• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Just got two young bunnies - pulling fur out

Hedwiga05

Young Bun
On Saturday I picked up two little mini lops (8 weeks old) and they're sharing a hutch and run in the garage. I was told one was a boy (named Sirius) and the other a girl (named Maisie).
Maisie seems either very shy or very scared, won't let any of us touch her just darts away but Sirius is more relaxed and allows me to stroke him.:)
But last night we noticed Sirius humping Maisie:?, today when I was sitting in the run with them he was doing it again, but then he kind of climbed over her side and starting biting/pulling at her fur:shock:... in a panic I gently pulled him away from her and now i'm so so worried. They're from the same litter so I thought it would be fine having them together!
Obviously I'm going to get them neutured when they're old enough, but in the meantime what shall I do? I'm terrified he'll do it again when I'm not there, but I don't want to split them up yet as they're so young ... but I don't want them to hurt each other.
:(
Also, what age can Maisie get pregnant?
I'm so worried about them.
 
are they definitely 8 weeks? I've not really seen my rabbits start to hump until around 12 weeks.

But in answer to your question, the male can be neutered younger than the female, I think it is around 14 weeks that the male can be done but the female closer to 6 months, that's what I have ben told in the past anyway.

I had a 14 week old bunny impregnate his mum. At the time I searched on the internet and it seemed more likely after 5/6 months but still possible younger and some people reported pregnant bunies at 12 weeks or so which would be very tough on the doe i think.
 
Yeah I think so, at least that's what the lady said that I got them from. So there isn't any chance of the doe getting pregnant?
Thanks.:)
Btw, do you think I should split them up or not?
xxx
 
I would split them up, get both neutered/speyed and re-bond. Definitely get him done asap as hormonal boy rabbits can become aggressive around 3/4 months and cause serious injury. You wouldn't want an accidental litter, so I would separate them now just to be sure.
 
Yeah I think so, at least that's what the lady said that I got them from. So there isn't any chance of the doe getting pregnant?
Thanks.:)
Btw, do you think I should split them up or not?
xxx

Yes absolutely split them up and I would only re-introduce them once they've both been neutered/spayed.

It's safe to say whoever sold you them needs a kick up the rear. Rabbits will still mate (and produce young) and fight even if they are siblings and it's a shame for both you and them that you've been given such bad advice.

Any young that result from the mating will be inbred and may have health problems as a result at 8 weeks though I would think (hope) that your doe is too young to be pregnant though someone may correct me as I'm not 100% sure.

Keep them seperate just now until at least 6 weeks after you've had your boy neautered. Once you've had the doe spayed then you should attempt to re-bond them. Good luck and keep us updated!:wave:
 
You need to split them now
Males can be fertile at 10 weeks and the youngest doe I've known pregnant was only 11 weeks:(

Some vets will not spey a doe until 6 months to allow her body to grow..but this doesn't mean she is safe until then
Please do not risk a litter of kits..we, as all rescues on here, are overflowing with unwanted rabbits
 
But in answer to your question, the male can be neutered younger than the female, I think it is around 14 weeks that the male can be done but the female closer to 6 months, that's what I have ben told in the past anyway.

My bunnies, a girl and a boy were both neutered at just under 12 weeks.
 
The day I got Selina, the breeder told me that she had been humped and the boy had pulled her fur. The rabbits were about 13 weeks old (luckily she wasn't pregnant) so it does seem a little odd.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to try to split them up asap, i've been worrying about it all night:( When my dad comes home from work (late this afternoon) he's going to put something down the centre of the cage as a divider, but in the meantime I'm thinking about bringing one of them into the kitchen for the day and leave the other in the cage. I feel very mean, will this break their bond? Will they be alright to go back together tonight when there's a divider there?
:wave:
 
I'm going out to check on them now...will post an update.
-UPDATE. Everything seems fine out there (apart from the large sleeping box somehow dragged across the length of the cage:roll:) but i'm still worried about them... will have a talk with my mum soon about how we can separate them for now.:wave:
 
Last edited:
I'd suggest seperating too. The constant humping may well be what's causing Maisie to be so jumpy and unhappy.

I had two females bunnies from my neighbour when I was much younger and Poppy started humping Radish near constantly. Radish would just sit in a corner. It got to the point that she wouldn't even move to eat and I had to put the bowl right under her nose. I split them in the end and Radish came back out of her shell in the end.

You can re-bond them once they're neutered :)
 
I'd suggest seperating too. The constant humping may well be what's causing Maisie to be so jumpy and unhappy.

I had two females bunnies from my neighbour when I was much younger and Poppy started humping Radish near constantly. Radish would just sit in a corner. It got to the point that she wouldn't even move to eat and I had to put the bowl right under her nose. I split them in the end and Radish came back out of her shell in the end.

You can re-bond them once they're neutered :)

Hmm ok, thanks. Well we brought Maisie into the kitchen this morning in the carry-case and she hasn't been out of it once. We left the door open, and have now taken the roof off and I have been flat on my belly in the kitchen trying to coax her out but she just sits there and even lets me stroke her (she wouldn't let me do that when she was in the run). Is she just scared or is it something else? Also there are two big splodges of poo on the newspaper where she is sitting, is that normal? Not the little round balls just splodgy stuff stuck there.
Sorry I know this isn't what the thread was about initially but if anyone has any advice:oops:
 
Back
Top