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Advice needed - groups/babies etc!!!

angel242c

Young Bun
Hi :wave:

I'm hoping some of you experienced people out there can give me some advice on how to proceed with my litter of cross wildies that I rescued. I am new to rabbit keeping and wasn't intending to have a litter, but couldn't leave them couped up in a 4ft hutch with no access to a run, looked after by someone who was petrified of the mum and was feeding them on chicken food and no hay :censored:

I have mum and 4 babies who are now 5 weeks old. We have decided that we want to keep all of them as a group, as we can't bear to part with any of them!! I am pretty sure that I have 3 boys and a girl (the pictures that were posted on here have been very helpful) and will get them all neutered as soon as they are old enough, but I do have a few questions.

1) Will I be able to keep 2 females and 3 males together if they are all neutered?

2) What age will I need to separate the boys and how long for?

3) What is the best way to re-introduce them and when?

4) Should I keep them next to each other so that they can still see each other? (I have a 6x4 shed with a triple tier hutch in attached to a 10x5 'aviary' permanently but this could be split to provide two separate enclosures)

I'm sorry for all the questions, but I don't know anyone that keeps rabbits and I really want to make sure that I am doing the right thing for them.

Thank you :D
 
Don't be sorry for asking question, you're asking good ones.

You're very lucky to have wildie cross bunnies. They are amazing little creatures. My warning is that as they get older their wildie instincts may hone more and they are likely to be very Houdini-like (digging, predominantly), very curious, very nosey, and those who are more in touch with their wild side are likely to be more 'look but don't touch' rabbits. They will need lots of space, lots of hidey holes to get away from the others, but also places to snuggle together too.

I would separate the boys from the girls at about 8-10 weeks (or when you see their balls) and get them neutered ASAP. You might aso need to separate all the boys (and potentially girls and mum) into individuals if you find them not getting along until they are ready to be bonded back.

Once it's six weeks after their neuter you can rebond them back in.

If all are spayed/neutered then hopefully you will be able to have them living as a group, however their personalities will depict whether or not that is possible.

I'd use this time to research bonding, although likely what you do will be slightly different from what the average does because your bunnies will likely have different needs, although those are the rules to start with, I think; those that everyone else uses.
 
Many thanks for that. They are nice and secure as it is a brick shed with a concrete floor and the run is on concrete with a brick wall on one side, and concrete panels on the other, so fingers crossed.

I have been reading about bonding, but am very nervous!! I have bonded one pair, but I really didn't do much as it was love at first sight for both of them!!! Will I need to wait until the little girl is neutered before reintroducing them? Mum is being done in a few weeks, then the boys, but my vet will not neuter females until 6 months. This is all so complicated, and I'm so inexperienced, but I couldn't leave them where they were as the owners husband said he was going to 'neck' the babies!!!!!!
 
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