Please HELP!!! Unbonding issue

Can anyone please help me. After almost a year of living happily as two groups, my buns have decided to make a change, and its not good.

My buns live in a shed, on two levels with attached runs both upstairs and down stairs, they take turns to free range in the garden and this is what has caused the problem.
Ideally I would like to bond them all so that they can all free range together for longer.

In the begining, I used to cover the downstairs run so that they could not see each other but obviously they could smell each other so I started just leaving a little bit uncovered and as they got used to it, I uncovered a bit more. For a while now, I have not covered the run at all and they have been fine. Fudge (male lop) has been the only one who has been sniffing and running up and down the run and sits for hours looking at Emily (female lop)

By accident, when I was cleaning out the shed, Emily and Fudge got into the same space and chased each other a bit but they were okish, so I started to let them spend a few mins per day together. BIG MISTAKE

Now, Fudge has some referred aggression with his pals, mainly Bruce as Herby has always been the one who grooms and looks after the others. It has just been a bit of chasing but tonight, Herby also started chasing Bruce and they had a bit of a scrap.

At the moment, I have separated Bruce from the others into one section of their portion of the shed, but obviously this is not ideal, he has a 6 x 4 space but no access to the run. He came inside earlier, quite clearly to escape but then he wanted to go back out again.

I love my buns, they are my babies and I will go to the ends of the earth for them. by trying to make their life better I have messed up.

sorry for the long post. Can anyone help me. please I feel so terrible :shock:

Im afraid I have no ideas...but I didnt just want to read and run.
Perhaps just a big bond.or go back to the very beginning....covering up like you used to.
Hope you get it sorted.Its a shame you cant give your bunnies just a stern talking to.:roll:

Thank you, I was worried that I would get a telling off. I am scared of the big bond but I know its got to come, for all our sakes. :wave:

oh no - I really know how you feel, i started with a group and bought a brand new shed for them - great for a few weeks then they fell out - so I spilt into pairs - planning on dividing the shed in half. The MINUTE i put the second pair in (they couldnt see each other at all - i had completely barracaded it off!!) the other pair started fighting - big clumps of fur
I now have 1 pair inside and 1 pair outside - its the only way.

Oreo my male lop has really bad referred aggression.

Im planning on rebonding the group - so they can share a shed (im moving so they will be in a different shed)..

I suggest either trying for a group bond - but be prepared for a lot of stress and worry - you will need at least a week to observe. Or start again with your pairs - take away and rebond in a small neutral space,cover everything up so they cant see the other pair.
It may be that the damage is done - its totally not your fault - we are here trying to do our very best for them!

Can you take the fighting pair totally away from the others now?

Hope you can get it sorted xx

Can you take the fighting pair totally away from the others now?

Hope you can get it sorted xx[/QUOTE]

Thanks Kath

Thank fully, I only have to remove one to keep them safe at the moment ( from the group of 3) and I feel really sorry for him. I was thinking that over the next couple of days I will keep them so that they can see each other and swap their spaces over. I will then try to bond them again after a few days and see where we go. I will also keep them out of site of the other pair and hopefully they will forget about each other, *anyone got any ideas about how long this takes?

Once I hopefully get them all back on an even keel, I will decide if I can take the stress (and put them through it) of bonding them all or just leaving them to go back to the way they were.