Not sure what to do now!

I have been living like a hobo in my bunnies shed since Saturday mid morning, only leaving for a toilet break. You've guessed it Bonding my bunnies! Tired is not the word! They are both girls (I know, difficult) peanut a conti 8months old, spayed 4 months ago. May, French lop x who is 13 months old, spayed 7months ago. Neither seem to be submissive! I thought peanut may be, but no! Things have been up and down, we have had mounting by peanut, sleeping next to each other, grooming from peanut, eating together and lots of nose poking. They both seem the majority of the time relaxed, flopping everywhere, may does a lot of the time approach peanut with her head low wanting to be groomed and peanut ignores this and it ends up with may then nipping her and peanut nipping back! We have had a few scraps, fur flying, I have managed to seperate them before it got to bad, but this morning we have had quite a big fight, lots of fur flying! No injuries, thank god. I just don't know what to do now? I know I can't leave them alone, but I'm not getting any sign that one of them will be submissive to the other! Should I continue trying to bond them? Would you normally see one of them being submissive by now, it's nearly been 48hrs? Should I just call it a day and split the set up I have and let them live apart?

It took two weeks before one of our girls started to become submissive and it was a three month bond in total.
I guess it was easier for us as the girls were in the house so none of the cold weather outside.

Hopefully someone will be along with some helpful info but I'd personally continue.

I'm not sure I can do three months living in a shed! Maybe I should put them back in their old setups and bring them out everyday into the shed for "date bonding"? If so how long each day? I've split them for the moment so I can have a break and a shower!

Are you using neutral territory?

tonibun said:

Are you using neutral territory?

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Yes, its a brand new shed all fitted out for them. Everything inside is new to. I have not used anything old of there's. Neither Rabbit has been any where near the shed before i started bonding.

Back to square one.

I have come to the conclusion that bonding my girls is going to take a lot longer than i thought, if at all! After spending 48hrs with them camping down in the shed, (freezing cold, even with an insulated shed and a sore back) enjoying the moments when you think its all going in the right direction to be totally heart broken (so emotional from lack of sleep) when a fight breaks out. I know there is going to be ups and downs and i went into this with the knowledge it may not work, but i saw a lot of positive things from them both. But the fights seem to be getting worse, it generally always breaks out when May approaches Peanut with her head low wanting to be groomed and Peanut ignores this so May puts her head under her belly as soon as Peanut moves she takes her fur out from her belly area!:shock: Is that Normal? To start with Peanut just run away now she has a go back. So after the fight this morning when they were really going for it and me breaking it up, settling them down again and 30 mins later May doing the same thing again (head low to be groomed, to the removing of hair from her belly) i have split them up. I have put them back into their old set ups, I feel like i have failed! Do you think thats it? separate quarters for them both? or should i prevail and do daily dating ( in there shed)

Bunny Boo. said:

I have been living like a hobo in my bunnies shed since Saturday mid morning, only leaving for a toilet break. You've guessed it Bonding my bunnies! Tired is not the word! They are both girls (I know, difficult) peanut a conti 8months old, spayed 4 months ago. May, French lop x who is 13 months old, spayed 7months ago. Neither seem to be submissive! I thought peanut may be, but no! Things have been up and down, we have had mounting by peanut, sleeping next to each other, grooming from peanut, eating together and lots of nose poking. They both seem the majority of the time relaxed, flopping everywhere, may does a lot of the time approach peanut with her head low wanting to be groomed and peanut ignores this and it ends up with may then nipping her and peanut nipping back! We have had a few scraps, fur flying, I have managed to seperate them before it got to bad, but this morning we have had quite a big fight, lots of fur flying! No injuries, thank god. I just don't know what to do now? I know I can't leave them alone, but I'm not getting any sign that one of them will be submissive to the other! Should I continue trying to bond them? Would you normally see one of them being submissive by now, it's nearly been 48hrs? Should I just call it a day and split the set up I have and let them live apart?

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Oh Bunny Boo ....

Did either of them come from a rescue centre, where you can ask them to bond them for you? It's much easier to do when people aren't attached to the bunnies, seeing them try and dominate one another etc ...

You have chosen a difficult bonding, as you know, but not at all impossible. I really hope you won't give up ...

Oh no!!! The first bit of bonding is horrible ...I'm not surprised you're feeling deflated living in a shed for 3 days. Their definitely seems like positive behaviour ..I wouldn't give up but obviously you can't live in a shed indefinitely, lovely as I'm sure it is. So yes I'd change the boning schedule either to inside, ask a rescue as MM suggested or even try the date thing (I've no experience of this method but can appreciate the pros & cons). Girl bunnies eh, Boo took 7 months to learn to love Mouse

MightyMax said:

Oh Bunny Boo ....

Did either of them come from a rescue centre, where you can ask them to bond them for you? It's much easier to do when people aren't attached to the bunnies, seeing them try and dominate one another etc ...

You have chosen a difficult bonding, as you know, but not at all impossible. I really hope you won't give up ...

