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Domestic/Wild Crosses

tlcwrites

Mama Doe
So, I just got back from the rescue, where I reserved a lovely lad for Miss Galinda's mate. They had 6 available individual males. Two lovely 5 month old ginger babies with white noses (and a ginger/white with more of a dutch pattern presumably from the same litter, but he was reserved.) Next, I saw two agouti males who were about the same age as the gingers and were wild crosses.

Finally, in the last pen, was the one I reserved. He's approx 1.5 years old, still living with his brother, and again they were both wild crosses. So many wild crosses available there! I chose to reserve him for numerous reasons. Firstly, he's one of the older single males and thus less adoptable than the five who were younger. Secondly, he is an "average" looking rabbit to most people. Thirdly, wild cross - the ginger babies won't have a problem finding a new home being "normal" domesticated rabbits. Finally, he seemed to bond with me. Once I managed to hold him (I picked him up myself, of course) and stroke him gently, he settled down and seemed like he'd be happy to leave with me there and then.

His name there is currently either Willow or Womble, but I'll be calling him Aven. :love: (He's really not a Fiyero, a Boq or even a Biq, sorry folks!) But first I have to get through the home check (and he has to be neutered) and I'm nervous. Just chasing up the hutch/run I have on preorder for them. I don't know how long post neuter it'll be before they can release him to me, presuming I make it through the home check.

Anyway!

Is there anything I need to take into account behaviour/ability/bonding/anything-wise when it comes to a wild cross? All of my previous and current rabbits have all well and truly been full domesticated breeds, so this is a new venture for me. I think, along with his "wild" side, there might be a little lionhead going on as he has a bit of a tufty mane going on. Too cute. But still, I want to make sure I am fully prepared for whatever it needs to take to look after him (again presuming the home check goes through smoothly).

So, any words of wisdom? Or is it a case of everything should be as normal for a fully domesticated buck?
 
How exciting, I don't have any advice as no experience of wildies, good luck. It sounds like you were made for each other
 
Are you taking his brother as well? It sounds like they are bonded if i read you right.

Unfortunately not. They are both unneutered but living together. I think this charity only adopts out in male/female pairs except in extenuating circumstances - and hold back "singletons" such as these for people needing partners for their solo rabbits (like my Galinda).The 2 younger wild crosses were also kept together, as were the three fully domestic breed bucks. I will ask about his brother though; hopefully he'll be bonded to one of their individual females if this adoption goes ahead.
 
I think if he was happy to be picked up and handled then he'll be fairly similar to a domestic. You might find he's a little livelier and needs lots of toys and stimulation. They can be quite intelligent too and agile so watch out for trouble ;)
 
Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

I just got a phone call from the lady who deals with the rabbits at the charity I'm adopting from (PACT). She just had a tricolour/harlequin lop buck (age 2.5) and thought of me. I discussed the pros/cons of me taking one of their wild cross bucks and she wasn't comfortable with the idea of me taking on one with the 6x2x2 hutch with permanent 6x8 run as she feels they need so much more space. Even though I managed to hold and settle him, apparently he (and his brother) have times when they act much more "wild" in the rescue and would go mad in anything less than what they have now. (By the sounds of it, height would be the issue more than anything else.)

As much as I would love to take on the wild cross I'd picked out and called "Aven" in my head, we both felt it isn't feasible with my current set-up. Instead, I'm taking on this 2.5year old buck who she seems to want rehoming asap (in spite of just coming in) because she feels that being in a rescue will be too much of a shock for him.

Hopefully one day, I'll have a home with a big enough garden to offer an enclosure of a suitable size for wild crosses. I'm definitely keen to take on the challenge one day, and help them with these harder-to-adopt rabbits.
 
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