3 Rabbits? Please help :/

[vvsloan]

Hi everyone. All rabbits referred to in long post (sorry!) Are mini lops.
I an existing doe (3 years, spayed), whose first companion, a litter brother was tragically slaughtered by some animal whilst in the garden a year ago- (id pay good money to work out just what it was (3 gashes on the side of his neck)). We got her a new companion, who she bonded with successfully, albeit after 3 odd months, who unfortunately died 3 weeks ago randomly overnight (only 1 year old).
I went to view a new baby buck companion today for her and am now absolutely torn as to what to do; this buck, (7 weeks, not yet ready to leave, has a brother he is very closely bonded with (from a litter of only 3). I now don't know what to do for the best- bring both brothers home to try and bond together with my doe, or stick with my original plan of taking just the one.
My reason for considering the 2 are a couple- 1, I hate to break up such a well bonded pair, and 2, sadly after 2 companions now dying on her I feel its kind of insurance that if it happens again she won't be put through all the stress yet again of a companion dying and yet another bonding process
What do I do for the best? We have a 5 foot double hutch connected to a 12 foot run and additionally thats all opened up to the full garden during the daylight hours.
Just for context, she's not a very outgoing rabbit. Unlike with her initial companion brother she never really 'played' or lied with her new companion and always preferred space and sitting on her own, although they did sleep together and groom occasionally. I know ideally the hutch should be bigger for 3 and would look at someone being able to extend it a couple of foot eventually (but I can't commit to a 3rd with plans of 'finding someone, timeline unknown, to extend the hutch,and after considering getting another hutch and connecting them, I'm worried 1 rabbit would be left alone in one hutch whilst 2 bonded slept in another

Ps, I know a 5 foot hutch is too small for 3 mini lops, but does the attached 12 foot undercover run and daylight run of the garden in any way make up for or mitigate that?
All advice much appreciated

 

[Omi]

Hello and welcome to the forum :wave: I'm sorry you lost your Buck so suddenly. Was he vaccinated?

There's probably no black and white answer to your questions and it's likely different people will have different opinions. I'll throw in a few of my thoughts.

Regarding their accommodation, I would say the hutch isn't really large enough for three rabbits. Have they got access to the run 24/7? Is it covered and secure i.e. from predators getting in and them getting out? Personally, I would not let rabbits free range in the garden unless I was able to observe them the whole time. Have you considered getting a shed or playhouse for them instead?

The two young litter mates are bonded currently, however that could change when both are neutered. So I would not take into consideration their current bond when considering whether to take both.

Completely understand your point about not wanting to be in a similar situation again and therefore considering taking two rabbits.

Hard to say definitely, but bonding two Bucks to a Doe will possibly not be as easy as bonding just the one.

Some trios live very happily together but it is sometimes the case that one rabbit gets left out a bit.

Have you got somewhere to house the new rabbit or rabbits, until they can be neutered and introduced to your Doe?

I hope that everything turns out well whatever you decide to do

 

[bunny momma]

I am sorry for your losses.
Others are more qualified regarding bonding, so allow me to remind you that the two littermates may not remain together should someone else take just one. Plus if you take one, the other boy may bond with the third bunny in the litter.

 

[Shimmer]

I'm a fan of bunny trios. My preferred trio mix is boy, boy, girl, although it does depend on the individual rabbits. Sometimes they decide on a different mix.

If you do get both babies, you need to have enough space / accommodation to temporarily keep them separate from your girl, and possibly from each other. The boys can be neutered from around 12 weeks old and need another few weeks for hormone levels to go down before bonding starts. There's a chance they may have a fall out around adolescence, which is why they may need to be separated before they are neutered. It is essential that they do not have a full-on fight, as that will make future bonding very difficult. However, if all goes well, the boys are neutered as early as possible and have no major fall out, you could have a happy trio by Xmas.

Another option is to adopt a neutered rabbit (or 2) for your girl, which cuts down the time until they can be bonded. It's also cheaper (check out the cost of neutering & vaccinating at your vet). She may even be able to pick her own partner(s) from a rescue.

 

[tulsi]

I vote going to a rescue and finding a ready neutered buck for your doe. It really is great to have rescue back up. Most of mine are rescues. The cost of neutering and vaccines make rescues a financial as well as a moral bargain!