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No neither came from a rescue, May was adopted from pets at home! Peanut came from a breeder (she was suppose to be a he! :roll But this is the card i have been dealt and i adore them both so much. I can go two ways with this i can persevere and try the "dating" way, giving them time together every day or i can perhaps find them a "husbun" each. That way maybe the rescue centre may do it for me.....The set up i have in the shed is big enough for them all, i would have to get creative with the run and perhaps put a second level in to give them more room but that is easy done. Shed is 8ftx8ft with two levels (its huge) connected by a runaround each to the run which is 15x6.6x6 but as i say i can split the run and put 2 levels in. So i have to think what will be the best thing to do. But as we speak they are both back in there hutches happily eating there tea, although May does seem to be giving Peanut the evil eye....

Bunny Boo. said:

No neither came from a rescue, May was adopted from pets at home! Peanut came from a breeder (she was suppose to be a he! :roll But this is the card i have been dealt and i adore them both so much. I can go two ways with this i can persevere and try the "dating" way, giving them time together every day or i can perhaps find them a "husbun" each. That way maybe the rescue centre may do it for me.....The set up i have in the shed is big enough for them all, i would have to get creative with the run and perhaps put a second level in to give them more room but that is easy done. Shed is 8ftx8ft with two levels (its huge) connected by a runaround each to the run which is 15x6.6x6 but as i say i can split the run and put 2 levels in. So i have to think what will be the best thing to do. But as we speak they are both back in there hutches happily eating there tea, although May does seem to be giving Peanut the evil eye....

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Ah I see I'm glad you have a philosophical approach to the way your cards have fallen, and also (bless you) enough room to house a couple of males with the females if needs be. Yes I'm sure if you approached a rescue with that in mind, that they could possibly help with the bonding. It would be a way forward.

For now, I should take a bit of a break. You gave it your best shot, and although I'm not a fan of the 'dating' method (bit like it's not the same dating someone as living with them :shock at least it gives them some company.

I had two bucks (brothers from our local pet shop) who fell out after being neutered (I put them together too soon). They are now happily bonded to two does from a rescue (barc, on here) and live in a shed/aviary in the garden. Just to encourage you!

joey&boo said:

Oh no!!! The first bit of bonding is horrible ...I'm not surprised you're feeling deflated living in a shed for 3 days. Their definitely seems like positive behaviour ..I wouldn't give up but obviously you can't live in a shed indefinitely, lovely as I'm sure it is. So yes I'd change the boning schedule either to inside, ask a rescue as MM suggested or even try the date thing (I've no experience of this method but can appreciate the pros & cons). Girl bunnies eh, Boo took 7 months to learn to love Mouse

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My shed is lovely, it has been especially designed for the bunnies, very proud of it, will take some pictures to show you all. But spending all that time in there, only coming out for toilet breaks I'm glad to see the back of it for a few days, especially as i am back to square one.... I did see personalities of the bunnies that i have not seen before which was lovely to see, and i do think that they do trust me, more than i thought. I witnessed Peanut eating hay!!! which is something i have not seen before now. So where i go from here is something i need to think about. Do i try "dating" or do i think about "husbuns"......

MightyMax said:

Ah I see I'm glad you have a philosophical approach to the way your cards have fallen, and also (bless you) enough room to house a couple of males with the females if needs be. Yes I'm sure if you approached a rescue with that in mind, that they could possibly help with the bonding. It would be a way forward.

For now, I should take a bit of a break. You gave it your best shot, and although I'm not a fan of the 'dating' method (bit like it's not the same dating someone as living with them :shock at least it gives them some company.

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I'm not really a fan of the dating game either as its very start and stop, hence me doing the 'leave them together and stay by there side approach'. I will have a break and think about where to go from here as i did see in both bunnies how much they would love a friend...

tulsi said:

I had two bucks (brothers from our local pet shop) who fell out after being neutered (I put them together too soon). They are now happily bonded to two does from a rescue (barc, on here) and live in a shed/aviary in the garden. Just to encourage you!

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Thank you, i do need lots of encouragement at the moment, Having spent nearly 3 days in a shed with bunnies, feeling cold and my back screaming at me as i lay on cold lino, with hardly any sleep. I just want my girls to be happy and content. I am seriously thinking that some submissive males are required...

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These are a few of my favourite pictures over my few days trying to bond my bunnies.

We had a few days of the girls really going it at. We separated them for a few days (sometimes up to a week) and then before reintroducing them we took them for a little drive in separate carries (facing each other so they could still see but no fights could break out). After this is seemed to kick start that each of them is something good.

We tried to dating game but decided it was way too start stop & as a bond started to form we ruined it by separating them.

Give it a few days to settle and maybe try again if you're able to cope with it? Is there no way you could do the bonding in a dog crate in your bedroom so you're at least able to sleep in your own bed?
This is how we ended up doing it, the slippery floor reduced the chasing and encouraged them to lay down together. Covered the floor in hay so it was one giant litter tray/food box so they couldn't squabble.

They looked very comfortable together. We had a lot of the 2ing & trowing with the girls demanding grooming. Daphne would force her chin under Phoebe, and if Phoebe ignored her she'd bury her head further under. When Phoebe hopped away Daphne would chase. Phoebe eventually started to turn back & challenge her but it settled after a couple weeks.

lovely photos ...I think they just need more time & you'll get there

I think you could be getting there, they certainly look fairly relaxed in the photos. Could you try reducing the space they have got to see if that helps.