after being 'done' should they stay separated for? (I would imagine hormones will have to settle down etc etc as well as the healing process).