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chocolatey

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I am hoping someone will be able to advise me....we have 2 boy bunnies (yes, you can see my knowledge level immediately!) and would like a girl...but am unsure whether to get one girl or two and, although they would be living apart, whether we should also get another run or they would be Ok in a group run
Help : :?
 
Are your two boys living together? And are they neutered?

Usually the easiest pairings are neutered boy/girl but neutered boy/boy and neutered girl/girl aren't impossible nore is keeping a group of three bunnies together :)

They might get along in a run together after gradual intoductions, if they all get along you might as well have them all living together as well though. I would think they are more likely to start arguments if you keep seperating them and then putting them back together.

Best wishes,
Tamsin
 
Thanks for getting back so swiftly. The 2 boys (12 weeks old) are iving together. Theyare not neutered and we would like to have the option of one litter before getting them neutered.
 
Bare in mind two unneutered boys are likely to start fighting when they hit puberty especially if there is a female around. You'll need to have them neutered at around 4 months (16 weeks) old to catch them before that. They aren't ready to be breed from until 6-7 months of age. This means you will either need to neuter or seperate them.

You might find this article helpful in deciding whether to breed - http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/breedingrabbits.asp it address issues like legal requirements, the difficulty of finding homes and the problems with casual breeding etc.

Best wishes,
Tamsin
 
I have 2 "sets" of Rabbits. They live in different accomodation and each set has their own run.
Holly (F) <alpha rabbit> paired with Caesar (M) and Clio (F) paired with Charlie Cheesecake (F)
Neville (M) <alpha rabbit> paired with Bob (M) and Heidi (F) paired with Jodie (F)
As you can see it is a fairly mixed up combination. Both sets live quite happily together providing they obey the alpha rabbit. Separating them too much can lead to a few squabbles while they get re-acquainted.
The one thing that I have learned from watching my buns is that they absolutely love having a friend of their own. If you are desperate for 3 but can afford 4, get 4.
The boys will fight if they haven't been neutered, starting in the next few weeks. If you put a girl in expect some BIG scraps. They may also hurt her if she is small. It may be that they try and mount her non-stop for days at a time where she won’t get any rest and will be very stressed out. You will have to be very vigilant. Rabbits are vicious when they fight. They can bite each others ears (off) and if they get in a flat spin they can bite each others sexual organs, necks and noses beyond repair. You can easily get hurt yourself trying to separate them. I have been literally terrified when I happened upon a fight. It is a very scary thing to see.
Another side effect of rabbit fights is expensive vet bills. Caesar was very badly bitten in the shop I “rescued” him from. The result was a dreadful bite / turned abcess, 3 months of antibiotics£££££, and surgery £££££ for eventual removal because it was so bad and seeping.
I am sorry if I sound negative but I have first hand experience with your situation. When I got Holly and The Geeze I couldn’t imagine anything more lovely than little baby bunnies. In the end I decided against as I had Caesar castrated under the same anesthetic as the abscess removal. It saved putting him under twice. Thank God I didn’t take on bunnies! I had no idea what it entailed.
Since then, I have subsequently gone on to acquire & pair up my other 6 into little clans. I really did have to learn by the seat of my pants. If I can give anyone any advice about what it means to have bunnies it is this.
Assumption - Bunny Litter = 6 to 8
Assumption – Surrey Prices
Food for 8 - £3.99 per week = £16.00 per month
Fresh Food for 8 per week - £5.00 to £10.00 = £20 to £40 per month
Hay for 8 - £4.00 per week
Vaccinations - £20 per rabbit twice a year
Spot On - £2.99 per rabbit every 2 months
Medical Emergency – Caesars surgery =£200.00
4 Spayings @ £60 each = £240
4 Castrations @ £50 each = £200
Extra 2 hutches in case they need to be separated = £ 50.00 MINIMUM
Indoor hutch for illness / quarantine = £50.00 MINIMUM
Nail Clippers - £5.99
Extra Water Bottles - £1.99 each
Extra Food Dishes (non spill) £4.99 each

Now imagine it is January. It is 5:00 pm. It is dark outside, raining, and cold.

• You have to clean out between 2 and 5 hutches. (whether they live indoors or not) You still have to go outside and get the hose and sponge out. At least twice a week.
• You have to pick up and examine 8 pairs of ears, feet, paws, bums, teeth, nails, everyday.
• You have to find time to cuddle and love 8 buns for a long time everyday.
FOR 10 YEARS!!!
• You have to fit all this in between work, family, friends, the pub, shopping etc.

I am guessing this sounds a little patronizing but you really do have to understand the huge cost and time overhead that 8 rabbits bring. I love all of mine so very much but I know what I have taken on and I am happy. Would you feel the same way in 6 months? In a year?

Good luck hun. If you need me, I am close to Kent and on MSN!
 
Thats a good run down. I would just add you'll need two seperate hutches for the boys before they start fighting, another seperate hutch for the mother to raise the babies and another two for the litter (to seperate the boys and girls from the litter).

Tam
 
thanks, I get the picture :roll:
I am a bit concerned about your observations of having 2 boys.... when we took them to the vet for their vaccination, I enquired whether this would be problematic and was assured they would not fight.
Do they fight less if we get one of them neutered?
 
I'm afraid its quite common for people to get the wrong information about it being ok to keep two boys together. Because they are fine until the hormones hit people not as familar with rabbits don't often realise that there is a problem later.

Neutering one may help but I think it unlikely as the unneutered one is still going to view him as competition especially if you get a female. They will be able to smell her which will set them off. Once they have faught its very difficult to get them back together even after neutering.

Tam
 
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